After a long wait, Dev Patel's The Green Knight is finally arriving in theaters this summer and A24 has just dropped the film’s first official trailer ahead of its July premiere. Inspired by the classic King Arthur legend, the much-awaited fantasy film seems to be a very dark adaptation of the centuries-old tale. The trailer puts Patel's Sir Gawain up against the terror-inducing Green Knight, who offers the same creepy vibes as the Game of Thrones Night King.
The plot will follow the adventures of King Arthur’s nephew’s after he strikes a bargain with Ralph Ineson’s green-skinned giant, scenes visible in the two-minute trailer. Fans are offered a glimpse of their first meeting, where Gawain is offered an ax by the Green Knight. But, there’s a catch. While Gawain can keep the ax if he strikes the giant once, he must meet the knight a year later to receive a blow in return. The remaining scenes put Gawain setting off on a life-changing journey that has him facing “ghosts, giants, thieves, and schemers,” all while he tries to prove his worth and prepares to face the ultimate challenger.
Directed and written by David Lowery, The Green Knight is based on the 14th-century poem “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," which was translated from Middle English by J.R.R. Tolkien. Just last week, A24 released official posters for The Green Knight and teased the release of the trailer on Monday. The clip had fans talking about the various threats that Gawain will go up against and the creatures he will encounter, including a talking fox. The most talked-about scene, however, is the one of the Green Knight holding his own head after what should have been a life-ending strike delivered by Gawain.
Just like most other major films, The Green Knight faced long delays due to the pandemic. The first teaser was released in February 2020, where fans were first introduced to the youngest Knight of the Round Table. Initially scheduled to premiere as SXSW in March 2020, The Green Knight was meant to have a wider theatrical release in May of last year. However, it was later removed from A24’s release calendar and moved to July 2021. While fans waited for its release, they were offered a tie-in tabletop Green Knight role-playing game.
It has been confirmed that The Green Knight will be released with an R-rating, owing to its severe violence and graphic nudity. The film also stars Alicia Vikander, Sarita Choudhury, Sean Harris, Kate Dickie, Barry Keoghan, and Erin Kellyman in supporting roles, with each character assisting in bringing Lowery’s world of fantasy to life.
This is not the first time that viewers will be able to watch Sir Gawain’s story on the big screen. Different adaptations of the Arthurian tale have been released in the past, offering their own takes on the medieval characters, including 1973’s Gawain and the Green Knight and 1984’s Sword of the Valiant: The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. While both those films were brought to life by the same director, Stephen Weeks, it would be interesting to see a different take on the legend.
The Green Knight is scheduled to be released in theaters on July 30, 2021.
Source: A24/YouTube