Avalon High the Movie

The Disney Channel is now filming a live-action adaptation of Meg Cabot's young-adult novel Avalon High. No word on whether or not this production will incorporate material from the three-part manga sequel Avalon High: Coronation (from which the accompanying image, representing Marco [Mordred] and Morgan, is drawn). Details from a press release about the film can be found on various web sites including the following from The Futon Critic:

[05.03.10 - 10:50 AM]
PRODUCTION HAS BEGUN IN NEW ZEALAND ON "AVALON HIGH," A DISNEY CHANNEL ORIGINAL MOVIE THAT BRINGS ARTHURIAN LEGEND ALIVE AT A CONTEMPORARY HIGH SCHOOL
Released by Discovery
[NOTE: The following article is a press release issued by the aforementioned network and/or company. Any errors, typos, etc. are attributed to the original author. The release is reproduced solely for the dissemination of the enclosed information.]

PRODUCTION HAS BEGUN IN NEW ZEALAND ON "AVALON HIGH," A DISNEY CHANNEL ORIGINAL MOVIE THAT BRINGS ARTHURIAN LEGEND ALIVE AT A CONTEMPORARY HIGH SCHOOL

Production has begun in New Zealand on "Avalon High," a fantasy-filled Disney Channel Original Movie starring Britt Robertson ("Life Unexpected") and Gregg Sulkin ("Wizards of Waverly Place," Disney Channel UK's "As the Bell Rings"). Based on the award-winning novel by best-selling author Meg Cabot ("The Princess Diaries"), the movie follows Allie Pennington, a new student to Avalon High who is shocked to discover that her new classmates are reincarnations of King Arthur and his Court. "Avalon High" is slated to premiere in fall 2010.

In "Avalon High," Allie is ecstatic when her parents, traveling professors who specialize in King Arthur's legend, tell her she will be staying at Avalon High until she graduates. She can finally join the track team, make new friends and be a normal high school student. But shortly after arriving, Allie discovers that something strange may be afoot. While researching a term paper on King Arthur's legacy, she begins to notice some interesting parallels between the past and the present - from handsome quarterback Will, his cheerleader girlfriend, Jen, and their best friend, Lance, to Will's brooding step-brother, Marco, a quirky kid named Miles and football players who act like knights of the roundtable. The deeper Allie searches, the more convinced she is that her school is a contemporary Camelot, and it's up to her to solve of the mystery of Avalon High before notorious traitor Mordred wins again.

Starring are: Britt Robertson as Allie Pennington, Gregg Sulkin as Will Wagner, Joey Pollari (Disney XD's "Skyrunners") as Miles, Devon Graye ("Dexter") as Marco, Molly Quinn ("Castle") as Jen, Christopher Tavarez ("Big Momma's House 2") as Lance, and Steve Valentine ("I'm in the Band," "Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie," "Crossing Jordan") as Mr. Moore.

The teleplay, based on the book by Meg Cabot, was written by Julie Sherman Wolfe ("Jonas," "Phil of the Future") and is directed by Stuart Gillard (Disney Channel's "Hatching Pete," "90210"). "Avalon High" is a production of Sudden Motion Productions, Inc. and Ranger Productions Ltd.

Disney Channel is a 24-hour kid-driven, family inclusive television network that taps into the world of kids and families through original series and movies. Currently available on basic cable in over 99 million U.S. homes and to millions of other viewers on Disney Channels around the world, Disney Channel is part of the Disney/ABC Television Group.

Kalamazoo Sessions 2011

The Alliance has just completed the paperwork for our sponsored sessions for next year's International Congress on Medieval Studies. Proposals will be accepted later this year pending approval by the conference organizing committee.


