After defeating Price John at the Battle of Lincoln, Richard’s soldier-daughters face an even greater threat to regaining the throne when spectral armies from the Arthurian past rise from the dead, led by the infamous arch-villains Mordred and Morgan le Fay.

SYNOPSIS:

THE KING'S GIRLS / GAME OF SHADOWS

Tone & Style: Propulsive historical action thriller filled with treachery, deceit, magic and mayhem. And while the tone is dark and menacing, there are many light moments of youthful bravado and endearing teenage love. The sweeping scope of GAME OF THRONES, the mystical magic of LORD OF THE RINGS, the wizardry and humor of HARRY POTTER and the visceral horror of “HENRY V” combine in a highly cinematic and gripping tale of murder, betrayal and revenge made even more powerful by its real historical setting, unique story world and its exciting mix of factual and fictional characters joined in an epic saga of courage, resilience, triumph and tragedy.

Story Overview: Arthur was gone. A dark age fell across the land that lasted for centuries. All that was good was destroyed. Finally, a new age began to dawn. Three beautiful daughters were born to a noble King. As bold and brave as any knight and as quick with the bow as any archer in the realm. Never did a King have more worthy heirs. But evil lurked in the minds of men close to the throne. Treason and treachery were their meat and drink, and their thirst for power was unquenchable. As the traitors prepared their feast of villainy, they thought that the girls would easily be cowed and swept aside. But these were The King’s Girls, and their legend would soon burn as brightly as a comet across the sky.

MAIN CHARACTERS:

The King's Girls: Valeria, Lucrezia and Beatrix. All beautiful with long ginger hair and distinct personalities and talents. More like sons than daughters and already the finest archers in England, they have no interest in marriage and want to be knights. Together, they are the pride of England and the apple of their father’s eye.

Val: The eldest, age 19. Heir to the throne, a natural leader and born to rule. Blunt, sharp-tongued and demanding, often to a fault. Keenly intuitive and convinced that powerful men close to the throne are scheming block her rightful succession. Rejects their plans to marry her off to a foreign prince, which fuels their decision to take drastic steps. Leads her sisters on a perilous journey to survive and becomes the driving force of the story.

Luc: The intellectual middle girl, age 17. Gifted and smart and desperate to emerge from Val’s dominant aura and make a name for herself. Prone to squabbling and quarrelsome at times, but her ability to adapt and excel in strange new worlds is remarkable and her loyalty never wavers. and Becomes a highly adept wizard herself after Merlin teaches her the tricks of the trade.

Trix: The youngest and wildest, age 15. An acrobat with weapons and master of one-liners who adores her sisters and loves to have fun. Faced with danger and adversity well beyond her tender years, she grows up fast, hones her skills to the sharpest point and becomes a commanding and powerful force to be reckoned with. becomes indispensable on their perilous journey to survive.

Richard: Handsome, affable and robust King of England with ginger hair and beard, age 40. Beloved by his subjects and adored by his daughters, he rules with a kind heart and gentle hand. Devoted father, fond of hunting and always up for a laugh, he fails to see the treachery around him until it’s too late.

Master of Arms: Cultured, highly intelligent North African Moor, age 35. The best swordsman in England and the girls’ teacher in the arts of archery and swordplay. Knows the girls better than anyone with the possible exception of Richard.

Duke of Suffolk: Richard’s stalwart ally, best friend since childhood and the girls’ godfather, age 45. Retired from court, he lives on his country estate with his wife Lady Anne and teenage son Thomas. Helps lead Val’s army against John and then against Mordred’s armies of the dead.

Thomas Suffolk: Suffolk’s valiant young son and childhood friend of the girls, age 16. Rises to stardom at the Battle of Lincoln and becomes Peter’s closest friend, a friendship that will last over 50 years and pay enormous dividends.

Lady Anne: Suffolk’s courageous wife and godmother of the girls, age 40. Plays a key role in guiding her husband after Richard’s murder, encouraging him to temper his revenge and get inside John’s cabal of traitors to learn their plans and devise ways to beat them.

