Movie Pitch: Hercules: Ghost of Sparta
Movie Pitch:
Ser Mordred: Heir to Camelot
In much the same way as
Ghost of Sparta, the story begins with a mother sharing tales of the distant past to her children [in this case a young son]. Here she begins reading to him the tales of King Arthur of
Bran's Line, briefly recapping his pulling the blade
Caladbolg [known in modern times as both Caliburn and Excalibur] from the Stone and the Unification War held against the Anglo-Saxon Invaders.
[In terms of appearance, Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table take on a
period accurate appearance of the
Britons (Welsh/Cornish) circa 300AD; as for Caladbolg, heavily lean on the intersectionality of Celtic cultures has on influencing the Britons (ie Merlin stealing it from the Irish being shorthand for Roman Imperialism).]
However, this is
not a tale about King Arthur. This is a tale about Prince Mordred,
rightful heir to Camelot.
The story begins with the Prince Regent having held the line against the Anglo-Saxons for
years following Arthur's departure in his Search for the Grail. With the Round Table at his side, he has united what remains of Roman Britain and a loose alliance of the Celts against the Invaders and has preformed admirably...when Arthur's return [almost a decade after his departure] throws everything into question. Not only was his return unexpected [as he was believed to be well and truly dead], but Queen Guinevere's second marriage to Ser
Lawnslot y Llyn (Lancelot) and their resultant child, Gawain, has lead to something of a crisis as it fractures the kingdom.
[Here, the themes of ignoring the realities of the present in favor of the dark grudges of the past or the intangible promise of the future is what lead directly to the Civil War.]
While he is gladdened to see his uncle return, he is initially saddened to see tensions flare up within the alliance he had worked so tirelessly to maintain...and then enraged when Arthur singlehandedly
shatters it with his decision (influenced by a corrupt Clergyman from France) to prosecute Queen
Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere) for engaging in adultery and then raises
Duran, his bastard son by Eleirch (daughter of Iaen), as his legitimate heir.
Siding with the Celts under the banner of his mother Morgause (Morgana, the Incarnation of the Morrigan), Mordred holds back both the advances of the Britons under Arthur and the Anglo-Saxons, despite repeated offers at reconciliation between him and his uncle.
The Civil War is costly, ultimately culminating at the Battle at Camlann, where one last attempt is made at reconciliation is made between the two sides, but is spurned in
bad faith by Arthur.
[While about half of the movie led up to this battle, the vast majority of the film takes place here, where the audience witnesses not only period accurate battle but creative use of cinematography, akin to a heist movie, the overall strategy and tactics that represent the ideologies of both sides.]
The battle is near done, both sides utterly annihilated and leaving only the commanders to face each other upon
a hill of broken spears and swords, and ends in a climatic duel between Arthur and Mordred...that itself ends bittersweetly, with Arthur dying in Mordred's arms, his last words being that he regrets letting both his pride rule him and that he loved...loves Mordred as his son, and never wanted to hurt him.
The film ends with Mordred himself carrying the broken king to the entrance of Avalon, promising that he will tend to Camelot's future until his eventual return.
Wanted to try my hand at a unique take on King Arthur, one that strips most of the French and Norman influence out and reintroduces the bulk of its original Romano-Celtic influence, with additional influence from pop culture; also, chivalric romance can just die
as a genre.
Also, less important but still relevant is the idea that Arthur is the reincarnation of Hercules' mortal half, the second of three trips needed to earn Elysium. This would be highlighted by repeated motifs of both Greco-Roman and Celtic symbolism, such as the triskelion (Sky/Past, Earth/Present, Water/Future). 
