Arthurian legend has often be the inspiration behind great works of art, but for the most part, direct adaptations aren’t all that great. However, director and writer David Lowery is looking to make an epic, highly-stylized version of one of the most famous ones. Will it succeed or will we chop off his head? Here’s the teaser trailer for The Green Knight.
The Green Knight follows the tale of Sir Gawain, King Arthur’s nephew, who takes on the Green Knight, a strange giant who will give Gawain a special axe if he can chop off his head. However, as part of the deal, whatever blow Gawain gives to the knight, he must then receive from said knight in a year and a day. The story is quite strange, but it ends up being a lesson in honesty and dignity. Will this adaptation have the same ending, given its creepy tone? That’s not so clear.
Gawain will be played by Dev Patel, with Joel Edgerton as Lord, Ralph Ineson as the Green Knight, Alicia Vikander as Lady, Kate Dickie as Queen Guinevere, and Sean Harris as King Arthur. Lowery hasn’t directed much mainstream cinema, save for the remake of Pete’s Dragon. The overall look of the film is cool, with dark imagery, winding passageways and some very violent puppets, but given that the story is supposed to have a happy ending, one has to wonder what Lowery is looking to add to it.
The Green Knight is set to premiere in theaters on May 29, 2020.
