King Arthur: Legend of the Sword Comic Con Trailer (2017)

Trailer for King Arthur: Legend of the Sword that was released during 2016 San Diego Comic Con.

Acclaimed filmmaker Guy Ritchie brings his dynamic style to the epic fantasy action adventure King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. Starring Charlie Hunnam in the title role, the film is an iconoclastic take on the classic Excalibur myth, tracing Arthur’s journey from the streets to the throne.

When the child Arthur’s father is murdered, Vortigern (Jude Law), Arthur’s uncle, seizes the crown. Robbed of his birthright and with no idea who he truly is, Arthur comes up the hard way in the back alleys of the city. But once he pulls the sword from the stone, his life is turned upside down and he is forced to acknowledge his true legacy…whether he likes it or not.

The role of Arthur was a competitive one. Having history with Guy Ritchie thanks to The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Henry Cavill tried out for the part as well. After all the names considered, it was Cavill, Hunnam and Suicide Squad's Jai Courtney who were the top three considerations. To decide on who to cast, Ritchie first sat down with each of these actors to get a feeling for how his and the actor's chemistry might play off each other. After that, there was the actual speaking audition. Though all three of these gentlemen would have been terrific choices for the part, the director immediately liked Charlie Hunnam during the sit-down phase of the audition. But that doesn't mean there wasn't a minor catch.

During his meetings with Ritchie, Hunnam was still wrapping up the final season of Sons of Anarchy. If you know the show, you remember that the actor's character was skinny for the last episodes. You can't be skinny and realistically play a warrior knight, so Guy Ritchie kept attempting to figure out if Hunnam could get the weight and physique required for the role back. Once Hunnam figured out this was a major concern for the project, he told Ritchie he'd prove his physicality by fighting both Henry Cavill and Jai Courtney. That seemed to have put the director's fears to rest.

A good thing for Hunnam too, as Warner Bros is hoping that King Arthur: Legend of the Sword will open up a multi-sequel franchise.

Considering that I have a weakness for Guy Ritchie's style of filming and am so far impressed with the ensemble cast, I can't find a thing I don't like in this first trailer for King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. The film itself feels insanely Ritchie. The quick fancy camera work, the gritty visuals, dogs, familiar faces and some fun with the cinematography, all of which can be seen as calling cards of the director.

And then you toss on some pretty impressive CG that adds a fantastical element to the film. I like the computer generated effects, but I'm still not exactly sure how I feel about the added fantasy just yet. But then again, I see Game of Thrones' Roose Bolton (Michael McElhatton) at the beginning of this trailer, and Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) in the middle, and I am reminded that though that show (and books) have fantastical elements, it's the story and the grit that keeps audiences interested. So can we say that this King Arthur installment was at least motivated by the success of the HBO series? Not sure, but I have no problem if it was. For now, let's just hope its more Thrones and less Warcraft.