The story is set in England after the barons' war against King John, which ended with the signing of the Magna Carta. Determined to restore his absolute authority, the king turns to an army of Danish mercenaries. A group of Templar knights, among them Thomas Marshall, becomes entangled in events while on a pilgrimage to Canterbury, and soon the fates of nobles, soldiers and churchmen converge at Rochester Castle, a stronghold crucial to control of southern England.

How it was made

Megan Fox was initially attached to the project but left and was replaced by Kate Mara. The financing crisis of 2009 forced a smaller budget and a near-complete change of the supporting cast; only James Purefoy and Paul Giamatti stayed on. Principal photography began on 9 October 2009 at Dragon International Film Studios near Llanharan, in Wales, where a replica of Rochester Castle was built. Producer Rick Benattar aimed for a siege recreation as historically accurate as possible. It was the largest independent production filmed in Wales. The script takes considerable liberties with history, and medieval chroniclers disagree on the size of the castle garrison.

Reception and legacy

The sources available do not detail critical reception or box office results, so its reception cannot be described with precision. Its interest lies mainly in its treatment of the 1215 siege and the Magna Carta, and in having been shot entirely in Wales on a budget of around 25 million dollars.

Stills

Trailer

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Trivia

A change of leading actress

Megan Fox was attached to the project during its promotion at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, but she left and was replaced by Kate Mara.

A full-scale castle

A replica of Rochester Castle was built within the studio complex in Wales for the shoot.

More films by Jonathan English

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Original Cinematopedia text based on Wikipedia (es) and Wikipedia (en) and Wikidata.