Best medieval fantasy movies and series
by danieletottle | created - 27 Aug 2015 | updated - 08 Sep 2015 | PublicPure medieval fantasy movies, not historical. A lot of 80's sword & sorcery classics plus a few modern films. For fantasy & mythology movies set in ancient Greece and Rome see this list instead http://www.imdb.com/list/ls074882241/
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1. Excalibur (1981)
PG | 140 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Merlin the magician helps Arthur Pendragon unite the Britons around the Round Table of Camelot, even as dark forces conspire to tear it apart.
Director: John Boorman | Stars: Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren, Nicholas Clay, Cherie Lunghi
Votes: 67,085 | Gross: $34.97M
2. Dragonslayer (1981)
PG | 109 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A young wizarding apprentice is sent to kill a dragon which has been devouring girls from a nearby kingdom.
Director: Matthew Robbins | Stars: Peter MacNicol, Caitlin Clarke, Ralph Richardson, John Hallam
Votes: 19,928 | Gross: $14.11M
3. The Dark Crystal (1982)
PG | 93 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
On another planet in the distant past, a Gelfling embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of a magical crystal, and to restore order to his world.
Directors: Jim Henson, Frank Oz | Stars: Jim Henson, Kathryn Mullen, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz
Votes: 71,389 | Gross: $40.58M
4. The Beastmaster (1982)
PG | 118 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A sword-and-sorcery fantasy about a young man's search for revenge. Armed with supernatural powers, the handsome hero and his animal allies wage war against marauding forces.
Director: Don Coscarelli | Stars: Marc Singer, Tanya Roberts, Rip Torn, John Amos
Votes: 25,186 | Gross: $14.06M
5. Conan the Barbarian (1982)
R | 129 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A powerful warrior seeks to avenge the genocide of his people and the murder of his parents at the hands of a snake cult.
Director: John Milius | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones, Max von Sydow, Sandahl Bergman
Votes: 162,360 | Gross: $39.57M
6. The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982)
R | 99 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A mercenary with a three-bladed sword rediscovers his royal heritage's dangerous future when he is recruited to help a princess foil the designs of a brutal tyrant and a powerful sorcerer in conquering a land.
Director: Albert Pyun | Stars: Lee Horsley, Kathleen Beller, Simon MacCorkindale, George Maharis
Votes: 7,507 | Gross: $39.10M
7. Krull (1983)
PG | 121 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A prince and a fellowship of companions set out to rescue his bride from a fortress of alien invaders who have arrived on their home planet, Krull.
Director: Peter Yates | Stars: Ken Marshall, Lysette Anthony, Freddie Jones, Francesca Annis
Votes: 36,211 | Gross: $16.52M
8. Conan the Destroyer (1984)
PG | 103 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Conan leads a ragtag group of adventurers on a quest for a princess.
Director: Richard Fleischer | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Grace Jones, Olivia d'Abo, Wilt Chamberlain
Votes: 85,288 | Gross: $31.04M
9. The NeverEnding Story (1984)
PG | 102 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
A troubled boy dives into a wondrous fantasy world through the pages of a mysterious book.
Director: Wolfgang Petersen | Stars: Noah Hathaway, Barret Oliver, Tami Stronach, Gerald McRaney
Votes: 156,764 | Gross: $20.16M
10. Red Sonja (1985)
PG-13 | 89 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
The fearless warrior Red Sonja sets out to avenge her family's murder and rid her kingdom from the tyrannical rule of evil Queen Gedren.
Director: Richard Fleischer | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Brigitte Nielsen, Sandahl Bergman, Paul L. Smith
Votes: 44,845 | Gross: $6.95M
11. Ladyhawke (1985)
PG-13 | 121 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
The thief Gaston escapes the dungeon of medieval Aquila through the latrine. Soldiers are about to kill him when Navarre saves him. Navarre, traveling with his spirited hawk, plans to kill the bishop of Aquila with help from Gaston.
