Ivanhoe in feature development

From THR – Fairbanks Productions (yes, that Fairbanks – the company was founded by the great-grandson of the Hollywood star) has attached Colin Macdonald (Sharpe’s Honor) to adapt Walter Scott’s classic adventure novel, Ivanhoe, for the big screen. It’s early days yet, but Fairbanks Prods has reportedly tagged the project with a budget of $81 million.

It’s far too early to say whether or not this project will ever see the light of day, but I like the idea behind it – I think we’re long overdue for a good Medieval adventure movie, don’t you?

Book Jacket:

Set in the twelfth century, during the reign of Richard the Lionheart, Ivanhoe tells of the love of Wilfred of Ivanhoe for the Lady Rowena, his father Cedric’s ward. Cedric, who is dedicated to the liberation of the Saxon people from Norman oppression and to the revival of the Saxon royal line, intends Rowena – a descendant of King Alfred – for the oafish Athelstane, and he banishes his son. Ivanhoe joins King Richard on his crusade in the Holy Land, and eventually the two men return secretly to England – Ivanhoe to regain his inheritance and Rowena, Richard to secure his kingdom from his scheming brother John who has ruled in Richard’s absence.

With a gallery of memorable characters, high and low, Ivanhoe is a powerful and exciting evocation of a medieval world of jousting, baronial rivalry, siege warfare and trial by combat, and makes no attempt to gloss over the violence and brutality that lay behind the chivalric ideals.