Guy Ritchie’s ‘King Arthur’ Adds Swedish Actor Mikael Persbrandt

Swedish actor Mikael Persbrandt has joined Warner Bros.’ Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur.

Charlie Hunnam is starring as Arthur, the young man whose journey to the throne the Guy Ritchie-directed movie is recounting. Astrid Berges-Frisbey will play Guinevere. Sources say Persbrandt’s role is a villainous one.

The Warner Bros. project, with a script by Joby Harold, is a reimagining of the story of King Arthur and his legendary knights of the kingdom of Camelot. It’s the first film in a planned series and is slated for release on July 22, 2016.

Akiva Goldsman, Lionel Wigram, Tory Tunnell and Harold are producing with Ritchie. Niija Kuykendall is overseeing for the studio.

Persbrandt played shapeshifter Beorn in the two most recent Hobbit films, The Battle of the Five Armies and The Desolation of Smaug. He also appeared in the 2014 Danish Western The Salvation with Mads Mikkelsen. His Swedish film credits include the Beck detective film franchise. He’s repped by Open Entertainment.