Guy Ritchie is one of the busiest filmmakers in the industry at the moment, known for his daring action capers and crime thrillers across film and television. However, he is not afraid of going fantastical from time to time, to varying results. In 2017, Ritchie dived into the fantasy genre with a blockbuster that failed to make a dent at the box office. Still, audiences have shown appreciation for the action-packed film, which was once again returned to free streaming.
As of December 1, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is currently available to stream on Tubi. The film follows Charlie Hunnam as the titular hero in a darker, more fantastical take on the classic Excalibur tale. Fitted with CG-heavy visuals, a rocking musical score, and plenty of stylish set sequences, Legend of the Sword feels singular among the many adaptations of the material. Upon its release in 2017, the film was met with poor reviews from critics, garnering 31% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, over the years, Ritchie fans have found redeemable qualities in the action epic, as the audience score is currently at 69% on the review aggregate website.
In addition to Hunnam as Arthur, Legend of the Sword stars Jude Law as Vortigern, Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey as the Mage, Djimon Hounsou as Sir Bedivere, Eric Bana as Uther Pendrago, Aidan Gillen as Bill, Freddie Fox as Rubio, Craig McGinlay as Percival, Tom Wu as George, Kingsley Ben-Adir as Wet Stick, Neil Maskell as Back Lack, and Annabelle Wallis as Maggie. Read the official synopsis:
When the child Arthur’s father is murdered, Vortigern (Jude Law), Arthur’s uncle, seizes the crown. Robbed of his birthright and with no idea who he truly is, Arthur comes up the hard way in the back alleys of the city. But once he pulls the sword from the stone, his life is turned upside down and he is forced to acknowledge his true legacy…whether he likes it or not.
Was ‘King Arthur: Legend of the Sword’ a Box Office Flop?
Despite a massive $175 million budget and the studio’s aspirations for a franchise, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword turned out to be a total box office flop in 2017. After opening to a measly $15 million domestically, the film went on to gross $39 million in America. In total, Legend of the Sword only managed to make $149 million at the end of its global theatrical run. Not only did the film fail to recoup its production costs, it is also safe to say the studio did not make the marketing budget back. Of course, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is still among Guy Ritchie’s highest-grossing films, but the lack of return on investment also makes it one of his most financially disappointing.
Still, despite losing millions for the studio, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is in the top ten of Ritchie’s biggest films. Check out how the fantasy epic stacks up against the rest of his filmography at the box office (per Box Office Mojo):
- Aladdin (2019) – $1.05 billion
- Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) – $543 million
- Sherlock Holmes (2009) – $524 million
- King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017) – $149 million
- The Gentlemen (2019) – $115 million
- The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015) – $110 million
- Wrath of Man (2021) – $103 million
- Snatch (2000) – $83 million
- Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (2023) – $49 million
- The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024) – $29 million
- Release Date
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May 10, 2017
- Runtime
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126 minutes
- Producers
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Akiva Goldsman, Lionel Wigram, Steve Clark-Hall, Tory Tunnell, Guy Ritchie, Joby Harold