Prince John: Richard’s brother, age 35. Cunning and ruthless with an unquenchable thirst for power, he plots to kill Richard and seize the crown, certain that Val and her sisters can be swept aside. Makes a fateful deal with Mordred and Morgan Le Fay that unleashes the forces of darkness on two realms and plunges both worlds into the Apocalypse.

Buckingham: John’s ally and co-conspirator, age 50. Cautious, conservative and risk-averse. Refuses to accept Val as heir to the throne, but panics when John’s plans go off the rails.

Gisbourne: John’s ally and co-conspirator, age 35. Brash, boastful and sometimes charming, he can never hide his true self: a ruthless and sadistic bastard who’s bloodlust and cruelty know no bounds.

Archbishop of Canterbury: Jowly, pompous head of the Church of England and fourth member of the cabal to murder Richard, age 50. Strongly opposed to Val becoming Queen and refuses to perform the investiture after Val’s victory at Lincoln, igniting another crisis. Duplicitous and misogynist to the core.

Spalding: John’s henchman and bounty hunter, age 40. Hired to find the girls and kill them when they flee after Richard’s murder. Cruel and relentless, his posse’s dogged pursuit of the girls drives them into hiding and forces several appearance changes and narrow escapes.

Mordred & Morgan Le Fay: Malevolent yet enchanting archvillains of dark sorcery and Arthurian lore imprisoned by Merlin 500 years ago. All but forgotten, they’re brought back to life when John uses the legendary broadsword Excalibur to unlock Stonehenge prison and grant them freedom in exchange for killing Richard with dark sorcery. Released back into the world, their voracious appetite for power and revenge upends both realms and, along with Val, becomes the driving force of the story.

William Percy: Handsome young Earl of Hartford, age 20. Becomes Val’s friend and swears lifelong allegiance to her shortly before Richard’s death. His steadfast devotion is rewarded when Val emerges from hiding to take back the crown and becomes her lover and key commander.

Andrew Morton: Brave and amusing Earl of Huntingdon and William’s best friend, age 20. Joins William in his desperate quest to find Val and is rewarded when the girls reappear and becomes Luc’s lover. A constant source of comic relief and hilarious quips in moments of greatest peril.

Brother Julian: Jovial, loquacious monk and purveyor of malmsey wine, age 50. Hides the girls early in their escape from John and becomes a key ally in their quest to regain the throne. Instrumental in capturing John when he goes on the run to escape Val’s vengeance.

Simon: Serious-minded master builder of a cathedral that enters the heart of the story, age 40. His brilliant engineering skills and use of early construction techniques save the day at the Battle of Lincoln and allow Val’s forces to rout John’s army in the biggest upset in medieval military history.

Peter: Simon’s highly capable young son and apprentice, age 16. Helps the girls evade Spalding’s posse and becomes close friends with young Thomas Suffolk, a friendship that will pay enormous dividends and last over 50 years.

Merlin: Lord of Magic and Protector of the Ancient Realm known as The Shadow World. Blessed (or cursed) with the gift of eternal life, he imprisoned Mordred and Morgan in Stonehenge 500 years ago. Rescues the girls from their perilous journey and takes them to The Shadow World, where they train for combat and learn battle tactics and strategy from the Knights of the Round Table.

Lancelot, Galahad & Gawain: The top Knights of The Round Table, all early 30s. Manly, fearless, coarse and funny as hell. Their hard training and key lessons toughen the girls up for the coming battles and teach the girls how to lead and inspire, qualities that will pay huge dividends.

Nimue: Beautiful and ethereal Lady of the Lake from Arthurian lore, age 30. Merlin’s oldest friend and former lover, her magical skills and healing powers save Val from madness and help even the odds between Merlin, Mordred and Morgan. Clever and witty with a timeless sense of humor.

Robin Hood: Cunning and clever leader of the Merry Men, peerless archer and sworn enemy of Prince John, age 25. Joins Val and her sisters when they return from The Shadow World and devises a brilliant plan to defeat John’s army at the Battle of Lincoln.

Little John: Affable bear of a man, Robin’s top lieutenant and champion of the quarterstaff, age 35. With a bellowing laugh and a tender heart, he’s happiest bashing heads in the thick of a good fight. Plays a critical role as field commander in the girls’ stunning victory at Lincoln.

