What to Know
- The film was written and directed by Joe Cornish.
- It opens nationwide Jan. 25th.
- Louis Ashbourne Serkis is the son of actor Andy Serkis.
"The Kid Who Would Be King" is like Camelot, for kids. But don't worry parents, there's plenty of grown up references and visual effects to keep you interested as well. This modern retelling of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table puts a young boy named Alex in the middle of an epic battle between good and evil, right on his school campus.
Alex stumbles on the Sword in the Stone while being chased by bullies and has to decide if he can summon his leadership skills to save humanity against the evil enchantress, Morgana.
The film, written and directed by "Attack the Block" director Joe Cornish, has some darker tones that might be scary for younger kids. Fiery demons on horseback that come out of the ground at night to kill the kids might be frightening for some, while thoroughly entertaining for others.
Cornish said during a Facebook live interview from New York that he hopes the film resonates with fans of movies like "E. T." and "Goonies" for it's fantasy elements.
"When I was kid, about 12 or 13, I loved going to the cinema and seeing a kid of my age in a movie. Especially a movie that was based in the real world. So it connected to my world, but it also injected fantasy into it." Cornish said.
The film stars Louis Ashbourne Serkis who plays Alex, the kid who finds Excalibur. If that last name sounds familiar it's because he's the son of accomplished actor Andy Serkis who played Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings." It's clear Serkis got some of this talent from his father because he is so at ease in this role, and plays it with the depth of someone much older than his 14 years.
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Sir Patrick Stewart is clearly having fun with his role of Merlin. He says he enjoys watching magic in real life, but has no plans to figure out how the tricks are done.
Ultimately, "The Kid Who Would Be King" is a fun throwback to 80's movies that let kids be heroes, and fantasy comes to life. Whether you believe in magic or not, you will get immersed in this fairy tale of Knights, swords, and epic battles to save the world before the school bell rings.
"The Kid Who Would Be King" stars Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Sir Patrick Stewart, Rebecca Ferguson, Tom Taylor, Rhianna Dorris, Angus Imrie, and Dean Chaumoo. It opens nationwide on January 25th.
