‘The King’ First Look: All Hail Timothée Chalamet in Netflix’s Shakespearean Drama
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Timothée Chalamet is returning to fall film festival season thanks to “The King,” the latest directorial effort from Australian filmmaker David Mich?d. Chalamet hit the circuit last year with Toronto International Film Festival premiere “Beautiful Boy,” and his latest “The King” will make its world premiere out of competition at the 2019 Venice Film Festival (see full lineup here). “The King” is backed by Netflix, which is also competing at Venice with Steven Soderbergh’s “The Laundromat” and Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story.”
“The King,” written by Mich?d and Joel Edgerton, is an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Henry IV, Part 1,” “Henry IV, Part 2, and “Henry V.” Chalamet stars as Henry V, who begins the story as a wayward prince. When Henry becomes king following his father’s death, he must navigate the tension and political turmoil that comes with the throne.
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Starring opposite Chalamet is an impressive ensemble cast that includes Edgerton as Sir John Falstaff, Robert Pattinson as Louis, the Dauphin of Viennois, Ben Mendelsohn as King Henry IV, Sean Harris as Michael Williams, Lily-Rose Depp as Catherine of Valois, and “Leave No Trace” breakout Thomasin McKenzie as “Philippa of England.”
“The King” is one of two awards hopefuls Chalamet has set for release during Oscar season. The second is Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women,” which marks a “Lady Bird” reunion between the pairing and leading actress Saoirse Ronan. Many expected “Little Women” to be announced during the Venice line-up reveal, but it could be a late addition. Chalamet has become a go-to leading star after earning an Oscar nomination for “Call Me By Your Name.” The young actor is also leading Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” remake, which will open in theaters in 2020.
For Pattinson, “The King” is one of two titles that will be world premiering at the 2019 Venice Film Festival. While “The King” is an out of competition title, his role in Ciro Guerra’s “Waiting for the Barbarians” will debut in competition as the drama competes for the Golden Lion. “The King” is Mich?d’s second Netflix release after his Brad Pitt-starring “War Machine.” The director is best known for helming “Animal Kingdom” and “The Rover,” which also starred Pattinson.
Netflix has not announced a release date for “The King.” Check out the first look image from the drama below.
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