Arthurian Villains on Film: Studies in Commemoration of the Thirtieth Anniversary of John Boorman’s Excalibur

In furtherance of our respective missions, the Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain and the Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages (formerly the Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages) are proposing a set of two sessions devoted to the theme of Arthurian Villains on Film: Studies in Commemoration of the Thirtieth Anniversary of John Boorman’s Excalibur. Papers included in these sessions will explore the representations of the villains of the Matter of Britain, both traditional ones (e.g. Cerdic, Lot of Orkney, Mark of Cornwall, Mordred, Morgan le Fay, Morgause, and Vortigern) as well as those (e.g. Brack, Cynric, Mab, Mad Madame Mim, Palamides, Ruber, and, even sometimes, Merlin) unique to specific productions, as represented in films, television programming, and other visual electronic multimedia, such as electronic games and Internet videos.

The Arthurian legend has been represented in films since at least the late 1890s and in television programming since the 1950s, and the villains of these productions serve important, though often overlooked, roles as the initiators of dramatic action and as the counteragents to their respective heroes. Despite these vital narrative functions, study of the filmic villains of the Matter of Britain remains in its infancy with few studies engaged with their role in specific productions and with only a handful of overviews of their careers as investigated (in chronological order) by Elizabeth S. Sklar, Jacqueline de Weever, Maureen Fries, and Michael A. Torregrossa.

Since its introduction in the 1980s, Arthurian film and television studies has matured into a legitimate field of investigation, and the thirtieth anniversary of John Boorman’s Excalibur (1981), a key text for the study of Arthurian villains on film, marks an appropriate time to reflect upon the role that the villains play in the Arthurian story. Boorman’s Excalibur has become a seminal text for scholars of Arthurian-themed films and part of the modern canon of popular Arthuriana. Moreover, it is especially important for its presentation of the villains Morgana and Mordred and their relationship to King Arthur, as Boorman is the first filmmaker (as Torregrossa has explored) to fully depict the incest of King Arthur (here with Morgana), an act that results in the conception of Mordred, and its consequences. In addition, Boorman’s versions of both Morgan le Fay and Mordred have shaped countless later representations of these characters in popular Arthuriana throughout the globe.

Morgause on BBC's MERLIN

Morgause made her American debut tonight on the Syfy Channel's airing of "The Sins of the Father," episode eight of season 2 of the BBC's Merlin. Morgause is a sorceress and half-sister to Morgana, ward of Uther Pendragon, though both are unrelated to Arthur in the series, contrary to tradition. In this episode, Morgause uses her powers in an attempt to manipulate the young Prince Arthur against his father, Uther.

According to the Merlin Wiki, Morgause returns in episode twelve of the series, "The Fires Of Idirsholas."

Kalamazoo Paper of Interest

The following paper presented at this week's International Congress on Medieval Studies seems relevant to our cause:

THURSDAY, 13 MAY

10:00-11:30 AM

SESSION 17: VALLEY I, ROOM 109

Philosophical Themes and Issues in Malory’s Morte Darthur

Organizer: Felicia Nimue Ackerman, Brown Univ.

Presider: Felicia Nimue Ackerman

PAPER 2 OF 4: “We are all shamed and destroyed for ever!”: The Treasonous Tale of King Mark

Meredith Reynolds, Francis Marion Univ.

Kalamazoo 2010 Update #2

Here are the details on our sessions for this year's International Congress on Medieval Studies. According to panel presider Mikee Delony, the roundtable on Thursday was again well attended and offered both informative presentations and much discussion. Please join Mikee at our business meeting/reception on Saturday and share your ideas for the future of our group.


THURSDAY, 13 MAY
1:30-3:00 PM
SESSION 68: VALLEY I 105
Why Arthur? Reflections on the International Appeal of the Matter of Britain in the Post-medieval World (A Roundtable)
Sponsor: Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain and the Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages
Organizer: Michael A. Torregrossa, Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain/Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages
Presider: Mikee Delony, Abilene Christian Univ.

