Charlie Hunnam looks ripped and rough in a photo of him as King Arthur on the cover of Entertainment Weekly’s latest magazine issue.
Presumably holding Excalibur, the legendary sword of King Arthur, and wearing a grey v-neck shirt, Hunnam’s icy blue eyes are staring into the camera.
“He’s a little bit rough around the edges, but he’s basically a survivor. He’s a hustler,” the 35-year-old actor told the magazine. “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.”
Indeed, Ritchie is the director of “Kings of the Roundtable: King Arthur,” which will hit theaters on July 22, 2016. Other cast members include Jude Law, Katie McGrath and Eric Bana. Joby Harold is directing the screenplay.
“I think where the pitfall has often been is trying to make King Arthur bland and nice, and nice and bland,” Ritchie added. “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.”
In March, Warner Bros. released the official synopsis of the anticipated movie.
“The bold new story introduces a streetwise young Arthur who runs the back alleys of Londinium with his gang, unaware of the life he was born for until he grasps hold of the sword Excalibur — and with it, his future. Instantly challenged by the power of Excalibur, Arthur is forced to make some hard choices. Throwing in with the Resistance and a mysterious young woman named Guinevere, he must learn to master the sword, face down his demons and unite the people to defeat the tyrant Vortigern, who stole his crown and murdered his parents, and become King.”
Hunnam, the star of FX’s “Stars of Anarchy,” has just wrapped the filming of “Crimson Peak” and is currently busy with “The Lost City of Z.” He was the first choice for the casting of Christian Grey in “Fifty Shades of Grey,” but told Moviefone that the Focus Features drama would have been one project too many, since he already committed to shooting “Crimson Peak” during his hiatus from “Sons of Anarchy.”
Jamie Dornan eventually took over the role.
See the photo below.
From anarchy to monarchy: We have your exclusive first look at Charlie Hunnam as King Arthur! http://t.co/Ybii7LaSaH pic.twitter.com/OagtWxSH2K
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) July 23, 2015