Excalibur is a 1981
dramatic sword and sorcery film directed, produced and co-written by
John Boorman that retells the legend of
King Arthur and the knights of the
Round Table. Based solely on the 15th century Arthurian
romance,
Le Morte d'Arthur by
Thomas Malory,
Excalibur stars
Nigel Terry as Arthur,
Nicol Williamson as
Merlin,
Nicholas Clay as
Lancelot,
Cherie Lunghi as
Guenevere,
Helen Mirren as
Morgana,
Liam Neeson as
Gawain,
Corin Redgrave as Cornwall, and
Patrick Stewart as
Leodegrance. The film is named after the
legendary sword of King Arthur that features prominently in
Arthurian literature. The film's soundtrack features the music of
Richard Wagner and
Carl Orff, along with an original score by
Trevor Jones.