The King is Netflix’s latest Original movie and it’s a modern story told through a period-authentic lens that examines the pitfalls of power, the cyclical brutality of war, and how the dangerous vanities of men reverberate through generations to come
Hal (Timothée Chalamet) has spent years rejecting his royal responsibilities as heir to the English throne, instead choosing to live in the debauched neighborhood Eastcheap alongside his mentor and best friend, the washed-up alcoholic knight John Falstaff (Joel Edgerton). But when Hal’s father King Henry IV (Ben Mendelsohn) dies, the wayward prince is forced to leave behind his life in Eastcheap and return to the palace to reluctantly take his place as King of England.
Having spent much of his young life witnessing his father’s feuds and the futility of the wars that followed, the newly crowned King Henry V vows to bring peace to the country. But he quickly finds himself embroiled in the snake pit of palace politics he tried so desperately to escape, and is suddenly unsure who he can trust. Forced to begin a new chapter of his life before the last can be properly closed, Hal feels his idealism being strangled by the loneliness of power, a growing sense of paranoia, and looming threats from France.
Longtime friends and collaborators David Michôd and Joel Edgerton began writing the coming-of-age script in 2013. King Henry V is the subject of Shakespeare’s timeless historical plays and two successful film adaptations, however, Michôd and Edgerton saw unexplored contemporary themes in young Hal’s story that spanned the 600 years between the 15th and 21st centuries. Edgerton played Hal on stage when he was fresh out of drama school and was thrilled by the prospect of bringing the character to life on screen through a new interpretation.
He explains, “We decided to use Shakespeare’s plays as a launching pad, but somewhat depart from them. We’re using elements of true history, we’re borrowing from Shakespeare, and then we’re putting it through our own filter.”
Starring Timothée Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name) as Hal, Joel Edgerton (Bright) as John Falstaff, Sean Harris (Mission: Impossible – Fallout) as William, Ben Mendelsohn (Animal Kingdom) as King Henry IV, Robert Pattinson (Twilight) as The Dauphin, Lily-Rose Depp (Yoga Hosers) as Catherine, Tom Glynn-Carney (Dunkirk) as Hotspur, and Thomasin McKenzie (Leave No Trace) as Phillipa, Queen of Denmark. The movie is directed by David Michôd and co-written by Michôd and Edgerton.
The King premieres November 1st on Netflix.
I’m really looking forward to watching it!