From David Michôd (Animal Kingdom, The Rover), The King is Netflix’s epic historical drama adapting Shakespeare’s Henry IV and V, with Timothée Chalamet in the titular role and Robert Pattinson as his opposition, the French Duke of Guyenne.
Looking suitably grimy and gritty, The King co-stars Joel Edgerton (who co-wrote the script with Michôd), Sean Harris, and Lily-Rose Depp, with Ben Mendelhson in the role of KingHenry IV.
The King seems to be one of a dozen high-profile Netflix releases this Fall, with Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman and The Two Popes garnering buzz ahead of their theatrical and streaming premieres. Immediately it recalls Roman Polanski’s terrific Macbeth adaptation, with its medieval combat looking and feeling weighty and visceral, and its politicking devious enough to make Game of Thrones blush.
Michôd’s last film, 2017’s War Machine, starred Brad Pitt as an American general tasked with advancing the War in Afghanistan, and was also released straight to Netflix. Though it was met with a relatively low-key reception, Michôd’s proven himself to be an incredibly talented director, with his feature debut Animal Kingdom spawning an American series adaptation, and the post-apocalyptic The Rover marking a prior collaboration with Robert Pattinson.
The King is already making theatrical rounds in limited release, with a global premiere on the streaming service set for November 1, 2019.
