- Title: Guy Ritchie's action-packed movie about King Arthur hits Hollywood
- Date: 9th May 2017
- Summary: ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** RITCHIE SPEAKING TO REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) GUY RITCHIE, DIRECTOR, SAYING: "The motive was to present something that didn't feel like anything that had previously been made. So I liked the idea, I mean similar to the idea with the Sherlocks, that it was an idea that I liked the idea of it but how do you re-represent that. And that was really the biggest challenge." WIDE OF CARPET ACTOR KINGSLEY BEN-ADIR, WHO PLAYED THE PART OF 'WET STICK' POSING ON CARPET (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR KINGSLEY BEN-ADIR, WHO PLAYED THE PART OF 'WET STICK', SAYING: "I think a lot of characters in Guy's movies are a little bit more accessible. You know, a little bit like normal people, like Arthur, Wet Stick and Back Lack, we are street kids and we grow up in Londinium. So I think that it opens it up to a wider audience maybe." BEN-ADIR SPEAKING WITH REPORTERS ERIC BANA, WHO PLAYS THE PART OF UTHER PENDRAGON, POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS BANA WITH A 'KNIGHT' (SOUNDBITE) (English) ERIC BANA, ACTOR WHO PLAYS THE PART OF ARTHUR'S FATHER, UTHER PENDRAGON, SAYING: "When you give this job to Guy, you know there is going to be a sense of cheekiness and an element of not taking things too seriously and it is why I wanted to be a part of it. I am a huge fan of Guy's work. I like his film language. I think it's really interesting. It's always, always very unique, so to see what he would bring to this genre, I was fascinated by that." DJIMON HOUNSOU, ACTOR WHO PLAYS THE PART OF BEDIVERE, POSING WITH KNIGHT ON RED CARPET (SOUNDBITE) (English) DJIMON HOUNSOU, ACTOR WHO PLAYS THE PART OF BEDIVERE, SAYING: "Guy Ritchie directing it, that was the biggest appeal but more importantly, I think the approach we had in telling this version is to see it from the point of view of the knights that sort of contributed to his (Arthur's) advancement, you know." HUNNAM SPEAKING WITH REPORTERS RITCHIE SPEAKING WITH REPORTERS ACTRESS POPPY DELEVINGNE WHO PLAYS THE PART OF IGRAINE, POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS ACTRESS ANNABELLE WALLIS WHO PLAYS THE PART OF MAGGIE POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS MUSICIAN MARILYN MANSON POSING WITH A KNIGHT ON CARPET WIDE OF CARPET (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR JON VOIGHT, SAYING: "This is a classic tale for a reason, isn't it. I think there wouldn't be a Star Wars without this story, somehow, you know, 'the force be with you' and all of that stuff. Merlin, you know when you think of Alec Guinness, Obi Wan Kanobi, it's very much like Merlin isn't. So it's a very similar story." WIDE OF CARPET
- Embargoed: 23rd May 2017 06:13
- Keywords: Hollywood premiere movie legend King Arthur Guy RItchie Charlie Hunnam
- Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES; UNKNOWN FILM LOCATIONS
- City: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES; UNKNOWN FILM LOCATIONS
- Country: USA
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Film
- Reuters ID: LVA0036G489XP
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A dozen horse-mounted 'knight's' clad in full armor roared and flashed their weapons down Hollywood Boulevard on Monday (May 8) to kick off the world premiere of "King Arthur: The Legend of the Sword" as hundreds of onlookers snapped photos of the spectacle.
The red carpet filled up quickly with stars eager to see director's Guy Ritchie's (Snatch/Sherlock Holmes) rendition of the classic tale of King Arthur and his mythical sword Excaliber.
Ritchie's gritty action-packed version follows Arthur, played by actor Charlie Hunnam, rise from an orphaned street urchin raised in a brothel to the King of England. The movie weaves magic, street fighting and epic battle scenes into a tale of how a reluctant Arthur pulls the legendary sword Excaliber from a stone and, with the help of his friends, comes to the realization that needs to fight to take back the throne stolen by his uncle Vortigen (played by Jude Law) who murdered his parents.
"If you are going to tell a story that has been told before you have to come in with a vision that makes it original and fresh," Hunnam told Reuters at the Hollywood premiere. He credits the 1981 rendition of the Arthur Legend, "Excaliber" with his desire to become an actor.
Hunnam adds that unlike other versions of the tale, his character is a reluctant hero.
It was that narrative twist that director Guy Ritchie says will allow audiences relate to an age-old legend in a new way.
The movie hits theaters on May 12. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