Director: Richard Donner | Stars: Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Leo McKern
Votes: 50,894 | Gross: $18.43M
12. Legend (1985)
PG | 94 min | Adventure, Fantasy, Romance
A young man must stop the Lord of Darkness from destroying daylight and marrying the woman he loves.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, Tim Curry, David Bennent
Votes: 72,372 | Gross: $15.50M
13. Labyrinth (1986)
PG | 101 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Sixteen-year-old Sarah must solve a labyrinth to rescue her baby brother when he is taken by the Goblin King.
Director: Jim Henson | Stars: David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly, Toby Froud, Shelley Thompson
Votes: 149,436 | Gross: $12.73M
14. Highlander (1986)
R | 116 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
An immortal Scottish swordsman must confront the last of his immortal opponents, a murderously brutal barbarian who lusts for the fabled "Prize".
Director: Russell Mulcahy | Stars: Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Clancy Brown, Roxanne Hart
Votes: 147,291 | Gross: $5.90M
15. The Princess Bride (1987)
PG | 98 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
A bedridden boy's grandfather reads him the story of a farmboy-turned-pirate who encounters numerous obstacles, enemies and allies in his quest to be reunited with his true love.
Director: Rob Reiner | Stars: Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright, Chris Sarandon
Votes: 450,644 | Gross: $30.86M
16. Willow (1988)
PG | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A young farmer is chosen to undertake a perilous journey in order to protect a special baby from an evil queen.
Director: Ron Howard | Stars: Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Warwick Davis, Jean Marsh
Votes: 129,757 | Gross: $57.27M
17.
Fantaghirò: Cave of the Golden Rose (1991–1996)
Episode:
Fantaghirò
(1991)
200 min | Adventure, Fantasy
During archery in a wood Princess Fantaghiro is discovered by the hostile king's son Romualdo. He is able to take a short look at her before she can escape and immediately falls in love ... See full summary »
Director: Lamberto Bava | Stars: Alessandra Martines, Mario Adorf, Kim Rossi Stuart, Ángela Molina
Votes: 2,629
18. First Knight (1995)
PG-13 | 134 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Lancelot falls in love with Guinevere, who is due to be married to King Arthur. Meanwhile, a violent warlord tries to seize power from Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.
Director: Jerry Zucker | Stars: Sean Connery, Richard Gere, Julia Ormond, Ben Cross
Votes: 78,621 | Gross: $37.60M
19. DragonHeart (1996)
PG-13 | 103 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
The last dragon and a disillusioned dragonslaying Knight must cooperate to stop an evil King, who was given partial immortality.
Director: Rob Cohen | Stars: Dennis Quaid, Sean Connery, Dina Meyer, Pete Postlethwaite
Votes: 101,708 | Gross: $51.37M
20. Merlin (1998)
Not Rated | 61 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Legendary wizard Merlin tells his story of his war against Queen Mab of the Sidhe and his creation of Camelot.
Stars: Sam Neill, Helena Bonham Carter, John Gielgud, Rutger Hauer
Votes: 22,520
21. Beowulf (1999)
R | 95 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
In a besieged land, Beowulf must battle against the hideous creature Grendel and his vengeance seeking mother.
Director: Graham Baker | Stars: Christopher Lambert, Rhona Mitra, Oliver Cotton, Götz Otto
Votes: 12,555
22. A Knight's Tale (2001)
PG-13 | 132 min | Action, Adventure, Romance
After his master dies, a peasant squire, fueled by his desire for food and glory, creates a new identity for himself as a knight.
Director: Brian Helgeland | Stars: Heath Ledger, Mark Addy, Rufus Sewell, Shannyn Sossamon
Votes: 201,483 | Gross: $56.57M
23. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
PG-13 | 178 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Sean Bean
Votes: 2,004,823 | Gross: $315.54M
24. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
PG-13 | 179 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
While Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum, the divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron's new ally, Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom
Votes: 1,781,828 | Gross: $342.55M
25. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
PG-13 | 201 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Gandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom
Votes: 1,976,946 | Gross: $377.85M
26. Ring of the Nibelungs (2004 TV Movie)
PG-13 | 184 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The legend of Siegfried and Brunhild, loosely based on characters from the Norse sagas and the pre-Christian Germanic heroic motifs outlined in the Nibelungensaga.
