Guy Ritchie is a filmmaker with a very particular, very stylish modus operandi. From Snatch to Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels to his surprisingly solid reboot of The Man From U.N.C.L.E., the British director has amassed a truly unique body of work that will soon carve out room for a medieval reimagining by the name of King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.
Much like Sherlock Holmes before it, Guy Ritchie is resurrecting a historical figure from English history in a way that only Ritchie could – gritty, fantastical and a little rough around the edges. As a matter of fact, former Sons of Anarchy star Charlie Hunnam – the man elected to pull Excalibur from the stone – described his title hero as a “bit of a motherfucker” during Warner Bros’ recent panel at CinemaCon, which ought to give you an inkling of what to expect when the lights go down on May 12th.
Truth be told, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword has been a long time coming. Initially on course for a 2016 release before WB nudged Ritchie’s fantasy epic back to February, it wasn’t long before the studio delayed the big-budget actioner for a second (and final!) time. The end result is a May release date, which ought to give Arthur a shot at that all-important summer blockbuster window. It’ll face stiff competition from Baywatch, Alien: Covenant and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, but we’re confident that Guy Ritchie’s particular sense of style will be able to draw in the masses.
From nothing comes a king: Guy Ritchie will summon King Arthur: Legend of the Sword into U.S. theaters on May 12th. For those across the pond, you can expect the gritty reimagining to hit UK shores on May 24th.