Glorious Gods: The Eschatology of Camelot
Joshua Fullman, Southern Illinois Univ.–Carbondale

Joshua Fullman is a first-year PhD student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He currently holds an MA in English from California State University Fullerton and an MSc in Medieval Studies from the University of Edinburgh. His MSc thesis was on visions of medieval kingship and the Wars of the Roses in Malory's Morte Darthur. And he plans to write his dissertation on apocalyptic literature of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

Arthur’s Popularity: Legacy, Hybridity, and Salvation
Matthew T. Hanson, Cornell Univ.

Matthew Hanson graduated from Brown University where he concentrated in Classics and Late Antique Cultures. After stints, though not terribly short, as an Egyptologist and then a Germanic philologist, he has turned his attention to Middle English romance in the guise of a close-reading literary critic. He is currently a PhD candidate at Cornell University in the Medieval Studies program. His dissertation examines the three alliterative treatments of the Alexander Romance through a post-colonial lens.

Crafting the Witch: The Transformation of Morgan le Fay
Heidi J. Breuer, California State Univ.–San Marcos

Heidi got her Ph.D. from the University of Arizona and now teaches at Cal State University, San Marcos. She published her first monograph, titled CRAFTING THE WITCH: GENDERING MAGIC IN MEDIEVAL AND EARLY MODERN ENGLAND, with Routledge in April 2009. Her book offers an answer to the question, "How did the witch become wicked?"--especially in the Arthurian literary tradition. You'll hear more about her book today in her talk for this round table. Heidi's research interests include medieval and contemporary Arthurian literature, representations of magic and the occult, feminist theory, gender studies, and LGBT studies, and she has recently published a dialogue on the pedagogy of canonical medieval texts in the undergraduate survey course.

Perception and Joy: Political Commentary in Dryden’s King Arthur and Milton’s Paradise Lost
Kara Larson Maloney, Binghamton Univ.

Kara Larson Maloney is a first year English PhD student at Binghamton University in upstate New York. Her academic interests include Arthurian studies, the concept of nation and identity in the Medieval world, and Viking sagas. She plans to write her dissertation on the concept of national identity within King Arthur's court. Current articles in progress include studies of the role of Statius in Dante's Commedia, and Terence's influence on gender within Hrotsvitha's Pelagius. She received her MA in English, specializing in the medieval literature of the British Isles, from Cal State University Long Beach. When not immersed in dead languages and thousand-year-old texts, she pursues her goal of reaching all seven continents. This summer, she hopes to combine both interests by exploring some of the Viking saga sites of Iceland.

Arthur and Merlin go to France: Arthurian Fantasy in French [WITHDRAWN]
Anne Berthelot, Univ. of Connecticut



SATURDAY, 15 MAY
12:00 PM
VALLEY II GARNEAU LOUNGE
Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages and the Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain
Business Meeting and Reception

Kalamazoo 2010

A reminder that the Alliance has sponsored two events at this year's International Congress on Medieval Studies now in progress at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan. The complete schedule at corrigenda can be accessed at http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/sessions.html.

Thursday, 13 May: 1:30 PM
Session 68: Valley I, Room 105

Why Arthur? Reflections on the International Appeal of the Matter of Britain in the Post-medieval World (A Roundtable)
Sponsor: Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain and the Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages
Organizer: Michael A. Torregrossa, Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the
Villains of the Matter of Britain/Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages

Presider: Mikee Delony, Abilene Christian Univ.

Glorious Gods: The Eschatology of Camelot
Joshua Fullman, Southern Illinois Univ.–Carbondale

Arthur’s Popularity: Legacy, Hybridity, and Salvation
Matthew T. Hanson, Cornell Univ.

Crafting the Witch: The Transformation of Morgan le Fay
Heidi J. Breuer, California State Univ.–San Marcos

Perception and Joy: Political Commentary in Dryden’s King Arthur and Milton’s Paradise Lost
Kara Larson Maloney, Binghamton Univ.

Arthur and Merlin go to France: Arthurian Fantasy in French [WITHDRAWN]
Anne Berthelot, Univ. of Connecticut



Saturday, 15 May
12:00 PM: Valley II, Garneau Lounge
Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages and the Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain
Business Meeting and Reception--All are welcome to attend