Production of Spoof Slated for Early 2009
National Lampoon, Inc., the widely recognized brand in comedy, today announced that it has acquired the rights to the feature script “Knights Of The Not So Round Table,” from writer/director J.D. Shapiro. The film is slated to begin production in early 2009, with Shapiro set to direct.
The film opens with the claim: “In 524 AD, Arthur Lol Pendragon went to Camelot. One thousand, four hundred and eighty five years later this footage was found. What it reveals is both shocking and more shocking. We have discovered that, out of all the legendary tales told about King Arthur and his knights… not one of them got it right.”
In this “true” tale of Arthur, who after pulling Excalibur from the rock, tosses the magnificent sword aside and carries around the rock, proclaiming to be the King of England. Arthur has to save Camelot from the clutches of evil while leading a group of misfit knights to find The Holy Grail. At Arthur’s side is his adulterous wife Gwenarear, his best knight Sir Lancearoundalot, and Merlin, his trusted advisor who gets everything wrong.
"We’re very excited to be in business with J.D. Shapiro,” said Daniel Laikin, Chief Executive Officer of National Lampoon. “J.D.'s spoof is not only funny and entertaining but it transcends the genre.”
J.D. Shapiro who wrote, “Robin Hood: Men In Tights,” and wrote and directed the award winning, “We Married Margo” is set to direct. Shapiro is presently developing “Witness Protection” with The Gold Company, and is executive producing a new superhero series he created with Tony Chargin and the legendary Stan Lee (Spiderman, Iron Man, The Hulk). Shapiro has just completed his first book, “The Truth About Men”, which has received interest as a TV series.
“The idea for ‘Knights’ has been brewing for a while,” stated Shapiro. “I was influenced by Monty Python and lucky enough to have worked with one of the greats in Mel Brooks. I wanted to make this movie at a place that really understood this kind of comedy, so National Lampoon was the perfect fit.”
