2001's A Knight's Tale has only gained popularity over the years; many consider it as Heath Ledger's breakout movie. Director Brian Helgeland says they pitched ideas for a sequel that would have mirrored Mulan or Pirates of the Caribbean's story beats.

A Knight's Tale received mixed reviews from audiences and critics when it was initially released. The 2001 historical romance film has since gained a strong following, though, enough to be considered a modern cult classic. In an interview with Inverse, director Brian Helgeland revealed plans for a direct sequel, but it's not a story adapted from Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. Instead, it would have been a pirate adventure film that easily resembled the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Helgeland says it's all water under the bridge now, but the film's synopsis revealed a fitting sequel if Sony gave them the go-ahead.

"When we finished A Knight's Tale, we were already thinking about making the sequel as a pirate film," Helgeland said. He revealed the follow-up would not focus on William (played by Heath Ledger) but on Count Adhemar and Lady Jocelyn. "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." The sequel could have been a swashbuckling adventure but Helgeland said "Sony didn't want to do it."

A Knight's Tale Sequel Starts a New Hero's Journey

The director revealed another pitch that Sony approved and intended to co-produce with Netflix. It would carry on the story of A Knight's Tale but will instead revolve around William's daughter. "[Actors Paul Bettany and Alan Tudyk] had an idea that William had passed away during a war," Helgeland said. "However, William has a teenage daughter who wants to joust, but she's not allowed to because she's a woman. She tracks down the gang and they agree to teach her how to joust, but she has to hide who she is. They cut her hair short and she speaks with a deep voice, et cetera." The plot seemed like a play on the underdog stories explored by Mulan and Brave, both of which rank among Disney's most successful releases.

"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," Helgeland revealed. "My understanding is that Netflix tested this sequel idea through their algorithms, which indicated that it would not be successful." Fortunately, A Knight's Tale has endured as one of the early 2000's most rewatched films; it also ranks as one of Heath Ledger's most endearing performances. "A Knight's Tale seems to get more popular with every passing year; it's the strangest thing," Helgeland confirmed.

A Knight's Tale is streaming on AMC+ and Netflix.

Source: Inverse