We were huge fans of Joe Cornish’s debut feature, Attack the Block, a brilliant, defiantly British tale of inner city versus outer space which gave Star Wars’ John Boyega his first film role. So much so that we decided to slap it on the cover of LWLies 34, way back in March 2011. Now The Playlist are reporting that the British writer/director has begun shooting his next film, The Kid Who Would Be King.
At one point it looked like Cornish was well on his way to earning a place at Hollywood’s top table, earning a writing credit on Steven Spielberg’s The Adventures of Tintin off the back of Attack the Block. In June 2012 it was announced that Cornish had signed on to direct a major adaptation of Neal Stephenson’s 1992 novel ‘Snow Crash’, but that sadly never materialised.
Cornish’s run of bad luck continued when he and Edgar Wright were unceremoniously hauled off Marvel’s Ant-Man. He’s since turned down the top job on both Star Trek Beyond and Kong: Skull Island in favour of developing his own material, which is refreshing to see if you ask us.
Although the project was announced earlier this year, very little is known about it beyond a one-line synopsis which hints at a sci-fi/fantasy fable in the spirit of The Goonies, with a hint of Arthurian lore thrown in for good measure: ‘A band of kids embark on an epic quest to thwart a medieval menace.’
The Kid Who Would Be King stars Rebecca Ferguson and Patrick Stewart alongside a cast of young newcomers, and is currently slated for a September 2018 release. It’s been a long time coming, so expect this to feature very high on our ‘most anticipated’ list next year.
Published 28 Sep 2017
Joe Cornish’s dazzling first feature is a brilliant first film by anybody’s standards.
By Lou Thomas
Contemporary stories offering a diverse mix of authentic, recognisable London voices.
JJ Abrams delivers big time with his supremely classy and stirring addition to this cherished franchise.