While many sequel scripts have been scrapped in Hollywood, it seems thatBrian Helgeland’s attempts to deliver a follow-up to the Heath Ledger movieA Knight’s Talewas scuppered by a Netflix algorithm.
In a new interview with the filmmaker, he explained that he had been keen to do a sequel to the medieval comedy but, despite continuing to be a popular choice among film lovers, his pitch toNetflixwas denied on the basis that their algorithm didn’t think there was enough interest in it. Speaking toInverse, Helgeland was asked about the potential sequel, to which he replied:
“When we finished A Knight’s Tale, we were already thinking about making the sequel as a pirate film. The plot revolved around Count Adhemar kidnapping Jocelyn and taking her to Constantinople. They end up as galley slaves after their boat is captured by pirates. There’s a prisoner on the boat who has a treasure map tattooed on his back, but he keeps getting flogged for indiscipline. The guys volunteer to take turns getting flogged in this prisoner’s place, so the map isn’t erased. Sony didn’t want to do it.”
A Knight’s Tale
While this idea did not float Sony’s boat, the director then tried another angle, with a plot that would have directly linked to the original movie and seen Ledger’s character’s daughter trying to pass herself off as a man to be able to joust. He continued:
“I pitched it to Sony because they own the rights, and it seemed like they were interested in making it with Netflix, releasing it as a Netflix movie. My understanding is that Netflix tested this sequel idea through their algorithms, which indicated that it would not be successful. A Knight’s Tale seems to get more popular with every passing year; it’s the strangest thing.”
A Knight’s Tale Was a Unique Blend of History and Contemporary
When it was released in 2001,A Knight’s Talebecame a hit thanks to its unique direction.Starring Heath Ledgeras William Thatcher, a peasant who pretends to be a knight, the film became a hit thanks to its mix of a medieval setting combined with a soundtrack of modern rock hits from bands such as Queen.
A Knight Talewas a box office success, but its popularity did not end there. As Helgeland noted in his interview, the film has continued to increase its audience over the last 20 years thanks in no small part to Ledger’s charismatic performance in the lead.
Every Heath Ledger Movie, Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes
Heath Ledger left us too early. Here’s a look at his short career, as ranked by Rotten Tomatoes.
There is no way of knowing exactly how well a sequel would have been received, and the questions over why Netflix’s algorithm shutdown the proposed movie is something that we will probably never know. However, at a time whenlegacy sequels are still finding an audience, it is perhaps one of the more questionable decisions to have been made by the streamer, especially considering some of the other movies that have made it to the platform in recent years.
A Knight’s Taleis currently available to stream on AMC+ and tubi.
