While Guy Ritchie is busy putting the finishing touches on The Man from U.N.C.L.E., which is due to hit theatres this January, his next project is also slowly starting to take shape. Surprisingly, it will not be Sherlock Holmes 3, but rather another new take on an old story: Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur. We first heard rumours about this back in 2010 when it was revealed that Ritchie might direct a King Arthur movie based on a treatment by comic book writer Warren Ellis. Since then, however, Ellis’ name has not been mentioned and instead it is Joby Harold (Awake) who appears to have written the script. Warner Brothers is said to be envisioning this as the first in a 6-film franchise (because, of course they are) and now the movie has reportedly landed its first star. Hit the jump to get the lowdown.

According to THR, Idris Elba is currently in talks to star in Guy Ritchie’s Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur. Before you go thinking this is a bold and progressive re-imagining of the English myth, however, you should know that Elba will not play King Arthur. Instead, he is said to be playing Sir Bedivere, the right-hand man of Arthur’s father, who teaches him everything he knows about leading an army. Elba would be the first actor to join the cast with Warner Brothers planning to hold tests for the lead next month.

The most recent version to hit the big screen was Antoine Fuqua’s 2004 film King Arthur starring Clive Owen, but there have since been several other competing projects in development around Hollywood. Bryan Singer was at one point producing an Excalibur remake, while Warner Brothers once had David Dobkin set to direct Arthur & Lancelot starring Colin Farrell. Now it appears that Guy Ritchie’s version is the only game in town and it is set hit theatres on July 22, 2016. Are you looking forward to a new take on King Arthur?