In January 2014, Warner Bros. hired Ritchie to direct the first of six films in a franchise, fantasy adventure "" (2017) with Charlie Hunnam portraying King Arthur. The feature was released in 2D and 3D on 12 May 2017 in the United States, and a week later in the United Kingdom. Despite high expectations from the film studio, it was a box-office failure, causing large financial losses for Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow Pictures. "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword" received mixed reviews from critics and the subsequent sequels were cancelled.