Will Scarlet: Funny, irreverent archer clad in red and Robin’s 2nd lieutenant, age 20. Falls hard for Trix when the girls return from The Shadow World to take back the crown and the two young bowmen become a delightful and amusing team.

Friar Tuck: Portly, pugnacious monk with a deadly broadsword hooked to his cincture, age 40. Fond of mutton joints, malmsey wine and dirty jokes, flashes his sword like lightening and always up for a good scrap. Imagines himself as a field general, and finally gets his chance.

SYNOPSIS:

PART ONE: TO KILL THE KING

EPISODES 1 & 2: After centuries bloodshed, England is finally at peace. But evil lurks close to the throne. Prince John and his allies plot to seize the crown, and if they can find a way to kill Richard that doesn’t point to them, they’re certain Val and her sisters can be swept aside.

At a wild boar hunt where the girls learn the valuable lessons to stick together and not get trapped, they reluctantly attend a royal reception designed to find them husbands, which they don’t want. It’s a comical affair and as Luc and Trix make monkeys of their European suitors, Val makes an alliance with William Percy, the handsome young Earl from Yorkshire, swearing a vow of friendship that can never be broken.

Meanwhile, John tells Buckingham, Gisbourne and the Archbishop of his plan to use Excalibur to unlock Stonehenge, where Mordred and Morgan Le Fay have been imprisoned for 500 years. The conspirators are aghast at the unthinkable consequences, but John is adamant. He steals Excalibur and makes a deal with Mordred and Morgan: their freedom plus half the kingdom in exchange for killing Richard with dark sorcery. That night Richard is murdered in his sleep, leaving no trace of who did it, or how.

The girls are shattered. Val suspects John, but he and his cohorts have a strong alibi. The girls retreat to their room to mourn and suddenly find themselves locked in. Remembering the lessons from the boar hunt and fearing they’ll be next, the girls escape and go on the run. John uses their flight as evidence of guilt, deftly turns the court against them and sends Spalding and his posse to track them down and bury the bodies deep.

The girls hide in a convent where the nuns cut their long ginger hair short and dye it black, a brilliant deception that fools Spalding’s posse. Brother Julian carts the girls away hidden in empty barrels to their godfather Suffolk’s estate, where they relate Richard’s murder and the false accusation against them. Suffolk vows revenge but Val urges him to temper his anger, go to the castle and learn all he can about John’s plans. Thomas gives the girls blankets and small arms and the girls head off on foot, hoping to reach William in Yorkshire hundreds of miles away.

The girls reach a village in the Midlands where a new cathedral is being built. Desperate for food and shelter, they pass themselves off as boys and con Simon into joining the crew mixing mortar. Spalding’s posse soon arrives and threatens everyone, offering 10 gold coins reward. Simon realizes the boys are the girls they’re looking for and demands the truth, which the girls reveal. Simon and Peter swear allegiance to their rightful Queen, Peter disguises them in monk’s robes and the girls head off for Yorkshire.

Meanwhile, William and Andrew Morton are desperately searching for the girls, crisscrossing paths with Spalding’s posse and both coming up dry. John forgot to lock Stonehenge prison and Mordred and Morgan are on the loose, eager to get their hands on Excalibur and take the kingdom for themselves. Sensing the danger, Merlin whisks the girls off to The Shadow World where they can train with the Knights and be safe from harm. The girls grow strong and learn battlefield strategy and tactics and after a year, they’re ready to return and fight for the crown. But before they go, Merlin uses his crystal ball to show them exactly how John enlisted Morgan to kill their father.

Hardened and tough and ready to lead, the girls team up with Robin Hood and his Merry Men. At the Nottingham archery tournament with John, Buckingham, Gisbourne and Spalding in attendance, the girls reveal themselves and the crowd goes wild. Val beheads Spalding and challenges John to meet at Lincoln to decide who wears the crown. Word spreads like wildfire. The people rise up. William, Andrew, Suffolk and Simon are shocked the girls are still alive and gather their forces. Val reunites with William, Luc hooks up with Andrew and the armies march to Lincoln.

