Today’s shaping up to be Magic Day.
In what is the most basic of news tidbits, Working Title Films has bought a pitch from Jay Basu (2005’s Song of Songs) that brings the wizard Merlin out from the mists of antiquity and into modern times.
Being written for the big screen, Basu’s Merlin would be a modern day updating of the Arthurian spellcaster, and not a time-travel piece involving the “historical” character: he’s going to be a living, breathing 21st century wizard. It’s a risky gamble, as the magician is so heavily rooted in the legends and the time period they take place in. The BBC’s Sherlock showed how a contemporary updating of a classical character could work (and work well), but Holmes is an easier one to convert to modern times – I’m not sure how well Merlin will make the trip.
I love the character but can’t think how Basu’s going to make this work. Still, I’m cautiously excited about this project.