EXCALIBUR ENTERS PRE-PRODUCTION

WALES’ BLOCKBUSTER FANTASY FILM BRINGS AUTHENTIC ARTHURIAN MYTHOLOGY TO SCREEN

Secret Planet Ltd announces the start of pre-production on a £13 million Welsh fantasy epic

Blackwood, Wales — Secret Planet Ltd today announces that Excalibur, a £13 million fantasy feature drawing directly from Welsh mythological sources, has officially entered pre-production.

Written and directed by Dan Freeman (The Minister of Chance, Death Comes to Time), Excalibur tells the story behind the Arthurian legend as it appears in early Welsh tradition, including material associated with The Mabinogion, rather than later Anglo-French medieval romance. The film aims to reclaim Arthur as a Welsh hero and place Wales at the centre of the fantasy tradition it helped inspire.

“We're not remaking the English version of Arthur," says Freeman. “John Boorman did that in 1981 and it was perfect. We're going back to the source – the Welsh myths that inspired Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and every fantasy epic that followed. This time though we’re making it in Wales, about Wales, for Wales.”

Creative Wales Letter of Intent and Funding

The production has secured a Letter of Intent from Creative Wales for £1.5–2 million in co-investment, subject to matched finance, and is currently raising funding through SEIS investment.

The Cyfangreu Model: Pre-Production Revenue

Excalibur is being developed using an alternative approach to film financing known as Cyfangreu (Welsh for “total creation”) — strategic partnerships with Welsh businesses that generate revenue and build audience before production begins.

Executive Producer Neil Patrick describes the model as a way to demonstrate commercial appetite for authentic Welsh mythology ahead of principal photography.

Current partnerships include:

• Purple Moose Brewery — Excalibeer, a craft ale inspired by the film

• Mountain Mead — Arthur mead, sold out on its initial run and expanding into further Excalibur-themed Welsh meads

• Blasus Welshcakes — a new Excalibur-inspired Welshcake flavour

• Pure Wales — mythology-led experiences connecting audiences to legendary Welsh locations

“These aren't sponsorships," Patrick explains. "They're collaborations that celebrate Welsh culture, support Welsh businesses, and prove there's commercial appetite for authentic Welsh mythology. Every Excalibur welshcake sold is marketing for the film."

Production Team

The production team includes:

• George Dixon — Producer; former Channel 4 executive (Luther, Black Mirror)

• Michael Riley — Producer; over 30 feature films including The Ritual

• Aneurin Karadog — Cultural Consultant & Linguist, Bardd Plant Cymru

• Eurig Salisbury — Cultural Consultant & Linguist, Bardd Plant Cymru

• Amanda Thomas — Models & Creatures; career includes work with Wes Anderson and Tim Burton

• Neil Patrick — Executive Producer; entrepreneur behind Wales’ largest business exit

Freeman’s previous work includes the hit stage play A Joke, and his work has been praised by Quentin Tarantino and Stephen Fry.

Pre-Production Underway

Pre-production activity includes:

• Concept art and visual development

• Storyboarding of key sequences

• VFX planning and previs

• Location scouting across Wales

• Partnership discussions with additional Welsh businesses

Principal photography is planned for 2027, with Welsh locations playing a central role as the Britain where Arthur’s story began.

Building the Mythic Wales Brand

Beyond the feature film, Secret Planet is developing complementary projects including a Welsh mythology audio drama series, a tabletop roleplaying game, and the Mythic Wales tourism initiative — positioning Wales as a destination for fantasy enthusiasts worldwide.

“Wales invented fantasy literature," says Freeman. "Tolkien learned Welsh to read the Mabinogion. Now we're building an entire ecosystem – film, audio, tourism, partnerships – that makes Welsh mythology commercially viable and the cultural powerhouse it should be."

Asked whether King Arthur was real, Freeman grins:

“He bloody will be.”