Why are fantasy world accents British?

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

I think for film and stage adaptations of stories and books in general, sounding the part is every bit as important as acting it.

I know that in the movie Amadeus the American accents of the Emperor, and especially Tom Hulce's Mozart, mar for me what is otherwise an excellent film.

Well, considering the entire assembly most likely should have been speaking either French (as was the courtly lingua franca of the time, even in the Holy Roman Empire) or Italian, I don't think the accents in Amadeus are jarring at all.

Robin Hood is a bit different, in that it is an English legend; therefore Costner's Midwestern American accent was off (as was his wooden acting). Of course, it could've been worse. You could have had Joe Pesci's New Jersey accent.