Ridley Scott rumored for Disney’s ‘Merlin Saga’ as Juan Carlos Fresnadillo will direct ‘Sword and the Stone’ live-action

Famous director Ridley Scott may have turned 80, but the Gladiator creator may be busier than ever, rumored to be taking on Disney’s  adaptation of The Merlin Saga, which follows the legendary wizard as a young man before he becomes mentor to King Arthur. Disney is moving quickly with another fantasy involving Camelot, a live-action remake of Sword in the Stone.

The Merlin Saga is based on T.A. Barron’s series of books which charts the origin of the young Merlin, who goes on to become the wise mentor in the classic King Arthur myth. Academy Award-winning Lord of the Rings scribe Philippa Boyens will write.

Scott’s production company Scott Free is also in negotiations to produce alongside Bil Netter as Variety reports that the deal hasn’t closed but insiders expect this to be Scott’s next movie.

Here’s the synopsis for Book 1 of The Merlin Saga, The Lost Years of Merlin, via T.A. Barron’s official site.

A raging sea tosses a boy upon the shores of ancient Wales. Left for dead, he has no memory, no name, and no home. But it is his determination to find out who he is—to learn the truth about his mysterious powers—that leads him to a strange and enchanted land. And it is there he discovers that the fate of this land and his personal quest are strangely entwined.

Photo/20th Century FOX

For Sword in the Stone, THR reports that Juan Carlos Fresnadillo is in negotiations with the studio to direct the picture; Bryan Cogman (Game of Thrones) wrote the script and Brigham Taylor (The Jungle Book) is producing with Louis Provost overseeing.

Fans may be scratching their heads with this pick. Fresnadillo has been the director of horror/thrillers like 28 Weeks Later and Intruders – a strange choice for a whimsical, musical project.

THR recounts that “Stone was the final movie released by the studio before Walt Disney’s death; it takes a lighthearted view of the legend of King Arthur, focusing on the young Arthur being mentored by the magician Merlin.

“It was loosely based on T.H. White’s novel of the same name, which later became part of White’s multibook Arthurian fantasy, The Once and Future King.”