The Kid Who Would Be King

Working Title Films

Company type	Film production company
Industry	Film production
Headquarters	London , United Kingdom
Parent	Universal Pictures (as of current knowledge)

The Kid Who Would Be King is a 2019 British-American urban fantasy action-adventure film crafted and helmed by Joe Cornish. The ensemble cast features Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Tom Taylor, Dean Chaumoo, Rhianna Doris, Angus Imrie, Rebecca Ferguson, and Patrick Stewart. The narrative follows a young boy who uncovers the legendary sword of King Arthur, Excalibur, and must rally his peers to prevent an ancient sorceress from enslaving humanity.

The movie was produced by Working Title Films alongside Big Talk Productions, with distribution handled by 20th Century Fox. It premiered in the United States on 25 January 2019 and later in the United Kingdom on 15 February 2019.

Although it received favorable reviews from critics, the film did not meet commercial expectations, earning $32.1 million worldwide against a production budget of $59 million, leading to estimated losses near $50 million for the studio. This title was among the last released by 20th Century Fox prior to its acquisition by The Walt Disney Company in March 2019.

Plot

Alex, a twelve-year-old Year 7 pupil living in a London suburb, intervenes to protect his friend Bedders from school bullies Lance and Kaye, which results in detention. Later that evening, Alex discovers a mysterious sword embedded in concrete at a construction site—revealed to be Excalibur, the famed sword of King Arthur. He ceremoniously knights Bedders using the blade.

The sorceress Morgana awakens and dispatches demonic creatures to retrieve Excalibur. A teenager emerging from Stonehenge enrolls at Alex’s school and identifies himself as Merlin, a wizard who ages backward and occasionally takes on his older Arthurian appearance. Merlin informs Alex that he has four days to prevent Morgana from conquering Britain. The demons manifest only at night and are visible solely to Alex and those he knights. An impending solar eclipse will enable Morgana’s full return.

Alex connects these events to a storybook authored by his estranged father, hinting at an Arthurian heritage. He knights Lance and Kaye, establishing a new Round Table with Bedders. Under Merlin’s guidance, they train in sword fighting and embark on a quest to locate Morgana’s gateway to the Underworld.

During their journey toward Tintagel, Lance betrays Alex by stealing Excalibur; although the sword is shattered during their clash, it is restored by the Lady of the Lake. The group reconciles and fends off demons along the way. At Tintagel, Alex learns from his aunt Sophie that his father struggled with alcoholism and abandoned the family, while his mother Mary authored the storybook—details that initially frustrate him. Merlin reminds Alex that Excalibur must be earned through worthiness rather than inherited by bloodline.

Using clues from the storybook, they find the entrance to the Underworld. Alex confronts and defeats Morgana’s monstrous form before escaping with his friends, returning Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake to prevent its seizure by authorities. His mother apologizes for concealing truths about his father and the book.

As the eclipse begins, Merlin reveals Morgana has survived; Alex confesses breaking the Chivalric Code by lying to his mother and admits all. He calls upon the Lady of the Lake to reclaim Excalibur.

At school, Merlin enchants the staff while Alex knights every student. During the eclipse, Morgana appears in a colossal draconic form accompanied by her demons. The children combine medieval strategy with contemporary technology to resist her assault. Merlin casts a spell banishing Morgana, and Alex beheads her as she fades away, dispelling her minions. The group bids farewell to Merlin, who encourages them to embrace leadership roles. Alex returns Excalibur once more to the Lady of the Lake.

Production

The main filming phase commenced on 25 September 2017 in London and wrapped up by March 2018. Shooting took place across various sites including Cornwall, Ark Putney Academy, and Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden. The visual effects were created by DNEG, Rodeo FX, Peerless, and TPO VFX, with supervision provided by Joel Green, Antoine Moulineau, Laurent Gillet, Marc Hutchings, Jack Hughes, and Frazer Churchill.

Box office

The Kid Who Would Be King generated $16.8 million in North America and $15.4 million internationally, culminating in a global total of $32.1 million against a production budget of $59 million. It debuted across 3,521 theaters in the United States, earning $7.3 million during its opening weekend, placing fourth domestically and seventh in the UK market.

Forecasts indicated the film would incur a loss near $50 million after accounting for marketing costs. Its disappointing financial performance was attributed to difficulties promoting a medieval-themed family movie within a contemporary setting—a pattern also observed in recent box office failures like King Arthur: Legend of the Sword and Robin Hood (2018 film). In its second weekend, earnings declined by 42% to $4.2 million, resulting in a seventh-place finish at the box office.

Critical reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie holds an approval rating based on reviews, with an average score of . The critical consensus notes that The Kid Who Would Be King evokes classic all-ages adventure films by reimagining a timeless myth into an entertaining family feature. On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 66 out of 100 from 34 critics.

Audience surveys conducted by CinemaScore assigned the film a "B+" grade, while PostTrak recorded a 71% overall positive rating and a 46% "definite recommend" percentage.

See also

• List of films featuring eclipses

External links

• Official Site