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THE HISTORICAL EPIC FEATURE and the creation and making of King Arthur by Kate McCallum

n this issue screenwriter David Franzoni describes his realistic historical presentation of theI legendary character King Arthur. He shares with us what went into getting Touchstone Pictures’ epic extravaganza King Arthur to the silver screen. David Franzoni was born in Vermont. He attended the University of Vermont where he studied geology and vertebrate paleontol- ogy while operating a small commercial film company. After graduation he hopped on a motorcycle and adventured through Europe, the Middle East, India, Southeast Asia and Australia. Upon his return to Vermont, he ran a toy company, an arms plant and a photofinishing company. He then moved to Los Angeles to become a screenwriter; and in 1980, he sold an original screenplay called Sweet Dreams, which was later turned into the comedy Jumpin’ Jack Flash. Europe beckoned once again, and Franzoni moved to Paris for two years where he worked with Merlin, Ioan Gruffudd as Lancelot and Hugh French director Bob Swaim (who had recently won Dancy as Galahad. the César for La Balance). He returned to L.A. and was hired to adapt the book Citizen Cohn for HBO. The film starred James scr(i)pt: The story of mythical King Arthur and his Knights of the Woods and earned Franzoni the George Foster Peabody Award, the Round Table has been the subject of several feature films, books and leg- Pen West Literary Award, the Cable ACE Award and a nomination ends. Why again, and just whose idea was this? for an Emmy. In 1997, he wrote Steven Spielberg’s Amistad. In 2000, Franzoni: It was my idea, and why again? Actually, it’s not again, Gladiator garnered Franzoni an Oscar® nomination for Best Original it’s a very different version. It’s King Arthur as The Wild Bunch. Screenplay, and the film received the Oscar for Best Picture. That We go back to the so-called Dark Ages and search for that key same year, Franzoni began writing his original screenplay King Arthur historical moment where the myths of Arthur originated. It was a for Jerry Bruckheimer. That script was recently produced by Disney, brutal time. Rome was pulling out. Petty kingdoms were collaps- directed by Antoine Fuqua and stars Clive Owen as Arthur, Keira ing, especially north of Hadrian’s Wall where the indigenous people Knightley as Guinevere, Ray Winstone as Bors, Stephen Dillane as struggled against one another and the encroaching Saxons. There was

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a leader, Lucius Artorius Castus, who, we and more convinced. Most importantly, how- believe, remained behind with his cavalry. ever, I was intrigued with the idea of giving That cavalry is key to the myths of Arthur back to the world the lives of these Sarmatians and his Knights: They were Sarmatians. which British history had basically written out The Sarmatians, a nomadic horse culture of existence, especially by the Celtic myth- from the Asian Steppes, had been sent to makers who will insist it was their people, Britain by Marcus Aurelius. Their descen- that there were no Sarmatians. I wanted to dants remained in Britain—stationed on give history back the Sarmatians lives and give Hadrian’s Wall and at Ribchester—as a them the glory that they deserve. separate cultural entity until well after Rome I also took a shot at the Pelagian Heresy pulled out. because it was running through the world, By this time all the Roman regulars had and especially Britain, at that time. If you gone, so you had ex-Roman forces made up look at the teachings of Pelagius, they coin- PAGE 32: Clive Owen as King Arthur, PHOTO: of local recruits, and this essentially little- cide pretty well with the basics of chiv- Jonathan Hession ©Touchstone Pictures and known force of Sarmatian cavalry, to stand alry. It gives Arthur both a reason to leave Jerry Bruckheimer, Inc. ABOVE: Screenwriter against the Saxons. In an earlier draft, I tried and a passion to stay; and it gives him a David Franzoni on the set of King Arthur just to be more accurate about how the inva- complete alternate reality from the pagans outside the hall containing the Round Table sion proceeded. The Saxons had come to around him, especially his own men who the isles to settle and then began a journey were obviously all pagan. Again, the other for Arthur and his Knights to be indigenous of conquest. What happened next was the thing that intrigued me was the mythol- is akin to people who need to find aliens at historically illusive figure of Artorius/Arthur ogy of the Sarmatians. One of the more fun Roswell no matter what. and his Sarmatians waged war against the discoveries was, whereas the Celtic/Christian The earliest and most consistent references Saxons—apparently a sustained, professional version of the Grail contained the last Merlot to Arthur call him a Roman—period. But cavalry campaign which culminated at the of Jesus, the original Sarmatian