Forget shot girl summer, the coming season belongs to Dev Patel, and Dev Patel alone. The 31-year-old actor, best known for his roles in Skins and Slumdog Millionaire, is looking mighty sharp as the protagonist in the trailer for A24’s swish upcoming medieval fantasy, The Green Knight. Ahead of its 30 July release, filmmaker David Lowery gave us a two-and-a-bit minute peek into his creepy, but admittedly quite faithful, adaptation of the Arthurian legend.
Dev Patel plays Sir Gawain, King Arthur’s “reckless and headstrong” nephew according to a synopsis, who attempts to confront the eponymous Green Knight: “a gigantic emerald-skinned stranger and tester of men”. The film is said to be a retelling of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a 14th century Middle English poem once translated by Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien. The cast includes Ralph Ineson as the Green Knight, Joel Edgerton and Barry Keoghan as Sir Gawain’s lieges, and Alicia Vikander as the lady whose coveted favour he must earn. Intrigue!
The trailer has some big Midsommar vibes, in that there are quite a lot of creepy old white people arranged in a cultish fashion. But A24’s categorisation of the film seemingly leans away from the horror genre; The Green Knight is billed as “an epic fantasy adventure”.
In the trailer, we watch Sir Gawain face off with a large, tree-like being. “Oh, greatest of Kings, let one of your knights try to land a blow against me,” says the Green Knight croakily, “Indulge me in this game.” Alright Jigsaw, pack it up. Our hero Dev Patel goes for the kill shot, slicing off the warrior’s gnarled head with an axe, only to see him pick it up, and brush off the assault as if nothing had happened.
Then comes the catch. 366 days later, the Green Knight will have his go at Sir Gawain. Are you ready? Check it out below.