I would not mind a realistic King Arthur movie with no magic or gimmics.  If the book was like that, I imagine.  I won't be able to read a book until I get the ipad.  

Actually, "Le Morte d'Arthur" is what "Excalibur" was largely based on...and I'm FED UP with all this wannabe "realistic" takes on King Arthur.  I really hated the "Arthur" movie...the posters said a true story...THERE IS NO TRUE STORY...it's the myth and legend that made the story endure in the first place...I've not seen any "realistic" take on King Arthur that I enjoy, pretty much because they're trying to be realistic in the first place.  Hey, here's an idea, let's do a remake of "Lord of the Rings", but set it in Detroit...sorry, but that's how it feels whenever somebody tries to jam myth into reality.  I want Merlin, I want magic, I want to Holy Grail, dammit!

We already got a realistic Arthur tale not long ago, I want the other version. Anyway don't we have a remake of Excalibur set for 2012

I guess Ritchie is no longer going to be involved with Sgt Rock or Lobo

Aww C'mon, the King Arthur movie with Deadpan Clive was shite. If the Roman civilisation stopped at Hadrian's wall, which it did, how on earth was there a villa in the middle of freaking Scotland, surrounded on all sides by hostile picts? Riddle me that batman! And why did the Saxon army even have to fight at the wall? Why didn't they land in the soft, unprotected south of Britain? Then the battle scene at end was more like the end sequence of Monty Python and the holy grail. 

Jeez, I had that pent up way too long.

Tell you what Dazzler, if you want a great story about King Arthur with no magic or gimmicks, read the Bernard Cornwell trilogy. And Guy, if you're reading - use that as the basis of a movie.

How can this be a "re-imagining" if they are using "Le Morte d'Arthur" as the key source material?

And wasn't this reported a week or two ago?

Original, I was about to make the same Cornwell recommendation.  While there's no magic, and it's a very gritty and realistic tale, all the elements are there, especially the basis for the magic, seeing as Merlin is a druid.  The Lancelot/Guinevere deal is there, as are some of the other knights.  Anything Cornwell writes is golden.  I'm expecting The Burning Land, book 5 in the Saxon Chronicles from Amazon this week.  Check it out. 

BTW The first book in the trilogy is called the Winter King.

I love the Arthur story (the king, not the drunken millionaire played by Dudley Moore). But I still haven't seen the Clive Owen one yet. Excalibur remains my all time favorite.

You can't really tell from the description if this will be the "real & gritty" or the magical one. I imagine Ritchie leans towards grit, though. I'd love some magic in it. The King Arthur myth is essentially what the original Star Wars trilogy is about.

Ritchie doing King Arthur....I think that is a perfect match for him.   I hope he does it and as Caveman pointed out that novel is closer to the movie Excalibur.  I don't think he would take the same road the last movie took in trying to make it real.  Clive Owen was damn good as Arthur though...one of the very few high points of the movie.

Couldn't possibly be worse than that crapfest, King Arthur starring Clive Owen.  The alcohol I drank at the Alamo Drafthouse in Houston was the only thing that made that film bareable.

I have was wondering the same thing...Didn't they already announce a remake of Excalibur (not necessary by the way)? 

If they are doing a faithful Morte d'Arthur sign me up!