chalice was as Linda Malcor has pointed out, the Celtic Battle of Badon Hill where the Saxons were filled with hashish. (No, we don’t have the proponents have essentially tried to shoot that crushed. From that moment, in early British Knights sitting at the Round Table with a knowledge down. For instance, some “jour- history, the legend of Arthur and his band of hookah in the middle. In fact we don’t deal nalist” in Dublin got hold of an early draft of Sarmatian calvary became elevated forever. with the Grail at all.) our script and wrote a blistering attack on the Of course in an attempt to “purify” the project ... citing the usual Arthurian myths as legend and make it 100 percent Celtic, the scr(i)pt: I understand that you used famed if they could in any way be proved. In other Sarmatians were written out; and Roman Arthurian scholar and writer John Matthews as words, the Celtic myths say that Arthur was Artorius was made the Celtic Arthur. Later, a historical consultant. How much did he help a Celt. Therefore, our factual evidence that the Sarmatian myths were Christianized, and you with research and where else did you find he was a Roman must be wrong! Even one the whole thing was once again rewritten historical facts? of the oldest Celtic poems describes Arthur to become a medieval legend. For instance, Franzoni: We have three major historical as a Roman. When the British press quickly the Sarmatians had a holy cup that was a experts onboard: Linda Malcor, a renowned ran out of direct arguments, they went com- source of great quests which likely became Sarmatian/Arthur expert, Jeannine Davis- pletely beyond the pale. [One news source] the Christian/Medieval Arthurian Grail. Also, Kimball, a famous Sarmatian anthropolo- ran an article describing how Antoine and the Sarmatians worshipped swords stabbed gist; and John, one of the world’s Celtic I got into a huge shouting match on the into the earth, had a Lady of the Lake, used experts. John’s done a tremendous amount set—that we nearly came to blows—and that round tables and so forth. of research, and it was great fun hanging we had to be dragged apart by stuntmen. out with him on the set. Unlike most Celtic (Mind you, no ordinary crew member is man scr(i)pt: Why were you personally interested experts, John has a very open mind when it enough to handle a writer and director when in taking on this story? comes to dealing with the Sarmatian con- they go at it!) This fight took place, however, Franzoni: There are two reasons: The idea nection. Linda, likewise, is a true scholar when I was in Malibu and Antoine was in of doing King Arthur as The Wild Bunch is with—as every true scholar must have—a Dublin—Celtic myth-making’s finest hour. cool in and of itself. But, a long time ago completely open mind. John brought to our I remember having lunch with Jeannine when I used to go to the libraries for research, attention the fact that there was a fort on Davis-Kimball when she asked my wife I found a paper on Lucius Artorius Castus and Hadrian’s Wall of Sarmatian cavalry with how many acres a horse needed for grazing how it was possible that the legendary King a name very much like Camelot—a Latin so that it wouldn’t contract certain diseases. Arthur emerged from this historical Roman name. John is going to bear the brunt of the (My wife has horses.) When we asked why commander. Over the years I’ve become more Celtic attack on all this, as the British need she wanted to know, she said friends of

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“It shouldn’t be about making after he was exiled by Augustus, he describes Gladiator. I mentioned to my agent that I money or getting an Academy what it was like living on the Black Sea when wanted to do King Arthur as The Wild Bunch, your next-door neighbors are Sarmatians. and he was in a meeting with Mike Stenson Award®. That’s all bullshit. Those guys could have eaten the Hells Angels who works with Jerry Bruckheimer. Mike What you want to do is have a and spit out their Harleys. That day on loved the idea, so did Jerry—like, would you Badon Hill must have been unforgettable. come on over and talk about this? You get reason that is important to you King Arthur as The Wild Bunch, Merlin as so you can write the story.” scr(i)pt: How would you best describe the Ho Chi Minh, the Picts as the Viet Cong. overriding theme found in this interpretation Rome leaving is the fall of Saigon. Sold. hers were excavating the Sarmatian cavalry of Arthur? Director Antoine Fuqua came onboard last pastures at Ribchester; and, since they knew Franzoni: When you say theme, I think winter. We sat down and talked through the they had about 5,500 horses, they want about what this story is really about. It is whole thing. We went to London, did some to calculate how far to keep digging. Now about how the human spirit—when kept casting, got the money from Disney. If Jerry if the British archeologists hadn’t spent so whole by extremely tough individuals—can