Synopsis
Merlin the magician helps Arthur Pendragon unite the Britons around the Round Table of Camelot, even as dark forces conspire to tear it apart.
Scores
Overall Score
80.3
Popularity Percentile (Year)
85.8%
Box Office Percentile (Year)
75.8%
Review Aggregate
75.5
Critic Consensus
Critic reception is mixed, with 70% of 88 logged reviews marked Fresh. Across reviews, critics repeatedly emphasize visually striking, thin plot, romantic. Common reservations focus on thin plot, even when reviewers praise standout elements.
visually strikingthin plotromanticstylizeddarkemotionalfunnygrittycharacter-drivensurreal
Cast
| Cast | Year | Reported Salary | Inflation Adjusted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nigel Terry | 1981 | $554,000 | $1,912,000 | (est) |
| Helen Mirren | 1981 | $341,000 | $1,177,000 | (est) |
| Nicol Williamson | 1981 | $257,000 | $886,000 | (est) |
| Nicholas Clay | 1981 | $210,000 | $724,000 | (est) |
| Cherie Lunghi | 1981 | $180,000 | $620,000 | (est) |
| Paul Geoffrey | 1981 | $158,000 | $545,000 | (est) |
| Robert Addie | 1981 | $142,000 | $490,000 | (est) |
| Gabriel Byrne | 1981 | $129,000 | $446,000 | (est) |
| Liam Neeson | 1981 | $119,000 | $411,000 | (est) |
| Patrick Stewart | 1981 | $111,000 | $381,000 | (est) |
Aggregated Reviews
Rotten Tomatoes critic score73.0
RT critic review count95
Rotten Tomatoes audience score80.0
RT audience rating count50,000
IMDb rating7.3
IMDb votes71,053
Box Office ?
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | 1981 | $34,967,437 | $120,674,202 |
| International | 1981 | N/A | N/A |
| Worldwide | 1981 | $34,968,405 | $120,677,543 |
Earnings / Profitability
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | |||
| Theatrical Net Revenue | 1981 | $17,483,718 | $60,337,101 |
| Digital Rentals ? | 1981 | N/A | N/A |
| Digital Purchases ? | 1981 | N/A | N/A |
| Physical Rentals ? | 1981 | $7,473,000 | $25,789,660 |
| Physical Purchases ? | 1981 | $6,352,000 | $21,921,039 |
| TV & Streaming Revenue | 1981 | $8,741,859 | $30,168,551 |
| Total Revenues | 1981 | $40,050,578 | $138,216,350 |
| Expenses | |||
| Budget ? | 1981 | $11,000,000 | $37,961,496 |
| Print & Advertising (P&A) ? | 1981 | $6,525,000 (est) | $22,518,069 (est) |
| Participations | 1981 | $1,602,000 | $5,528,574 |
| Residuals ? | 1981 | $1,434,000 | $4,948,799 |
| Interest & Overhead | 1981 | $2,200,000 | $7,592,299 |
| Total Expenses | 1981 | $22,761,000 | $78,549,238 |
| Movie Net Profit or Loss | 1981 | $17,289,578 | $59,667,113 |
Similar Movies
| Poster | Movie | Year | Match | Overall | Est. Profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Willow | 1988 | Shared genres: 8 | 88.3 | $38,294,493 |
 | Quest for Camelot | 1998 | Shared genres: 7 | 62.8 | $-2,670,902 |
 | The Princess Bride | 1987 | Shared genres: 6 | 90.8 | $34,696,360 |
 | DragonHeart | 1996 | Shared genres: 6 | 84.7 | $29,388,531 |
 | Ladyhawke | 1985 | Shared genres: 6 | 75.6 | $6,529,000 |