Director: Uli Edel | Stars: Benno Fürmann, Kristanna Loken, Alicia Witt, Julian Sands
Votes: 10,002
27. Van Helsing (2004)
PG-13 | 131 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
The famed monster hunter is sent to Transylvania to stop Count Dracula, who is using Dr. Frankenstein's research and a werewolf for nefarious purposes.
Director: Stephen Sommers | Stars: Hugh Jackman, Kate Beckinsale, Richard Roxburgh, Shuler Hensley
Votes: 284,296 | Gross: $120.18M
28. King Arthur (2004)
PG-13 | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A demystified take on the tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
Director: Antoine Fuqua | Stars: Clive Owen, Stephen Dillane, Keira Knightley, Ioan Gruffudd
Votes: 176,006 | Gross: $51.88M
29. Tristan + Isolde (2006)
PG-13 | 125 min | Action, Drama, Romance
An affair between the second in line to Britain's throne and the princess of the feuding Irish spells doom for the young lovers.
Director: Kevin Reynolds | Stars: James Franco, Sophia Myles, Rufus Sewell, David O'Hara
Votes: 54,270 | Gross: $14.73M
30. Eragon (2006)
PG | 104 min | Action, Adventure, Family
In his homeland of Alagaesia, a farm boy happens upon a dragon's egg -- a discovery that leads him on a predestined journey where he realizes he's the one person who can defend his home against an evil king.
Director: Stefen Fangmeier | Stars: Ed Speleers, Sienna Guillory, Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich
Votes: 130,428 | Gross: $75.03M
31. In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2007)
PG-13 | 127 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A man named Farmer sets out to rescue his kidnapped wife and avenge the death of his son, two acts committed by the Krugs, a race of animal-warriors who are controlled by the evil Gallian.
Director: Uwe Boll | Stars: Jason Statham, Ron Perlman, Ray Liotta, Leelee Sobieski
Votes: 51,156 | Gross: $4.54M
32. Stardust (2007)
PG-13 | 127 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
In a countryside town bordering on a magical land, a young man makes a promise to his beloved that he'll retrieve a fallen star by venturing into the magical realm.
Director: Matthew Vaughn | Stars: Charlie Cox, Claire Danes, Sienna Miller, Ian McKellen
Votes: 285,035 | Gross: $38.63M
33. Outlander (2008)
R | 115 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
During the reign of the Vikings, Kainan, a man from a far-off world, crash lands on Earth, bringing with him an alien predator known as the Moorwen. Though both man and monster are seeking revenge for violence committed against them, Kainan leads the alliance to kill the Moorwen by fusing his advanced technology with the Viking's Iron Age weaponry.
Director: Howard McCain | Stars: Jim Caviezel, Sophia Myles, Ron Perlman, Jack Huston
Votes: 78,670 | Gross: $0.16M
34. Solomon Kane (2009)
R | 104 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A ruthless mercenary renounces violence after learning his soul is bound for hell. When a young girl is kidnapped and her family slain by a sorcerer's murderous cult, he is forced to fight and seek his redemption slaying evil.
Director: M.J. Bassett | Stars: James Purefoy, Max von Sydow, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Pete Postlethwaite
Votes: 76,359
35. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)
PG-13 | 116 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A young fugitive prince and princess must stop a villain who unknowingly threatens to destroy the world with a special dagger that enables the magic sand inside to reverse time.
Director: Mike Newell | Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina
Votes: 303,692 | Gross: $90.76M
36. Conan the Barbarian (2011)
R | 113 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A vengeful barbarian warrior sets off to get his revenge on the evil warlord who attacked his village and murdered his father when he was a boy.
