A24's The Green Knight will no longer open in UK theaters on Aug. 6 as planned.
The Hollywood Reporter learned the fantasy adventure is being pulled from its scheduled UK launch, with exhibitors advised to withdraw all posters and trailers for the film until further notice. It's speculated but not confirmed this move came in response to the recent spike in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases due to the Delta variant of the virus. However, a source for The Hollywood Reporter claims a “streamer had dangled a deal that they couldn’t resist," which is the real reason for the last-minute change.
An adaptation of the 14th century Arthurian legend, The Green Knight stars Dev Patel as Sir Gawain, King Arthur's reckless and headstrong nephew, who sets out on a quest to confront the Green Knight, a giant emerald-skinned being and tester of men's character. Joining Patel in the cast are Alicia Vikander, Joel Edgerton, Sarita Choudhury, Sean Harris, Kate Dickie, Barry Keoghan and Ralph Ineson as the eponymous creature.
The Green Knight is one of two high-profile titles to see its UK release date delayed this week, along with the Warner Bros.-distributed British dramedy The Duke starring Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren. An insider for The Hollywood Reporter believes The Duke was postponed over concerns the rise in COVID-19 cases would make the film's older target demographic less likely to see the film in a theater. As such, it will now arrive in March or April 2022.
Originally scheduled to screen at SXSW before opening in Spring 2020, The Green Knight was pushed back to 2021 in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Although there was speculation it could go straight to streaming last year, that didn't happen. Instead, the movie remains slated to premiere domestically this month, facing off against Disney's Jungle Cruise in its opening frame at the box office.
Directed by David Lowery, The Green Knight arrives in U.S. theaters on July 30. Lowery is currently working on Peter Pan and Wendy, a live-action re-imagining of Disney's animated 1953 movie adaptation of J.M. Barrie's classic story. It marks his second collaboration with the Mouse House after 2016's Pete's Dragon, a remake of the studio's live-action/animated 1977 musical of the same name.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter