Netflix released the first trailer for The King, which will hit theaters in October before releasing on the streamer Nov. 1.
The King is a film adaptation of several plays from Shakespeare’s Henriad plays. Oscar-nominated Timothée Chalamet stars as wayward prince Hal, who ascends the English throne following his father’s death. After living a normal life, Hal must navigate his new title as King Henry V when he is forced to live the royal life he once tried to escape. Now the young king must deal with the palace politics, chaos and war his father left behind, as well as his relationship with his close friend and mentor John Falstaff (Joel Edgerton).
Sean Harris, Lily-Rose Depp, Robert Pattinson and Ben Mendelsohn round out the cast. David Michod directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Edgerton.
The trailer opens with Hal being asked by Catherine (Depp) if he feels a sense of achievement. Before he answers, clips show his father being beheaded. “A new chapter of my life has begun,” he responds as he is crowned the new king. “Already, I can feel the weight of this crown I wear.”
Hal expresses his concerns about his kingly responsibilities, particularly that he doesn’t trust “the counsel of men whose loyalty I question every waking moment.” He asks Falstaff to help him with his new duties because they’re friends, though his mentor responds that kings don’t have friends, only “followers and foe.”
A montage shows Hal’s reign as king, which includes a romance with Catherine and going to battle as those followers chant King Henry’s name.
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While The King was not featured at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, the film will premiere at the Venice International Film Festival before it becomes available to stream in November. Netflix announced Tuesday that The King will open in cinemas Oct. 11 before its release the following month on the streamer.
The film has already earned awards buzz and will follows the success of Netflix’s Roma, which won best foreign language film, best cinematography and best director at the 2019 Academy Awards.
Last year, Netflix acknowledged the value of the theatrical experience when announcing that Roma and other Oscar hopefuls would play exclusively in cinemas for two to three weeks before they were uploaded to the streaming service. Roma and other films’ short time in theaters wasn’t enough to appease all Oscar voters — or theater chains, which insist on a 90-day window before titles are released on home entertainment.
Watch the full trailer for The King above.
