KING ARTHUR BATTLE UPDATE 23/11/03 Greetings to all my friends and colleagues from the set of King Arthur in Ireland ! Just a quick note to say we are officially wrapped and are now just finishing up some of the final details. The final battle scene went extremely well, shot on the same locations where Braveheart was filmed, we have completed this epic sequence without a single principal actor injury. This scene involved fifty-five stuntmen from a dozen nations, nearly a thousand extras, dozens of horses, multiple fire gags and high falls from the Hadrian’s Wall set and of course substantial principal sword and bladed weapon fights, all executed with high energy and passion by the cast. The whole of the stunt department is delighted and impressed with the end results. All the principal fights were complex and grueling but went very well indeed with all of the actors giving 110%. Well done and my personal congratulations and thanks to Clive, Keira, Stellan, Ioan, Raymondo, Joel, Hugh, "Big Ray," Til and of course Mads! It is impossible to single out one favorite moment. Major accolades go the Clive Owen, as Arthur, who brought brooding and intense energy to his final duel with Stellan (Cirdic). Clive fueled the Arthurian legend with new and gritty life, using the swordplay as the underscore to the Artorious mantle. Clive worked tirelessly throughout the filming and battled for two whole days with Stellan to complete this bloody and dramatic fight.  Beautiful and gutsy Keira Knightley fought and slashed her way through the Saxon horde with fierce Celtic Warrior- Queen energy, bringing a new and dramatic power to the Guinevere role. Keira worked very hard with me, right from the commencement of the preparation period. After weeks of training together she has become very proficient with the bow and frighteningly skillful with a fighting knife! Her portrayal of Guinevere will define this classic Arthurian archetype for years to come.  Mads Mikkelsen as Tristan and Stellan Skarsgard went physically into new territory when they filmed a highly complex master shot of their fight, which lasted over three minutes. This would have been enough, but so into the scene were they both that the actors insisted on continuing filming and shot the whole sequence some ten times over. I think this dedication is a first in this fight directors career, if not in cinema history. As previously stated, my visual brief from Antoine was "Gladiator/Braveheart" meets "Black Hawk Down" and the first 20 minutes of "Saving Private Ryan" with swords. Only a paying audience will be the final judge of the results but from what I’ve seen my initial prediction of a cult epic is definitely on the cards. King Arthur may well become the epitome of the Arthurian legend on film and with my old pal John Mathews as the historical advisor giving input into the script, I think the film’s Arthurian credentials are very solid. My respects and thanks also go to friend and colleague Harry Humphries for his support and good humor while marching the Saxon army up hill and down dale in the pouring rain! Major thanks go to director Antoine Fuqua for giving me unprecedented access and input into the fighting styles of the knights and the action elements of the story. Thanks also to David Franzoni for genuine and patient interest in our many ambitious action ideas and suggestions for the fights. Thank you both gentlemen. My sincere personal thanks go to my old pal Steve Dent for inviting me to play in the first place and giving me a free hand with his highly talented and skilled stunt team. All the boys, from all parts of the world, patiently and tirelessly threw themselves around the set at my request with good humor and enthusiastic glee! Also thanks to the SFX crew without whose efforts the visual wizardry and limb hacking mayhem would have been only half as gory!  Last but definitely not least, my sincere thanks and gratitude go to the producers who have been extraordinarily kind about both the action scenes and the sword fights. This is a major compliment for Steve and myself coming from a stable as prestigious and specialized as the Disney/Bruckheimer partnership. Once again, thank you gentlemen for all your patience, support and encouragement. Special thanks go to Mike Stenson, Ned Dowd, Bruce Hendricks and of course the man himself: Jerry Bruckheimer. I'll be returning to LA in mid November for a brief holiday. King Arthur has been a terrific experience and my final thanks go to all the wonderful Irish folks who have welcomed us and the King Arthur circus, making us comfortable and at home in their quiet country communities with bemused and amiable charm. Regards. Mark Ryan PICS