The Kid Who Would Be King facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Kid Who Would Be King |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Joe Cornish |
| Produced by |
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| Written by | Joe Cornish |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Electric Wave Bureau |
| Cinematography | Bill Pope |
| Editing by |
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| Studio |
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| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | 25 January 2019 (United States) 15 February 2019 (United Kingdom) |
| Running time | 120 minutes |
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| Language | English |
| Budget | $59 million |
| Money made | $32.1 million |
The Kid Who Would Be King is a 2019 fantasy action-adventure movie. It was written and directed by Joe Cornish. The film is about a young boy who finds the famous sword Excalibur. This sword belonged to the legendary King Arthur. The boy must then use it to stop an ancient enchantress from destroying the world.
This movie was made by both British and American film companies. It stars Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Tom Taylor, Dean Chaumoo, Rhianna Doris, Angus Imrie, Rebecca Ferguson, and Patrick Stewart.
20th Century Fox released the film in the United States on January 25, 2019. It came out in the United Kingdom on February 15, 2019. Even though many people liked the movie, it did not make a lot of money at the box office. The studio lost about $50 million. This was one of the last films released by 20th Century Fox before The Walt Disney Company bought the studio in March 2019.
Contents
The Story of the Kid Who Would Be King
Alex's Discovery of Excalibur
The movie starts with Alex, a twelve-year-old boy. He is just beginning secondary school in a London suburb. His best friend, Bedders, is being bullied by older students, Lance and Kaye. Alex steps in to help Bedders. Because of this, Alex, Lance, and Kaye all get detention from the headmistress.
Later, Lance and Kaye try to get back at Alex. They chase him as he walks home. Alex hides in a nearby construction site. There, he finds a mysterious sword stuck in concrete. He pulls it out. When he shows it to Bedders, they see that the sword has special markings. These markings show it is Excalibur, the famous sword of King Arthur. Alex then jokingly "knights" Bedders.
Merlin's Arrival and Morgana's Threat
Meanwhile, a wicked sorceress named Morgana wakes up from her sleep deep underground. She sends her evil Mortes Milles demons to find Excalibur. The next day, a teenager appears at Alex's school. He says he is a new student. This boy reveals himself to Alex as the wizard Merlin. Merlin can age backward, but sometimes he changes into his older, Arthurian form.
Alex just wants to return the sword. He does not want anything to do with old myths. That night, Merlin saves Alex from a demon. He explains that Alex has only four days to defeat Morgana. If he fails, she will take over all of England.
The Round Table Reborn
The Mortes Milles demons only appear at night. Only Alex and those he has knighted can see them. But a total solar eclipse is coming. This eclipse will allow Morgana to fully appear in the world. Alex remembers a special storybook his father gave him. The events happening now are just like the story in the book.
Alex realizes he might be related to King Arthur through his father. He then asks Lance and Kaye to join him. He knights them, and they fight alongside Alex and Bedders. Together, they defeat three demons. Alex calls them his new Round Table. Merlin soon tells Alex he must find the entrance to Morgana's prison in the Underworld.
Challenges and Betrayal
Alex leads the group to Tintagel. This is where he last saw his father. On their way, Merlin teaches them how to use swords. But Morgana finds them during their training. Lance betrays Alex and takes Excalibur for himself. Merlin barely saves them. Excalibur is broken when Alex and Lance fight in a marsh.
As Lance and Kaye start to leave, Alex calls out to the Lady of the Lake. Her arm rises from the water and gives the sword back to them.
Facing Morgana
Alex and his friends make up and decide to continue their quest. They defeat a large group of demons by tricking them into falling off a cliff. When they arrive at Tintagel, Alex meets his aunt Sophie. She tells him that his father left Alex and his mother, Mary. Sophie also says that it was Mary who wrote in the storybook. This makes Alex very angry. He feels his mother lied to him, and he has come all this way for nothing.
Merlin stops him. He tells Alex that Excalibur is not given to someone just because of their family. It is given based on what a person does and how good they are.
Alex and his friends get ready for battle. Alex uses the storybook to find the entrance to the Underworld. Alex challenges Morgana. She turns into a huge, scary monster that breathes fire. But Alex defeats her, and the children escape. Thinking Morgana is dead, Alex returns Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake. He knows the police would take it if he kept it. He makes up a story for his mother. She says sorry for lying. She did not tell him the truth about his father or the book because she thought it would make him sadder.
The Final Battle
On the day of the eclipse, Merlin tells Alex that Morgana was only hurt, not killed. Alex realizes he broke the Chivalric Code by lying to his mother. In a moment of panic, Alex tells his mother everything that happened. He then surprises her by calling the Lady of the Lake into their bathtub. There, he gets Excalibur back.
At the school, Merlin uses magic on the teachers. Alex knights all the students. During the eclipse, Morgana appears in a huge, dragon-like form with all her Mortes Milles demons. The children fight back. They use old medieval fighting ideas mixed with modern technology. Merlin casts a powerful magic spell to pull Morgana away from the world. As she disappears, Alex cuts off her head, and all the demons vanish.
Alex, Bedders, Lance, and Kaye say goodbye to Merlin. He tells them to become leaders in their own lives. Alex then returns the sword to the Lady of the Lake one last time.
Cast
- Louis Ashbourne Serkis as Alex
- Tom Taylor as Lance
- Dean Chaumoo as Bedders
- Rhianna Dorris as Kaye
- Angus Imrie as Young Merlin
- Rebecca Ferguson as Morgana
- Patrick Stewart as Adult Merlin
- Denise Gough as Mary
- Genevieve O'Reilly as Sophie
See also