John’s army outnumbers Val’s 4-to-1 and includes 100 knights. But the girls have learned strategy and tactics, Simon’s men have brought their wheels and pulleys and Robin is the trickiest man alive. In the most shocking battle to ever unfold, John’s army is slaughtered and John flees the field. The girls have triumphed and the kingdom is theirs. Suddenly the sun darkens and Mordred and Morgan appear like mountains in the sky, claiming England for themselves. The battle for the crown has only begun.

PART TWO: GAME OF SHADOWS

EPISODES 3 & 4: Val, Luc, Trix and William, Andrew, Suffolk, Thomas, Will Scarlet and the Master , all smeared with blood from the carnage at Lincoln, race after John. But John has a big head start. He reaches the castle first, steals Excalibur again and flees in panic. The stakes have never been higher. If Mordred and Morgan get hold of Excalibur, both England and The Shadow World are doomed. Val, Trix, Suffolk and Will race ride off to find John; William, Andrew and Thomas head north to gather the army and bring it to Simon’s cathedral; and Luc, who learned wizardry from her year in The Shadow World, goes back to warn Merlin about Excalibur.

John reaches Canterbury and demands sanctuary from the Archbishop, fearing both Val’s and Mordred’s wrath. The Archbishop is as terrified as John and sends him to a remote monastery where he can hide. Val and Suffolk anticipate John’s move and accuse the Archbishop of hiding John, which he falsely denies. He dismisses Val’s claim to the throne and after a heated argument, Val beats the Archbishop senseless and has to be dragged off.

William, Andrew and Thomas have a picaresque journey and reach the army at Nottingham. Many are unable to travel, so Robin and Little John leave Tuck in charge of a small garrison and march the bulk of the army to Simon’s cathedral to protect it from attack.

Mordred and Morgan reach their old castle in Wales, crumbled and decrepit from centuries of neglect. Morgan returns it to glory with a wave of her hand and as she and Mordred make their evil plans, they decide to infect Val’s mind and drive her mad.

Tormented by the Archbishop’s refusal, Val paces the castle battlements like Hamlet, longing for her father’s guidance. Suddenly Richard’s ghost appears, blames Suffolk and her sisters for murdering him and demands Val’s vengeance. That night Val suffers horrible nightmares and the next morning she attacks Suffolk, Trix, Will and The Master like a wild animal. Barely able to subdue her, they chain Val to her bed and call out to Merlin for help.

Merlin knows Val’s sudden madness is the first move in the Game of Shadows, the final battle between darkness and light. Lancelot tells all the knights to gather their armies and prepare for war as Merlin summons Nimue, whose magical healing powers are Val’s only hope. Nimue cleanses Val’s mind and when she’ well again, they decide to return Morgan’s “clever jest” with one of their own. Hidden under Potter-like invisibility cloaks, the girls transport to Mordred’s castle, steal their crystal ball and barely make it our alive. Infuriated, Morgan and Mordred double down and raise from the dead a ghoulish army of Saxons, Vikings, Barbarians and Roman legionnaires and give them a mission: destroy Val’s army.

John arrives as the monastery disguised as a commoner with Excalibur shrouded in black velvet. To our surprise and delight, Brother Julian opens the door, recognizes John and beckons him in. Julian soon departs on his wine deliveries and heads for the castle to tell Val. Suffolk and Will capture John and Excalibur and when they return to the castle, Val throws John in the dungeon and sheathes Excalibur, vowing to keep it with her until she is Queen.

The Armies of the Dead launch their assaults. Fifty revenant Saxons attack Nottingham but are slaughtered by Tuck and his men. William’s army is still on the outskirts as 50 ghoulish Vikings storm in and kill Simon and half his workers before William, Andrew, Robin and their men come to the rescue. Fifty desiccated Barbarians storm the castle and find only The Master, leaning on his sword. Suddenly Val, Luc and Trix rise from the battlements speed shooting arrows and kill half the Barbarians as The Master slaughters the rest. Suddenly Nimue shows them what happened at Nottingham and the cathedral through Morgan’s stolen crystal ball. Fearing a larger attack, Nimue magically sends everyone to the cathedral to prepare.

