History Trivia / KingArthur2004

* DeletedRole: Horton had a bigger part in the original film but most of his scenes ended up trimmed or cut, and [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse he abruptly disappears from the film]].

* IronyAsSheIsCast: Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd being in a historical-style King Arthur movie looks like a natural fit on paper given the legend's links to Wales, yet he's not playing a proto-Welsh i.e. Celtic Briton character due to the contentious "Sarmatian connection" angle the movie takes, and also playing Lancelot who was most probably not part of the original Welsh-y stage of the legends to begin with, being said to be from France.

* IronyAsSheIsCast: Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd (proudly Welsh to the point of not taking a stage name, like anglicizing it to "John Griffith") being in a historical-style King Arthur movie, yet not playing a proto-Welsh i.e. Celtic Briton character due to the contentious "Sarmatian connection" angle the movie takes, and also playing Lancelot who was most probably not part of the original Welsh-y stage of the legends to begin with, being said to be from France.

* ActorInspiredElement: Creator/RayWinstone had boxed in his youth, so boxing was incorporated into Bors's character.

* DyeingForYourArt: Ioan Gruffud had to grow a beard for his role as Lancelot. But as the beard came out reddish, he had to have it painted black every day.

** Creator/HughJackman, Creator/RussellCrowe and Creator/MelGibson were originally approached for the role of King Arthur before Creator/CliveOwen was cast.
*** Creator/DanielCraig was also considered for King Arthur before the casting of Owen, but was turned down on the fact that Creator/JerryBruckheimer [[{{Irony}} thought that Owen would be the next]] Franchise/JamesBond, which would greatly increase the film's commercial shelf-life on home release.

** Creator/HughJackman, Creator/RussellCrowe, and Creator/MelGibson were originally approached for the role of King Arthur before Creator/CliveOwen was cast.

!!The film ''King Arthur''

* AllStarCast: Creator/CliveOwen, Creator/IoanGruffudd, Creator/KeiraKnightley, Creator/RayWinstone, Creator/MadsMikkelsen, Creator/StellanSkarsgard, Creator/RayWinstone, Creator/RayStevenson and Creator/HughDancy.

* AllStarCast: Creator/CliveOwen, Creator/IoanGruffud, Creator/KeiraKnightley, Creator/RayWinstone, Creator/MadsMikkelsen, Creator/StellanSkarsgard, Creator/RayWinstone, Creator/RayStevenson and Creator/HughDancy.

* ExecutiveMeddling: The film was originally envisioned and shot as an R-rated film with corresponding graphic violence. However, after the picture had been edited, Disney executives demanded it be changed to a PG-13, hence necessitating a lot of effects work to remove the blood from the battle scenes. Antoine Fuqua and Creator/JerryBruckheimer were not at all pleased with this decision and fought against it, but were ultimately overruled. They were both disappointed with the theatrical release and later released a much more violent Director's Cut on DVD. However, according to Fuqua's commentary track, even the Director's Cut version is considerably less violent than his ideal version. Ironically, when the film was released, one of the biggest criticisms was that the battles were mysteriously bloodless, hence undermining any sense of realism.

'''The film:'''

** In David Franzoni's original script, the love triangle so central to the original myth between Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot was a major part of the plot, as it is in most filmic adaptations of the Arthurian legend. However, during his research for the film, Fuqua came to believe that there was no truth to the love triangle aspect of the story and had Franzoni rewrite the script without it.

*** Creator/DanielCraig was also considered for King Arthur before the casting of Owen, but was turned down on the fact that Creator/JerryBruckheimer [[{{Irony}} thought that Owen would be the next]] Franchise/JamesBond, which would greatly increase the film's commercial shelf-life on DVD.
** Creator/MichaelBay was initially chosen to direct the movie before Antoine Fuqua was hired. However, Bay dropped out of the project due to budget concerns despite developing the film for nearly ''five years.''

** Creator/KenStott (United Kingdom) as the Roman Marius Honorius.

* UncreditedRole: Creator/JohnLeeHancock did an uncredited rewrite.

** Antoine Fuqa wanted Creator/DanielCraig for the lead role, but he was vetoed by Creator/JerryBruckheimer, because he was convinced that Creator/CliveOwen would be the next Franchise/JamesBond. Creator/RussellCrowe, Creator/MelGibson and Creator/HughJackman also passed on it.
** Creator/MichaelBay was originally set to direct, but left the project due to budget concerns. Bay had developed the project for over 5 years.
** In David Franzoni's original script, the love triangle so central to the original myth between Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot was a major part of the plot, as it is in most filmic adaptations of the Arthurian legend. However, during his research for the film, Fuqua came to believe that there was no truth to the love triangle aspect of the story and had Franzoni rewrite the script without it.
** Creator/StellanSkarsgaard turned down the role of Cerdic about three times before finally accepting. Antoine Fuqua didn't consider any other actor for the part.

'''The myth:'''
* NamesTheSame: The Black Knight is a common epithet throughout fiction.
* RecycledScript: The tale of Sir La Cote Male Taile is pretty much the exact same story as the tale of Sir Beaumains; a lowly servant becomes a knight and is given an insulting nickname by Sir Kay, they go on a quest with a damsel who mocks and degrades them endlessly, they wind up proving their worth and changing the damsel's view on them, and their true names are eventually revealed (Sir Beaumains = Sir Gareth and Sir La Cote Male Taile = Sir Breunor.) Both of these stories are told in ''Literature/LeMorteDarthur'', so a sense of Deja Vu is inevitable upon reading them one after the other.

* FollowTheLeader: Made after ''Film/{{Gladiator}}'' made SwordAndSandal films big again and the ''Film/LordOfTheRings'' film trilogy popularized MedievalEuropeanFantasy-style films. The film, set in 467 AD, straddles the two genres since it take place just a few years before the fall of Rome in 476 AD, which is usually considered the beginning of the MiddleAges. The connections with the first of those films extends to them even sharing a writer and the same composer.

** Australian Creator/JoelEdgerton as Gawain.
** Downplayed by the Welsh Creator/IoanGruffud, who puts on an English accent to play Lancelot.

* ActorInspiredElement: Ray Winstone had boxed in his youth, so boxing was incorporated into Bors's character.

* CreatorBacklash: Keira Knightley said she wasn't a

** Australian Joel Edgerton as Gawain.
** Downplayed by the Welsh Ioan Gruffud, who puts on an English accent to play Lancelot.

** Stellan Skarsgaard turned down the role of Cerdic about three times before finally accepting. Antoine Fuqua didn't consider any other actor for the part.