Chosen One stories are so 1997. The Kid Who Would Be King, the latest film from Attack the Block director Joe Cornish, may be about a boy who was destined to wield the Sword of Excalibur against an army of fiery demons…but the latest trailer makes it clear that his friends (and enemies) are the key to fighting off the darkness. Well, that and Google Translate.
The newest trailer is here for The Kid Who Would Be King. The film stars Louis Ashbourne Serkis as Alex, a down-on-his-luck kid who may not be the most popular bloke on the block, but he still does the right thing…stopping bullies from harassing his friends, even when it makes him the next target. Everything changes when he comes across the Sword of Excalibur, bringing him face-to-face with the legendary Merlin (Patrick Stewart). Although, in this case, he’s donned a clever disguise as a young fast food worker, which ensures Stewart is probably only in the movie for about five to 10 minutes.
I was pleasantly surprised by the first trailer for this film, which harkened back to a classic 1980s-style of children’s adventure flicks, as it didn’t seem afraid to put kids in real peril. I mean, come on, these kid are wielding real swords. Against demons. That’s Monster Squad levels of badass.
This trailer makes me feel even more hopeful about this movie, as it’s added a bit of a welcome twist: Two of Alex’s “Round Table” knights are actually his bullies. Given how so many children’s movies adopt a black-and-white view of good versus evil, with bullies often becoming caricatures that are easy to root against, I like the idea of a film showing the power of compassion and change.
The Kid Who Would Be King comes out March 2019.