Netflix Sets Up Best Picture Run with Star-Studded ‘The King’ Film

| Posted on |

Netflix has been putting out plenty of offering for the indie, true crime, sci-fi, and TV crowds, but with the announcement of the upcoming film The King, they’ve got their sights set on a higher prize, the elusive Best Picture nomination they’ve tried so desperately to obtain.

In The King, they may have a winner.

The cast is a monster of upcoming talent and seasoned, underrated veterans.

At this point, the headline probably has to be Timothée Chalamet, who burst onto the scene this past year with his role as Elio in Best Picture-nominated Call Me by Your Name (which earned him an Academy Award nomination) and Kyle in Lady Bird, another film nominated for Best Picture.

Joel Edgerton (co-writer on the project) and Ben Mendelsohn are two incredible actors with extensive range. They add some prestige to the film, some vital experience, and ensure that Chalamet won’t have to carry the film.

Then there’s Robert Pattinson, the most intriguing actor on the list. After the Twilight series, he was cast aside as a one-trick pony, and a bad one at that. Then Good Time came out, an indie film that had no business being as good as it was, and he blew everyone away with his gritty, frantic performance. It put him squarely back on everyone’s radar, and this will be his big followup.

The cast is rounded out by Sean Harris (who has Shakespeare experience) and Lily-Rose Depp, the daughter of Johnny Depp.

Directing (and co-writing along with star Joel Edgerton) the upcoming film will be Netflix-alumnus David Michôd (War Machine, The Rover, Animal Kingdom).

Based on William Shakespeare’s Henry IV and Henry V, The King should stretch over the course of a number of years throughout the rise and fall of the titular monarchs. Combining parts from both plays is interesting because of the number of directions they could go with it.

It has the makings of a traditional Best Picture winner, a period piece set in another country based on literature with a stellar cast. If done right, it’s almost a shoo-in.

Filming begins today, and the release date is a vague 2019. Depending on when it is released, it will be vying for the 2019 Best Picture nomination or the 2020.

Either way, The King looks to be a monster in the making.