Initially just rumors, the possibility of Ridley Scott not only directing but producing The Merlin Saga through his Scott Free production company has crossed over into the serious negotiation stage. There are two questions that come to mind with these recent developments. The first is how did Scott manage to become a person of interest for directing the movie. The second is what we can expect should Scott finalize the negotiations and direct the movie.
Disney acquired the considerably large Fox movie vault about a year ago, and there appears to be a hidden loyalty between movie companies and directors. (Could it contractual?) In any event, once Disney got its hands on the Fox vault, Scott felt free enough to approach Disney with the offer to direct The Merlin Saga. It seems clear this was a project he really wanted to get involved with on many levels, so we can be fairly certain that he had a number of ideas even before entering into negotiations.
As for the second question, Scott has a tendency to present a certain amount of blood-letting in his movies (Aliens, Gladiator, American Gangster) so it will be interesting to see what approach he takes with this portrayal of a young Merlin. But he is very good at offering a good deal of suspense without the gore factor (The Martian, Flight, Thelma and Louise). Though Scott is 80 years old, his long list of movies that have proven profitable at the box office appears to be sufficient evidence we will not be disappointed.
The Merlin Saga is based on the book series by T.A. Barron which moves away from the tried and true approach of focusing on characters such as Lancelot and King Arthur and makes Merlin the central character. Merlin’s life growing up, a sort of “coming of age” theme, will be explored. The word from Disney is they plan to make at least one more movie focusing on Merlin, so depending on what Ridley Scott does with this first installment we may see him back for the second movie.
One casualty from this Disney deal is likely to be the Alien franchise series. His last effort, Alien Covenant, may be his last one. As has been mentioned, he will turn 81 in 2018, and while the ambition may still be there, the energy level may not be. Scott suggested as much himself when asked about what fans can expect for the future of the Alien franchise.
For Ridley Scott fans, all this news is a mixed bag. They gain a Merlin movie but there is now a strong possibility they will witness the end of a franchise. Perhaps a more important issue is where will the next generation of directors par excellence come from? Love him or hate him, J. J. Abrams is only 51 but had to choose between Star Wars and Star Trek. (He chose Star Wars: Episode IX). Spielberg just turned 71, and is still active. Both Spielberg and Scott were nominated for Golden Globes this year.
The most positive take on all of this news is that we will get to see what Scott has worked up to inject new life into a stalled genre. There was the TV series that ran from 2008 — 2012 and the 1998 Merlin movie, both which received decent reviews. We will wait and see if Scott can continue the magic.
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