Bruckheimer wants to make a movie, it’s not much time chasing mummies in Egypt, never be beaten. The Sarmatians were strang- real painful. they’d have long ago sorted out their own ers in a strange land; and, as I’ve said, they country’s fabulous past. Instead, we are just were very brutal people. Brutal. But they live scr(i)pt: Did you do a treatment first? scratching the surface. on today in myth, songs and poems. Franzoni: I was contracted to write a treat- ment for Disney. Jerry and I talked through scr(i)pt: Was there anything that you found scr(i)pt: Wouldn’t you say that’s the warrior the story. I usually do not outline or write in your research that you didn’t get to put in the archetype? treatments, even for myself. But they wanted film and you wished you could have? Franzoni: Well, hopefully. And, hopefully, something on paper because Jerry was already Franzoni: Some of the myths of the the film is about who we are and not just after a director before I started the script. Sarmatians. There were more in previous about who we should be. Lord Byron once I did a very brief treatment. I put in some drafts. I wanted to deal with the Round said that the only two men in history who pictures of the Sarmatian cavalry. Table—a common shape of table among ever used war to create a better world were the Steppe people—and all the other myths Leonidas and George Washington. In our scr(i)pt: You included pictures and images? which can be traced circumstantially to the minds they are stale ciphers; but look at their Franzoni: Yes, it was a cool thing, a fun Sarmatians. I wanted to say, not so much lives, and you find real human beings who thing. My son has a collection of spears and “This is where all this stuff came from,” made staggering choices. Because they are daggers which are Sarmatian, so I brought but “This is who these people were as real—not myths or gods—we are capable of several of those in to show Jerry when I human beings.” making those choices, too. walked him through the beats of the story. It’s great to be able to hold something in your scr(i)pt: The Arthurian tales have been so scr(i)pt: What advice might you give to a hand that’s thousands of years old; it instantly romanticized. How do you think that hap- writer who is tackling the historic bio as far as connects you with—in this case—the people pened? Can you speak to this and the fact that accurate portrayals and speculative drama? you’re writing about. this film may become a mythos-buster? Franzoni: The most important thing to Franzoni: On one level we have to under- make “accurate” is what it is about. You can scr(i)pt: What did you prepare and/or stand that Merlin didn’t fly through the air make mistakes in costumes. You can even write up through the time of the film’s debut? and turn people into chipmunks. If you twist facts for dramatic reasons—it doesn’t Did you work at all with the film’s director, believe that, it’s hopeless anyway. I mean, really matter if you’re faithful to the overall Antoine Fuqua? what myths are we busting? We know myths truth. You have a “good idea,” which is Franzoni: I went to Italy on vacation with are lies, right? What is fascinating is that King Arthur as The Wild Bunch; but, unless my family and started writing the script. It the myths came from something—someone, there’s a real reason for doing it, it’s going took me about a year to get the first draft. some event. Going back to those origins is to be empty. I personally feel the writer has Then Mike Stenson and I worked on it. We always going to be more fascinating than the to find a legitimate reason for doing it. It got Jerry’s notes and worked some more. myths because the truth concerns real people, shouldn’t be about making money or get- Then it went to Disney, and they brought in the real world, facing real life-and-death ting an Academy Award®. That’s all bullshit. another writer in. He did very, very little issues. Rome left. The Saxons came, and the What you want to do is have a reason that is work, though I was not crazy about the dia- only real force standing between the locals important to you so you can write the story. logue changes. Then I came back on and and death was this Sarmatian cavalry led by As far as the accuracy goes, do all your own worked through the entire production with Artorius, a Roman. They met on Badon Hill research first. Just roll around it. Then, when Antoine. Antoine is perfect for this version to settle the fate of Britain, many, many gen- you get ready to go forward, turn [that part] of Arthur—he was a kid from the inner city erations ago. The heroism displayed on that over to the experts. and probably knew a few “Sarmatians” back day makes myth. in Chicago in his day. The Sarmatians were the finest horsemen scr(i)pt: So, from concept to sale—how did who ever lived and unbelievably hardcore on you sell the idea? scr(i)pt: Did you participate during pro- every level. If you read Ovid’s letters home Franzoni: It was almost as easy as duction?