An entire Roman legion of 5000 men appears marching in close ranks. Andrew panics, but William remembers Hannibal’s tactics at Cannae and deploys his men. Suddenly Luc grabs Trix and vanishes into The Shadow World. The battle explodes and as William’s forces encircle the Romans, Luc, Trix and Merlin appear flying dragons and vaporize half the Romans with dragon fire, turning the tide and winning the day. Val has won yet another impossible victory. Suddenly Mordred and Morgan appear in the sky and unleash a tornadic downdraft that rips Excalibur from Val’s hand. With Excalibur now his, Mordred announces The Shadow World is under attack and both realms will soon fall.

Merlin and Nimue race home. But the girls know this is their fight too and as long as Mordred is alive, England will never be safe. Ignoring the pleas of their lovers and allies, the girls vanish.

The Apocalypse rages as the armies of heaven and hell fight for The Shadow World. Nimue sees Mordred and Merlin watching the battle from a mountaintop with victory in their grasp. Merlin gives Val the legendary broadsword Clarent, the only sword that can defeat Excalibur and the girls plunge into the fight, grab Lancelot, Galahad and Gawain and race up the mountain. The knights battle a platoon of ghoulish guards and the girls make it to the top and confront Mordred and Morgan face to face: Val with Clarent, Luc with her wand, Trix with her bow and quiver, Mordred with Excalibur and Morgan with her deadly powers. A vicious fight to the death explodes and one by one, everyone is killed, with Val the last to fall. The Apocalypse ends and the heartbroken knights carry the girls’ bodies down the mountain, where they’re clothed in knights’ tunics and laid to rest in a chapel with the inscription “Here Lie The Bravest Knights Of All.”

The girls’ lovers and allies are shattered and in a heartbreaking epilogue, we trace the sad endings of William, Andrew, Suffolk, Robin, Tuck, Little John, Will Scarlet, The Master and Julian, who never recovered from the girls' deaths.

We move ahead to 1250. Much has been forgotten and few are alive who remember the girls’ valiant deeds. The cathedral has finally been finished as Peter, now 70, who completed his father’s work, stands with his lifelong friend Thomas, also 70 and now the Duke of Suffolk. They go inside the magnificent church and Peter reveals a surprise: a towering stained glass window capturing the girls in all their glory, gazing down with pride upon the realm they fought so hard to protect.

“An amazing finish to THE KING'S GIRLS saga. I really enjoyed the turn towards fantasy as the story progressed, making it a lot more fun than a straight historical fiction piece. The ending was extremely bittersweet and powerful and brought tears to my eyes."

Commercial Appeal:

COMPELLING THEMES: The eternal battle between Good and Evil; Treason and murder as the path to power; Family and faith vs. hubris and greed; A powerful and engaging story that will connect with audiences on a deeply personal level.

FEMALE-LED CAST: Strong, dynamic, inspirational women in lead roles; Iconic, diverse historical and fictional supporting characters joined together to create a compelling story world where anything is possible.

CINEMATIC VISUALS: Breathtaking battles, stunning locations, sweeping vistas, magnificent costumes and wondrous magic and sorcery that will transport viewers into the fascinating worlds of medieval England and dark Arthurian lore.

Marketing Potential: THE KING'S GIRLS/GAME OF SHADOWS should do very well in the immensely popular epic fantasy arena based on the strength of its unique story world, its real historical setting, its exciting mix of factual and mythical characters and above all, its powerful and of factual and mythical characters and above all, its powerful and compelling portrait of three remarkable young women who viewers will root for and cheer as they grow and evolve and lay down their lives in a heroic quest to avenge their father, regain their rightful throne and defeat the forces of evil that threaten their beloved realm. It’s an extremely powerful and engaging movie that will connect with audiences on a deeply personal level.

“A magnificent story. The girls are great, the villains are arch,

everyone has an agenda and the action is non-stop. The script takes the

very best elements of medieval English lore and recombines them into a

unique and thrilling tale with a drop dead shocker of an ending.” - The

Black List.