The latest movie from filmmaker David Lowery (Pete's Dragon, A Ghost Story) - The Green Knight (2020) - was set to premiere on May 29th of this year, but thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, the movie's highly anticipated release schedule is now unclear.
Following an epic adventure taken by Sir Gawain (Dev Patel) - King Arthur's nephew - the movie falls under the fantasy genre that Lowery is well-experienced in, but also marks a new shift into the horror genre for the filmmaker. Whether the movie is released directly to VOD or sees a theatrical release, these ten exciting and knightly movies should hold anyone over until then!
King Arthur (2004)
Before the adventure with King Arthur's nephew, it might be best to refresh with the king himself. From director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day), King Arthur uniquely decides to strive for historical accuracy, straying from the traditional Arthurian legend.
The story sees Arthur (Clive Owen) as a Roman army officer who goes on a dangerous rescue mission behind enemy lines, where he meets Guinevere (Keira Knightley) in what is the most badass interpretation of Arthur's famous queen. The movie also features the character of Gawain, played by Joel Edgerton (The Great Gatsby), who plays a major role in The Green Knight.
Kingdom Of Heaven (2005)
Sticking with stories that have aimed for historical accuracy, Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven follows knights on the road to Jerusalem during the Crusades in the 12th century.
After his wife's suicide, Balian (Orlando Bloom) - a blacksmith in France - has an encounter with his estranged father (Liam Neeson). The reunion leads to Balian being knighted and setting a course for the Holy Land, which sets him on a dangerous path towards a confrontation with a treacherous Templar Knight (Marton Csokas). The cast of this historical epic is loaded with star actors.
Monty Python And The Holy Grail (1975)
Injecting some much-needed humor into the list is the classic Camelot comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which follows Arthur (Graham Chapman) and his knights on their quest to find the sacred cup supposedly used by Jesus Christ during the Last Supper.
Featuring no shortage of memorable quotes and fourth wall breaks, the knights are frequently distracted by frivolous side quests and silly characters (the most memorable being the tenacious Black Knight) on their humorously low-budget journey.
Highlander (1986)
Those familiar with the source material behind The Green Knight will know that the act of beheading plays a major role in the story, as is also the case with the fantasy adventure cult-classic Highlander.
Panned by critics but loved by audiences, the movie follows a legendary Scottish swordsman known as the Highlander (Christopher Lambert), a member of a race of immortal warriors who can only die via decapitation. After being trained by his predecessor (Sean Connery), a showdown is set with the only remaining immortal opponent - the Kurgan (Clancy Brown) - who was originally called the Knight.
The Sword In The Stone (1963)
An Arthurian origin story that children and adults can both enjoy, Disney's The Sword in the Stone stands as a classic nearly 60 years after its release. As an orphan, Arthur meets Merlin the wizard while helping his foster brother train to become a knight.
In a charming mentorship and friendship, Merlin teaches Arthur wholesome values through their fun musical adventures, like a duel with Mim (Merlin's rival who's as scary as any Disney villain), and a fateful trip to London where Arthur pulls Excalibur from its magic stone.
King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword (2017)
The most recent major theatrical take on the Arthurian legend is a significantly darker and nontraditional take on the King's origin story. Legend of the Sword reimagines Arthur (Charlie Hunnam) as a medieval street-level gangster who was raised in a brothel and trains like a UFC fighter.
The movie was set to be the first in a longer series, which was canceled after a poor box office performance. Which is a shame, because the witty, fast-paced dialogue and distinctive action sequences from filmmaker Guy Ritchie (Snatch, Sherlock Holmes) are highly entertaining.
Sword Of The Valiant (1984)
The Green Knight isn't the first cinematic take on Sir Gawain's story. Filmmaker Stephen Weeks first took a crack at the legend with Gawain and the Green Knight (1973) before a follow up with Sword of the Valiant.
The story follows the same premise that The Green Knight is expected to - a feast enjoyed by Arthur (Trevor Howard) and his knights is interrupted by the Green Knight (Sean Connery), who challenges anyone to strike him once on the condition that the same strike will be returned in a year, a challenge only Sir Gawain (Miles O'Keeffe) accepts.
Army Of Darkness (1993)
A distinction of The Green Knight is its classification under the horror genre, which is rarely utilized in knightly stories, but one great exception to that norm is Army of Darkness - the third installment of Sam Raimi's Evil Dead franchise.
After being transported to 1300 AD, Ash (Bruce Campbell) is imprisoned by King Arthur (Marcus Gilbert) and his knights after being mistaken for an enemy. After regaining his freedom, chainsaw, and shotgun, Ash must battle through an army of the dead to find the Book of the Dead so he can return home.
A Knight's Tale (2001)
From filmmaker Brian Helgeland (42, Legend) comes A Knight's Tale - an outrageously fun story of a peasant squire named William (Heath Ledger) who impersonates his dead master and poses as a knight to enter jousting tournaments, where he totally kicks the asses of other knights.
The movie features a charming love story, a detestable villain, exciting action, a lovable, entertaining, and well-cast gaggle of supporting characters, and most memorably an anachronistic yet perfectly-appropriate soundtrack. Anyone with an internet connection can watch the movie for free right now on IMDb TV.
The Seventh Seal (1957)
Arguably the greatest work from Swedish film legend Ingmar Bergman, The Seventh Seal is a deep, gripping, historical fantasy that examines the nature of life, death, God, and humanity's relationship with all of them.
In just his fifth on-screen role, Max von Sydow (Game of Thrones, The Exorcist) plays Antonius Block - a Swedish knight who returns from the Crusades to find the people of his home country dying from the Black Plague. When he's visited by the Grim Reaper (Bengt Ekerot), Block challenges Death to a game of chess for his life.