‘Son’s of Anarchy’ Star Charlie Hunham Takes Lead Role in ‘King Arthur’
There have been several "new takes" on the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Roundtable over the years. But now, "Sons of Anarchy" star Charlie Hunnam will give his spin on the legend by bringing a little of the old Jax Teller to the table, according to Entertainment Weekly.
The FX star Hunnam brought the antihero network a crazed and sympathetic character with Teller on "SOA." So after his proven chops as an antihero, director Guy Ritchie has enlisted him to make a semi-villainous character out of King Arthur.
But that is not quite what it sounds like. Hunnam will be playing the character as an origin story and his rise to the throne in fifth century London.
Arthur is orphaned as a boy and raised by three prostitutes. His humbleness came from living on the streets as both a hustler and protector. He gives it a bit of a "Robin Hood" spin by hustling to take make a living, but he looks out for his own people and protects them. He doesn't forget where he came from, and he stays true to that throughout the story, even when he rises to power.
"I think where the pitfall has often been is trying to make King Arthur bland and nice, and nice and bland," Ritchie said. "The two qualities make rather compatible bed companions. Unfortunately, they're not interesting to watch. Luke Skywalker was always the most uninteresting character in 'Star Wars' because he's the good guy. Good guys are boring."
The film will immediately pick up with certain fantasy elements, like giant snakes and massive war elephants. There will also be a monstrous villain in the film called "The Nemesis."
Arthur will use his streetwise talents to combat these creatures and give him more credibility as a war skilled king.
"He's a little bit rough around the edges, but he's basically a survivor. He's a hustler," Hunnam told EW. "He's a street kid. There's definitely a harder edge to him than people would imagine. It's sort of classic Guy Ritchie stuff."
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