Excalibur poster

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Excalibur

1981 · Movie · 140 min
B

MEANRANK

72/100

Averaged across 11 ratings · 222.9K votes

Every rating

Platform pages last read 29 September 2026. IMDb’s figure comes from IMDb’s own data file, which we re-read about once a month.

Google: Google retired the star ratings it used to show in search results, so this one no longer updates. More on where the numbers come from →

55–88 out of 100

Split

Lowest is Criticker on 55, highest is Google on 88.

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The sorcerer Merlin guides the fate of the kingdom of Camelot. The story chronicles the rise of King Arthur, from pulling the magical sword Excalibur from a stone to uniting Britain. It follows his formation of the Knights of the Round Table, his marriage to Guinevere, and the tragic quest for the Holy Grail, all set against a backdrop of magic, betrayal, and the struggle between chaos and order.

Details

Director
John Boorman
Based on
Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory
Released
10 April 1981
Country
United States
Language
English
Runtime
140 min
Rated
R
Budget
$11.0M
Box office
$35.0M
Awards
1 win, 10 nominations

This title elsewhere

Nigel Terry

Nigel Terry

King Arthur

Helen Mirren

Helen Mirren

Morgana

Nicholas Clay

Nicholas Clay

Lancelot

Paul Geoffrey

Paul Geoffrey

Perceval

Cherie Lunghi

Cherie Lunghi

Guenevere

Robert Addie

Robert Addie

Mordred

Awards & nominations

See all 11 →

1 win from 11 nominations across 11 ceremonies

Palme d'Or 1981 Palme d'Or John Boorman Nominee
Best Cinematography 1982 Best Cinematography Alex Thomson Nominee
Best Costume Design 1982 Best Costume Design Bob Ringwood Nominee
Best Director 1982 Best Director John Boorman Nominee
Best Dramatic Presentation 1982 Best Dramatic Presentation John Boorman, Rospo Pallenberg, Thomas Malory Nominee
Best Fantasy Film 1982 Best Fantasy Film N/a Nominee
Best Make-up 1982 Best Make-up Basil Newall, Anna Dryhurst Nominee
Best Supporting Actor 1982 Best Supporting Actor Nicol Williamson Nominee
Show all 11 awards across 11 ceremonies

Awards from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.