1066: A Hollywood Oddity

You wait years for a Hollywood movie on the Battle Of Hastings, and then three turn up at once. Some of Tinseltown's biggest movers and shakers are lining-up feature films on the subject, in a race to be the first to portray the rival claims to the English throne on the big screen. Killer Films version, with a working title of William The Conqueror, focusses on the Norman invader himself - the company's previous credits include credible, critical hits such as Far From Heaven, Boys Don't Cry and Hedwig And The Angry Itch. British company Qwerty Films also have a track record of popular films, including The Duchess and I Heart Huckabees, and are promising to focus on the changing relationship between Harold and William that led to the Norman Invasion. The third feature, also detailing the backstory of the two leaders, is being scripted by William Nicholson (Ridley Scott's Gladiator) and developed by Shine , whose British TV credits include Merlin, Spooks, and, ironically, Sky One's revival of ITV's Gladiators.