Where’s filmmaker Joe Cornish been for the last seven odd years? Well, in 2011, to rewind, he released the critically acclaimed coming of age, sci-fi film “Attack The Block” which launched the careers of John Boyega and Jodie Whittaker and came off like a modern, darker, British riff on Steven Spielberg Amblin films. And he co-wrote “Ant-Man” with Edgar Wright for years which came to no avail when Wright and Marvel parted ways last minute (and co-wrote Spielberg’s “Tintin” also with Wright). But a feature? Cornish hasn’t directed a movie since 2011. That’s about to change, however, because his latest film, “The Kid Who Would Be King” is poised to open in the new year.
Another coming of age tale for kids this time with a fantasy twist that centers around the mythical Sword in the Stone, Excalibur. “The Kid Who Would Be King” centers on a young, unassuming boy who thinks he’s just another nobody, until he stumbles upon the aforementioned legendary blade. Friends like the wizard Merlin and Morgana appear and we’re off to the races on a magical adventure.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Old school magic meets the modern world in the epic adventure THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING. Alex (Ashbourne Serkis) thinks he’s just another nobody, until he stumbles upon the mythical Sword in the Stone, Excalibur. Now, he must unite his friends and enemies into a band of knights and, together with the legendary wizard Merlin (Stewart), take on the wicked enchantress Morgana (Ferguson). With the future at stake, Alex must become the great leader he never dreamed he could be.
Produced by Nira Park, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, and Working Title Films, the team that always does Edgar Wright’s films, there’s definitely a keep-it-in-the-family vibe to the movie. Cinematographer Bill Pope (“The Matrix”) lensed the film and he’s shot all the Edgar Wright films since 2010’s “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.” Interestingly enough, the film’s score is by Electric Wave Bureau which features Gorillaz/Blur’s Damon Albarn, Suzi Winstanley, saxophonist Mike Smith (Ailerons) & Nelson de Freitas. EWB is apparently a music supervision company dedicated to creating the perfect soundtrack to any video or movie.
“The Kid Who Would Be King” stars Louis Ashbourne Serkis (Andy Serkis’ son), Dean Chaumoo, Tom Taylor, Rhianna Dorris, Angus Imrie, and also features Rebecca Ferguson and Patrick Stewart. If any director can pull off this kind of earnest kid-friendly fantasy movie without coming across as hokey or sentimental, it’s Cornish.
“The Kid Who Would Be King” opens in theaters everywhere on January 25, 2019.