Centurion Movie

Director Neil Marshall must have some obsession that mixes Great Britain and dangerous tribes. Indeed the director who brought us Doomsday is once again making a movie taking place over there, and of course there is a fierce tribe in the plot. The film, titled Centurion, is set in Britain in AD 117 and is about a bunch of Roman soldiers determined to wipe out the Picts, a defiant local tribe.

Centurion Movie by Neil Marshall

Update: the trailer of Centurion has been released:


CENTURION

Centurion is directed by by Neil Marshall based on a script he wrote. The film is starring Michael Fassbender, Dominic West and Olga Kurylenko. It should be released end of 2009.

Thanks to Empire, here below a first look at Olga Kurylenko as Etain, a savage-looking Pict warrior woman, in the movie Centurion:

(Click on the picture to enlarge it.)
Olga Kurylenko - Centurion movie

Olga Kurylenko talking about her role in Centurion:

Olga Kurylenko

“Etain is quite furious. Because one sense is not there โ€“ she canโ€™t speak โ€“ all the others are more developed. She sees very well and hears very well: she is an animal!”

Olga Kurylenko

Plot:
“The British-set sword and sandals thriller, set during the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 117, details the story of Quintus Dias, sole survivor of a Pictish raid on a Roman frontier fort, who marches north with General Virilus’ legendary Ninth Legion, under orders to wipe the Picts from the face of the earth and destroy their leader Gorlacon.” (Source: Coming Soon)

This could be an exciting movie if done well. Let’s hope that Neil Marshall will really exploit the historical setting of the movie and that he will focus on the plot a bit more than he did in Doomsday. I mean a Roman legion battling against savages should not boil down to a bloody carnage (we need this too though!), I hope he will take time to introduce some historical facts.

Anyway, the movie Centurion should be good!
:)

13 Responses - “Centurion Movie”

  1. Danny

    I agree that if this movie sticks to historical facts then it should turn out a great movie. Scotland has so much history, and so many movies could be made through this. The Picts were the only tribe in Scotland as the Celts came from Ireland and settled a little later. Question. Legend has it that the 9th legion never returned and no trace was ever found? I hope the director looks into what he is making. Not another movie like the one with clive owen and knightly in it. It was rubbish, but the accents were great? lol

  2. Raurie

    Looks like it should be an interesting and epic movie, great to see a warrior babe in the movie too. Hopefully it will be better than the sword of xanten and the fighting sequences will be well played. Can’t wait to see it when it’s out.

  3. bob base

    after viewing the sneak trailer why do directors insist of giving tribel warriors weapons out that strictly belong in the the land of fantasy. Even the legionary spears are wrong for the time period if they are going to base the movie on a real time period of our history at least get the dress and weapons correct After all there is a wealth of information online, or even in print to show what was used and fought with during the first century.
    There are also companies out there like, DEEPEKA to name but one, that has an entire catalog of quite accurate arms and armor available.

  4. Ron

    The movie IS NOT in any way historical.

    The 9th disappearing in Britain is pure myth and speculation.

    That the 9th eventually ceased to exist is not the issue. But it was not wiped out by Picts. We know elements of the 9th are recorded long since that period, during a Jewish revolt and could have been destroyed perhaps during a Parthian campaign.

    The 9th wasn’t on the roll by the time of Marcus Aurelius though, so something did happen to it.

    If you want a real story about Romans being wiped out, it happened in Germany in the early AD’s. Varus! Give me back my legions!

    I agree, damn shame about the pure fantasy weapons for the Picts. What is with movie makers that they can’t simply make reality interesting enough. Why must they destroy real history? What fantasy bullshit?

    That said, can’t wait for a decent bloody film set in antiquity. I’ll take what I can get!

  5. simon scarrow

    Damn, and I thought they were making a film based on my novel. Ah well, next time maybe.

  6. Tim Ford

    Me too Simon, Actually i was hoping it wasn’t based on your novel as I really want to play Macro in the TV series we all know they’ll make eventually!

  7. Frederick Stacey

    We know it is not historical fact. When have they ever made a film or TV series that is historical fact. Usually it is BASED on historical fact. i.e. bears no resemblance to actual events.

  8. Steve

    Good comments all,I could have been an extra but nobody got in touch!Oh well,back to guarding the wall then.

  9. Cairnton

    The historical facts are out of the window already. At the time the 9th Legion went into what is now Scotland, there were no people known as the Picts – there were various tribes and these were the descendants of the Celtic people before them. Eumenius first mentions the Picts in 297AD, long after the fate of the 9th Legion.
    Even the name ‘The Picts’ was most likely not used by the people to describe themselves. The Irish called them The Cruithne – the people of the designs.

  10. Colin

    Cairnton you are mistaken mate. The Picts of Scotland were first mentioned in 87AD, right around the time of the 9th Legion. They were a very real tribe. They have their legacy marked on many stones here in Eastern Scotland. They are well known for their serpent carvings. They are better know afterward as they dwindled down and eventually formed the Kingdom of Fife. They were broken up into different tribes. The Orcs and Caats. This was not until later around 265AD. But during the resistance to the 9th legion the Picts were a very REAL group of people

  11. Beth

    I thought it was based on Simon Scarrow’s book too, but mainly because of the suspiciously similar names e.g. “Macros”, “Quintus” and “Virilus”… ermm… what?

  12. gemma

    why was this movie not advertised more ? only on in cinemas for a week in the London areas. yet this movie is about the history of Britain even more so than that of Robin Hood, who although famous, is not clearly documented in history . saw this movie and Robin Hood. and found this to be the more gripping and interesting movie. why so little publicity for one and not the other.

  13. Royal

    The picts were the first ones in Scotland…Were screwed over by the Celts and fought back the vikings.