The King’s Man: Everything we Know

When ‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’ was released in 2014, it proved to be a flawless entertainer. Firstly, it featured intense action sequences that left viewers gasping for their breath. Secondly, it followed a rivetingly epic plot with literally apocalyptic stakes that kept the viewers glued to the edge of their seats.

Thirdly, it depicted stylish and suave heroes whose larger-than-life personalities made viewers punch the air in excitement upon seeing them win. Fourthly, it also portrayed sinister villains and menacing femme-fatales that made viewers feel worried for the aforementioned heroes’ safety. Additionally, it had really cool gadgets that made viewers yearn to be spies themselves.

Well, one could say that the 2014 movie stuck to the conventions of the spy thriller genre but that would be rather unfair. That is because ‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’ excelled at deriving really high levels of audience engagement and excitement by employing overdone tropes magnificently. That is no small feat given how clichéd and overcrowded these characteristics have become due to the large number of spy movies. Moreover, many might also point out that it was a form of escapist entertainment that was largely divorced from reality. Well…who cares as long as what one is watching is as entertaining as ‘Kingsman: The Secret Service.’

In 2017, a sequel to the 2014 movie, ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ was released. Although it repeated a lot of things that the first movie did, the second installment did not fail to charm viewers once again. That wasn’t a sign of the series becoming formulaic however. Instead, it came as a promise of a successful movie franchise with extremely high potential. The upcoming movie, ‘The King’s Man’ will be the third installment of this series and we hope that it is far from the last.

Instead of taking the events of the first two movies forward, ‘The King’s Man’ serves as a prequel. By doing that, it has found an inventive way to keep the series fresh and prevent its formula from making the series any less entertaining. ‘The King’s Man’ is described as a period spy movie that is set roughly during the time of the First World War.

In a characteristically epic fashion, it can be expected to provide a spectacular portrayal of the past. Plus, the fact that it is a spy movie set in that period makes it even more exciting. With stylishly delineated violence, striking cinematography and an anachronistic yet convivial tone, ‘The King’s Man’ is promising to say the very least.

The King’s Man Plot: What is it about?

With ‘The King’s Man,’ audiences will get the opportunity to witness the origin story of the fictional secret service organisation known as the Kingsman which is shown to be the world’s first independent intelligence agency.

The film follows Conrad, a newly hired spy at Kingsman who is made to learn the ropes. Soon, he finds himself racing against time to stop a group of history’s worst tyrants and criminal masterminds from hatching a plan to plot a major war that would threaten the life of millions of people. The group of antagonists includes an extremely agile caricature of Grigori Rasputin and a fictionalized version of Wilhelm II, the last German emperor.

The King’s Man Cast: Who is in it?

‘The King’s Man’ boasts of an impressive cast to complement quality filmmaking work behind the camera. Ralph Fiennes plays one of the lead roles, essaying the character of the Duke of Oxford and a senior agent at the Kingsman. Fiennes’ role can be compared to that of Colin Firth in the first two movies. Both the characters were experienced spies who play an almost fatherly role to the newcomers (Conrad in ‘The King’s Man’ and Eggsy in ‘Kingsman: The Secret Service). Fiennes is a prolific British actor who is renowned for appearing in movies such as ‘Schindler’s List,’ ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel,’ ‘Great Expectations’ and ‘Maid in Manhattan.’

Harris Dickinson essays the role of Conrad- a newly inducted spy at the Kingsman organisation. The character of Conrad is quite similar to that of Eggsy from the franchise’s initial two movies. Harris Dickinson is an English actor who was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead and Gotham Independent Award for Breakthrough Actor. He made his debut with the 2017 movie, ‘Beach Rats’ where he portrayed a homosexual boy, Frankie. His performance was met with critical acclaim and propelled his career. Then, he appeared on Danny Boyle’s show, ‘Trust’ followed by starring in ‘The Darkest Minds’ and ‘Mistress of Evil.’

Gemma Arterton plays the female lead with a character called Polly. She made her breakthrough by playing the Bond girl, Strawberry Fields in the 2008 movie, ‘Quantum of Solace.’ Followed by that she has appeared in several popular movies like ‘Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time’ and ‘Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters.’

Moreover, Rhys Ifans plays Rasputin. Ifans is a Welsh actor who is known for portraying The Lizard in ‘The Amazing Spider-Man,’ Xenophilius Lovegood in ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I’ and Spike in ‘Notting Hill.’

Plus, Tim Hollander plays triple roles in the movie: that of George V, Wilhelm II and Nicholas II. Charles Dance, who is widely recognized as Tywin Lannister from ‘Game of Thrones’ is also a part of the movie’s cast apart from Daniel Bruhl, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Stanley Tucci.

Djimon Hounsou plays Shola, a spy in the Kingsman agency. The movie’s trailer (below) showed Hounsou being heavily involved in training Conrad and some impressive action sequences.

The King’s Man Crew: Who is Behind it?

‘The King’s Man’ is produced and directed by British producer, director and screenwriter, Matthew Vaughn. Vaughn directed the first two movies of the Kingsman franchise and hence, was the obvious choice to helm the third one. Other than that, he has directed several commercially successful movies such as ‘X-Men: First Class,’ ‘Kick-Ass’ and ‘Stardust.’ He has also produced notable movies like ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’ and ‘Snatch.’

Apart from that, Vaughn also co-wrote the screenplay for ‘The King’s Man’ along with Karl Gajdusek. Among his more prominent outings, Gajdusek served as the showrunner for Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’ and wrote the screenplay for Tom Cruise’s ‘Oblivion.’

Ben Davis handles the movie’s cinematography while editorial duties are taken care of by Jason Ballantine. Matthew Margeson and Dominic Lewis have composed the movie’s music.

The King’s Man Release Date: When Does it Premiere?

‘The King’s Man’ will be released on September 18, 2020. Its release date was pushed back a couple of times from the originally intended, November 15, 2019 to February 14, 2020 till the September date was fixed. The movie began filming in February this year and concluded in May.

The King’s Man Trailer:

You can watch the trailer for ‘The King’s Man’ below. It showcases the movie’s remarkable visuals, enticing action sequences and several previews of the franchise’s formula that have been carried forward.

Read More: Kingsman, Explained

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