Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: A Knight’s Tale, the 2001 feature starring Heath Ledger, is headed to the small screen in a series adaptation written by Battlestar Galactica developer/executive producer Ron Moore. ABC has bought the project, from Sony Pictures TV, with a script commitment.

The Knight’s Tale feature was a 14th century romantic adventure set in the world of jousting to a music score of popular rock songs that centered on William Thatcher (Ledger), a peasant posing as a knight. (See the original tralier below.) The series is expected to stay close to the premise and the style of the movie — it is described as a medieval fantasy incorporating modern music and themes that follows the journey of a young man who starts out impersonating a knight of the realm and ends up becoming one. In addition to writing, Moore is executive producing with his producing partner at Tall Ship Prods. Maril Davis as well as the film’s writer-director-producer Brian Helgeland and producer Todd Black. The title is part of the Sony library as the movie, which featured Ledger in his first lead role, was produced by Columbia Pictures. It was a worldwide box office success, turning the 22-year-old actor into a movie star.

For CAA-repped Moore, the project stems from his new overall deal with Sony TV he inked in March. At ABC, A Knight’s Tale would be a good fit for hit Once Upon A Time and other fantasy dramas the network has in development for next season, including A Kingdom Far Away from feature writer Justin Marks and di Bonaventura Television. Meanwhile, Sony TV is behind another series adaptation of a hit movie, Beverly Hills Cop, which has a pilot production commitment at CBS with Shawn Ryan writing/exec producing and Eddie Murphy exec producing and potentially recurring.

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