Director: Marcus Nispel | Stars: Jason Momoa, Ron Perlman, Rose McGowan, Stephen Lang
Votes: 102,683 | Gross: $21.30M
37. Season of the Witch (2011)
PG-13 | 95 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
14th-century knights transport a suspected witch to a monastery, where monks deduce that her powers could be the source of the Black Plague.
Director: Dominic Sena | Stars: Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman, Claire Foy, Stephen Campbell Moore
Votes: 98,220 | Gross: $24.83M
38. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)
R | 88 min | Action, Fantasy, Horror
Brother/sister duo Hansel and Gretel are professional witch-hunters who help innocent villagers. One day they stumble upon a case that could hold the key to their past.
Director: Tommy Wirkola | Stars: Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, Peter Stormare, Famke Janssen
Votes: 216,611 | Gross: $55.70M
39. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
PG-13 | 169 min | Adventure, Fantasy
A reluctant Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, sets out to the Lonely Mountain with a spirited group of dwarves to reclaim their mountain home, and the gold within it from the dragon Smaug.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Andy Serkis
Votes: 872,350 | Gross: $303.00M
40. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
PG-13 | 161 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
The dwarves, along with Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey, continue their quest to reclaim Erebor, their homeland, from Smaug. Bilbo Baggins is in possession of a mysterious and magical ring.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott
Votes: 704,613 | Gross: $258.37M
41. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
PG-13 | 144 min | Adventure, Fantasy
Bilbo and company are forced to engage in a war against an array of combatants and keep the Lonely Mountain from falling into the hands of a rising darkness.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Cate Blanchett
Votes: 571,190 | Gross: $255.12M
42. Merlin (2008–2012)
TV-PG | 45 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
These are the brand new adventures of Merlin, the legendary sorcerer as a young man, when he was just a servant to young Prince Arthur on the royal court of Camelot, who has soon become his best friend, and turned Arthur into a great king and a legend.
Stars: John Hurt, Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Richard Wilson
Votes: 87,169
43. Merlin's Apprentice (2006)
TV-PG | 176 min | Adventure, Fantasy
Merlin and a young thief embark on a dangerous quest to find the Holy Grail and save Camelot.
Stars: John Reardon, Sam Neill, Miranda Richardson, Meghan Ory
Votes: 2,224
44. Camelot (2011)
TV-MA | 45 min | Drama, Fantasy
When King Uther dies and Britain faces chaos, Merlin presents an unknown named Arthur as the new king by birthright, as the late king's son, against the ambitious desires of his half-sister, Morgan.
Stars: Joseph Fiennes, Jamie Campbell Bower, Tamsin Egerton, Peter Mooney
Votes: 24,634
45. The Mists of Avalon (2001)
Unrated | 92 min | Drama, Fantasy
Tales of Camelot and Avalon, told from the perspective of the women of Uther and Arthur Pendragon's world.
Stars: Anjelica Huston, Julianna Margulies, Joan Allen, Samantha Mathis
Votes: 10,388
46. Game of Thrones (2011–2019)
TV-MA | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Nine noble families fight for control over the lands of Westeros, while an ancient enemy returns after being dormant for millennia.
Stars: Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington, Lena Headey
Votes: 2,280,477
47. Valhalla Rising (2009)
Not Rated | 93 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Forced for some time to be a fighting slave, a pagan warrior escapes his captors with a boy and joins a group of Crusaders on their quest to the Holy Land.
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn | Stars: Mads Mikkelsen, Maarten Stevenson, Alexander Morton, Stewart Porter
Votes: 63,604 | Gross: $0.02M
48. Red Riding Hood (2011)
PG-13 | 100 min | Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
Set in a medieval village that is haunted by a werewolf, a young girl falls for an orphaned woodcutter, much to her family's displeasure.
Director: Catherine Hardwicke | Stars: Amanda Seyfried, Lukas Haas, Gary Oldman, Billy Burke
Votes: 115,762 | Gross: $37.66M
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