Netflix's 'The King': Release date, plot, cast, trailers and everything you need to know about the upcoming historical drama
Netflix is bringing out an epic new historical drama film that promises to be a thrilling ride through the conflicts and intrigues of 15th century England. Starring Academy Award nominee Timothée Chalamet, ‘The King’ will follow the life and times of King Henry V of England. The film's script is based on the Shakespearean plays ‘Henry IV, Part 1’, ‘Henry IV, Part 2’, and ‘Henry V’.
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming movie:
Release Date:
‘The King’ will have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival September 2. It will become available for digital streaming on Netflix starting November 1.
Plot:
Henry V was King of England between 1413 and 1422. His relatively short reign saw a lot of conflict both within the court and out. Despite his young age, King Henry was responsible for many military successes in the Hundred Years' War between England and France, most notably in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, which made England one of the strongest military powers in Europe. Here’s the full synopsis of the movie, courtesy of Netflix’s YouTube page:
“Hal (Timothée Chalamet), wayward prince and reluctant heir to the English throne, has turned his back on royal life and is living among the people. But when his tyrannical father dies, Hal is crowned King Henry V and is forced to embrace the life he had previously tried to escape. Now the young king must navigate the palace politics, chaos and war his father left behind, and the emotional strings of his past life — including his relationship with his closest friend and mentor, the aging alcoholic knight, John Falstaff (Joel Edgerton).”
Cast:
Timothée Chalamet
Chalamet, who will be appearing in the movie as Hal/King Henry V, began his acting career in short films, before appearing in the drama series ‘Homeland’ in 2012. He made his feature film debut two years later in the drama ‘Men, Women and Children’ and subsequently appeared in Christopher Nolan's groundbreaking film ‘Interstellar’. Chalamet earned himself an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his performance as Elio Perlman in Luca Guadagnino's romantic drama ‘Call Me by Your Name’.
The cast list for ‘The King’ also includes Joel Edgerton (‘Warrior’) as John Falstaff, Sean Harris (‘Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation’) as Michael Williams, Ben Mendelsohn (‘Animal Kingdom’) as King Henry IV, Robert Pattinson (‘The Lighthouse’) as the French Dauphin and Lily-Rose Depp (‘The Dancer’) as Catherine of Valois.
Director:
David Michôd
Michôd is an Australian film director, screenwriter, producer and actor best known for directing the critically acclaimed crime drama ‘Animal Kingdom’ and the dystopian drama ‘The Rover’. He is also credited as a producer and writer for ‘The King’. Edgerton is credited as Michôd’s co-writer on the project, which is produced by Michôd, Edgerton, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Brad Pitt and Liz Watts.
Trailers:
The official teaser trailer for ‘The King’ starts off with an execution, setting the tone for the movie. The young monarch played by Chalamet is clearly not comfortable in his position of power, saying at one point he already feels the weight of the crown on his head.
He seeks the counsel of his friend Falstaff only for the aging knight to remind his young king that the “king has no friends. King has only followers and foe.” The teaser gives us glimpses of the battles, the intrigue and the romance that the movie will bring to audiences when it makes its premiere. Despite his own misgivings, the young King Henry must soldier on and find a way to ultimately triumph over his enemies, chief of whom is the Dauphin, played by Robert Pattinson.
“A new chapter of my life has begun. As prince I spent my days drinking, clowning. Now I find myself a king,” says Hal or Henry V, in the dark new trailer for ‘The King’. A trailer that dropped October 24 shows scenes intercutting between Chalamet being wayward and being anointed.
It is clear that as king, Hal has much more to lose than ever before. His younger sister even warns him to choose his steps wisely for “they” have their own kingdoms behind their eyes.
The trailer is full of war and brutality. One the one hand we see Hal and his army preparing for war against the French with trebuchets and swords and boats. On the other side, we see conflict within as well, as Hal sits through a beheading.
But Hal doesn’t want war. When he is told France is “taunting” England, he notes that the Dauphin (Robert Pattinson) was his father’s enemy, and not his. And while Chalamet’s Hal is cold and reserved, Pattinson’s Dauphin is the opposite.
He sneers at Hal saying, “The screams of your men, they lull me to sleep at night,” adding, “King of England, are you scared?” As the trailer reaches its climax, we see battle in full swing. But whatever self-doubt and anxieties Hal has, they are not for the Dauphin to see. “You will not topple this king, Henry the fifth, you so underestimate.”
If you’re excited about this movie, you’ll also love these:
‘The Crown’, ‘King Arthur: Legend of the Sword’, ‘The Queen’, ‘Reign’ and ‘The White Queen’.
