A24 has released a new trailer for its much-anticipated fantasy film The Green Knight, starring Dev Patel in the role of the legendary Sir Gawain and inspired by the centuries-old Arthurian legend. The new trailer dropped a day after a character-specific poster featuring Patel's Gawain, as well as a teasing tweet from A24 confirming that fans would very soon have a new look at the upcoming movie directed and written by David Lowery (A Ghost Story, Peter Pan & Wendy).
In addition to Patel, The Green Knight's cast features Ralph Ineson as the Green Knight, as well as Joel Edgerton, Alicia Vikander, Sean Harris, Kate Dickie, Erin Kellyman and Barry Keoghan in supporting roles. The trailer focuses on the absolute terror-inducing presence of Ineson's Green Knight rather heavily, in what feels like a blend of fantasy sensibility with particularly gruesome undertones — and that shot of the Green Knight holding his own head is going to linger with me for a while. Meanwhile, Patel's Gawain seems to evolve from idealistic young knight to looking rather heavy beneath the weight of his own crown — but when Edgerton's character asks him why he's facing all of these trials, Gawain simply says: "Honor. That is why a knight does what he does."
The film was initially scheduled to have its world premiere at SXSW in March 2020, which would have been followed by a release in theaters by that following May. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the film was pulled from its planned release schedule and given a new July premiere date. As if fans' anticipation couldn't be high enough, The Green Knight has also reportedly received an R-rating for "violence, some sexuality, and graphic nudity," which would seemingly indicate that this version of the classic Arthurian poem is going to be a little less tightly-laced than we thought.
The Green Knight is officially slated for a theatrical release on July 30. Check out the new trailer below:
Here's the official synopsis:
An epic fantasy adventure based on the timeless Arthurian legend, The Green Knight tells the story of Sir Gawain (Dev Patel), King Arthur's reckless and headstrong nephew, who embarks on a daring quest to confront the eponymous Green Knight, a gigantic emerald-skinned stranger and tester of men. Gawain contends with ghosts, giants, thieves, and schemers in what becomes a deeper journey to define his character and prove his worth in the eyes of his family and kingdom by facing the ultimate challenger. From visionary filmmaker David Lowery comes a fresh and bold spin on a classic tale from the knights of the round table.