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Franzoni: The whole thing. My 12-year- scene. This way the piece has momentum. his Sarmatians against the Saxons. So ... you old son is even a villager. When I arrived in In general, I had to tell a completely fresh go back to the period and do the human Ireland, they were nearly finished building tale of a completely fresh King Arthur— research and read what you can. I did the Hadrian’s Wall; and I was stunned—even after Lucius Artorius Castus, dux of cavalry—and same thing on Gladiator then turned it over Gladiator I was not prepared for the immen- the Sarmatian cavalry he commanded in to the pros to get all the details straight. sity of the set. I hope the audience doesn’t Britain. The usual tomes of Arthur (the Then the production takes on a life think it’s CG. It was actually quite moving. Celtic/Christian version—like Thomas of its own and in our case, getting stuff Jerry, Antoine and I had taken a chopper Malory, etc.) have been done. With the pos- right in detail is tough. On Gladiator from London up to Hadrian’s Wall—the real sible exception of Excalibur, I don’t find the when you called down to “ye olde sword one, of course—and it’s pretty much worn books compelling. The reason, in my opinion, and helm shoppe” and put in an order down. Then we walked along the top of this is that everything has been sanitized to make for 200 Roman swords, they knew you very accurate reproduction, and it’s a mile a Christian morality tale. Of course many of meant gladius or spathas. People have been long! Very impressive, very moving. the Sarmatian pagan elements survive (Lady making Roman gear for the movies for of the Lake, sword in the stone, the round decades. But when you call up and ask for scr(i)pt: Can you speak a bit more about your table, etc.) and that includes the Grail. Sarmatian swords and armor for men and writing process ... what you did that year to So, you have to sort through many horses, the chance they will get it right is craft this challenging story? things: our preconceptions of Arthur and dramatically low. To get the chain mail we Franzoni: I usually never outline. I feel his Knights; who Lucius Artorius Castus wanted we had to order from a factory that outlining interferes with the creative pro- may have been as a human being; who produces it for the S & M trade! Malory cess—kind of like reducing your vision to the Sarmatians may have been (again, as will roll over in his grave. a memo. But in this case, because Jerry was humans); what the times were like (Rome already talking to directors before I even pulling out—we are set back in the Dark We can look forward to more epic storytell- started writing, he asked me to do a brief Ages, not medieval times); the encroaching ing from David Franzoni as his future projects treatment/outline which I did and it was Saxons ... all that. You go back to Ovid who include: Hannibal for Revolution Studios, actually fun. It wasn’t detailed, but general, was banished by Augustus in 8 A.D., to a Rifts for Jerry Bruckheimer, and his own with images of the Sarmatians and their gear. terrible place on the Black Sea. Here, his screenplay, which he will direct. Then I wrote beginning to end, not think- neighbors were a maniacal, out-of-control ing about structure (which I feel is an illusion tribe of Sarmatians, the very same tribe that anyway), just getting the best story possible would eventually do time in the Roman KATE McCALLUM is a Los Angeles-based writ- on paper. You have to remember that the act army in Britain. Read Ovid and you get an er/producer/consultant under her banner com- structure was designed to give people breaks immediate, personal impression of these war- pany BRIDGE ARTS MEDIA and is currently work- at plays to go have a leak. So, I’m not struc- riors. Believe me, they are not your knights in ing with writer/producer Michael Chernuchin in turing my story around someone’s bathroom shining armor—Hells Angels, maybe ... development at Universal. She has recently com- issues. I never really use scenes, that is, scenes There exists a wonderful description of the pleted her M.A. in consciousness studies and is that have a beginning, middle and an end. A battle where the Sarmatians—who would scene should set something in the script in become Roman cavalry—were defeated on a especially interested in media, the arts and story motion and not resolve it until later, prefer- frozen lake by Roman legions, which I used and their effect on culture and society. Contact able within the structure of another so-called as a model for a battle between Arthur and her at Lifeonthedrawingboard.com

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