Fresh from the success of The Old Man and the Gun and A Ghost Story, David Lowery returns to the A24 stomping ground with an intriguing trailer for his latest venture, The Green Knight. An adaptation of the Arthurian poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, we’re set to see Dev Patel take up the mantle of the chivalrous knight as he is put to the test by Ralph Ineson’s mysterious Green Knight. With a crown of flames, bound bodies and a giant hand reaching over a mountain, this is shaping up to be Lowery’s most daring venture to date.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a story that has been reinterpreted time and again for film, theatre and poetic translation. While the story is likely something we have heard time and again in Arthurian mythos, it is more than likely Lowery will add his own unconventional spin on an already unconventional story. The film will follow Sir Gawain, King Arthur’s headstrong, if a little brash, nephew as he is challenged by The Green Knight to a quest of chivalry and courage. As it states in the trailer’s opening captions, this is a time “when courage made kings”.
For those unfamiliar with the poem, Sir Gawain is tasked to seek the Green Knight following a wager that could see him lose his life. Along the way he is met with many a block, but nonetheless powers through to achieve his goal. How true to the original tale Lowery will be is yet to be seen, but if you ask me, the more off-beat, the better.
Lowery is no stranger to a surreal narrative. 2017’s indie darling A Ghost Story received understated acclaim for its following of a ghost lingering about the house he shared with his wife. He also saw success directing a re-imagining of Pete’s Dragon in 2016 and, more recently, having cast Robert Redford in The Old Man and the Gun, in what would become the actor’s penultimate film before retiring.
The Green Knight also reunites Ineson with Robert Eggers’ The Witch co-star Kate Dickie, who will play Queen Guinevere to Sean Harris’ King Arthur. Alicia Vikander, Joel Edgerton and Barry Keoghan will also co-star alongside Patel, rounding off an incredible cast for what is shaping up to be a beguiling film.
The Green Knight is scheduled for release May 29th.
Words by Jack Roberts