Sounds to me like this is gonna be a fantastic version. I prepare myself for the much knashing of teeth from the purists & shirk on my riot gear to push thru the picket line for my ticket.

Winnipeg Sun: Spotlight - Prince of Wales

Sun, July 11, 2004

Prince of Wales
Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd pins his hopes on Hollywood
By Louis B. Hobson

HOLLYWOOD -- It was just a little over 18 months ago that Ioan Gruffudd set sail for America. The Welsh star of the Emmy Award-winning miniseries Horatio Hornblower realized "Hollywood was where I wanted to work. It's where all the auditions are for major films."

No sooner had Gruffudd settled in West Hollywood than he was on a plane headed for Ireland to film King Arthur, in which he plays Lancelot.

"In the earliest version of the script there was a lot of wenches and carousing but this is a Disney movie, so we didn't even get to film those scenes," says Gruffudd.

In this new version of the Arthurian legend, there was never a love triangle involving Arthur (Clive Owen), Guinevere (Keira Knightley) and Lancelot.

"There are significant glances and verbal swordplay between Lancelot and Guinevere, but no romance. None written and none filmed. In this version, Lancelot is darker and more brooding than in any previous screen version. He's Arthur's moral conscience.

"I'm expecting there will be backlash from the Arthurian purists but I'm really happy I got to be part of something so radically different."

Gruffudd, 30, who was born in Cardiff, has been acting since he was 13.

"I got to play the landlord's son in People of the Valley, the longest-running soap opera in Wales. I've been acting ever since."

American audiences first saw Gruffudd as the animal activist in 102 Dalmatians, a film dear to his heart because that's where he met his partner, Alice Evans.

Gruffudd has already filmed eight episodes for the continuing saga Horatio Hornblower.

"I don't think we've seen the last of Horatio yet. I've played him from the time he was a 17-year-old boy. The series is very popular on both sides of the Atlantic, so there's talk of a few more episodes."

Gruffudd says he "always harboured the notion we'd do a big film version of Hornblower, but Russell Crowe's Master and Commander took the wind out of those sails."

Gruffudd is in negotiations to play Elastic-Man in the film version of Fantastic Four, which is scheduled to begin filming this fall.

DANCY DEMOTED

To join the cast of King Arthur, Hugh Dancy took a bit of a demotion from prince to knight.

Dancy played Prince Charmont opposite Anne Hathaway in the Cinderella story Ella Enchanted.

"I worked for Jerry Bruckheimer in Black Hawk Down, which is how I got on the list of British actors who Jerry and (director) Antoine Fuqua met for King Arthur.

Dancy, 29. plays Sir Galahad, the knight who was searching for The Holy Grail in traditional versions of the Arthurian story.

"Galahad's absolute purity and innocence couldn't possibly fit into the world of Bruckheimer's Arthur, so I had to forget most of what I'd learned about Arthur in school. He is the youngest of Arthur's knights, which is what sets him apart."

Dancy has nothing but praise for Knightley, who plays Guinevere.

"She was the only woman in the core cast of the film and she was considerably younger than the rest of us, but she never asked for special treatment. She was out there training with the rest of us. I could accept her as a warrior woman."

Later this month, Dancy is off to Rwanda to film the drama Shooting Dogs, with John Hurt.

"The film takes place in 1994, at the height of the genocide. We are shooting in the school compound where the actual events took place.

"John will play an old priest who's been in Rwanda for decades. I play the young idealist who thinks he can make a difference."

Dancy says he has no immediate plans to move to North America, though he hopes to be working here in the future.

"I've always wanted to keep a foot in Britain. I'm not certain I would feel comfortable living some place else, though I want to work all over the world."

HATCHET BURIED

Antoine Fuqua was devastated when Denzel Washington failed to thank him publically or personally for directing the actor to an Oscar in Training Day. Star and director have kissed and made up.

"Denzel has agreed to star for me in my next film, Tru Blu," reports Fuqua, who directed King Arthur.

"Steve Zaillian, who wrote Schindler's List and Gangs of New York, has written the screenplay, which, I know, was attractive to Denzel."

In Tru Blu, Washington will play Frank Lucas, who built a heroin dynasty in the 1970s.

"Frank's the guy who they were after in The French Connection. Benicio del Toro is going to play Richie Roberts, the cop who made it his mission to bring Frank down."

PIRATES TO SET SAIL AGAIN

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer hopes to begin filming the sequel to his runaway hit Pirates of the Caribbean this fall.

"Johnny (Depp), Orlando (Bloom) and Keira (Knightley) are all committed to the sequel emotionally but not financially. That's something we have to start working out," says Bruckheimer. "All three are busy, expensive stars now. Johnny's a $20-million man."

Depp has said he wants Keith Richards to play Depp's father in the sequel.

"Johnny loves the idea of having Keith in the movie because he used Keith as an inspiration for his performance, but the part isn't in the script yet. If Johnny insists and Keith agrees, I think it's safe to say it will be written in."