After a four year absence from the big screen, Guy Ritchie looks set to make another big splash with his old-school spy thriller, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. next month. However, he's also been hard at work on his next project, King Arthur. EW had the chance to visit the director and cast on set, and have also given us our first look at the movie's star Charlie Hunnam as the legendary British king.
"I think where the pitfall has often been is trying to make King Arthur bland and nice, and nice and bland," Ritchie claimed, when asked why the character has struggled cinematically in the past, "The two qualities make rather compatible bed companions. Unfortunately, they’re not interesting to watch. Luke Skywalker was always the most uninteresting character in Star Wars because he’s the good guy. Good guys are boring."
Much like many of his former protagonists, Ritchie's Arthur looks to be a lot less clean-cut, and a little more rough around the edges. "He’s a street kid," Hunnam revealed, "There’s definitely a harder edge to him than people would imagine. It’s sort of classic Guy Ritchie stuff." Per EW, this version of Arthur was orphaned as an infant and raised by prostitutes in a 'street-wise hood' in 5th Century London. It's a big departure from the legend, but in keeping with Ritchie's talents.
However, with King Arthur, the talented director is about to delve into something he's a lot less well known for - fantasy. According to EW, despite it's urban setting, the movie is set to feature a variety of fantastical creatures, including giant snakes, humongous war elephants and a "monstrous viking-like creature known as The Nemesis." Vinnie Jones, anyone?
A young Arthur runs the back passages of Londonium with his crew, not knowing his royal lineage until he grabs Excalibur. Instantly confronted by the sword’s influence, Arthur is forced to make up his mind. He joins the rebellion and a shadowy young woman named Guinevere, he must learn to understand the magic weapon, deal with his demons and unite the people to defeat the dictator Vortigern, the man who murdered his parents and stole his crown to become king.
The movie is also set to star Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey as 'Guinevere', Djimon Hounsou as 'Bedivere', Eric Bana as 'Uther Pendragon' and Jude Law as the villainous 'Vortigern'. King Arthur is expected to hit theatres July 22, 2016.