The young king of indie films discusses his transformation in this historical epic with director David Michod.
Yet, that line is never uttered inThe King.
The second, Michod wanted to work with Chalamet, the young king of the indie space.
Sitting in a Manhattan hotel, Chalamet and Michod discuss the actor’s latest transformation.
I actually love the way it’s structured now with three weeks [in theaters].
It’s not healthy.
So, this situation I like a lot.
And a lot more people will probably see this movie around the world.MICHOD:Yeah.
There’s really only one existing portrait of Henry V. It’s a famous bowl haircut.
It felt important to me that the transformation be visible and stark.
When did the transformation, for you, feel real?
So, that felt like encouragement.
I just want to work on anything good and that’s the truth.
That could be TV, that could be musicals, that could be miniseries, that could be movies.
It’s something else.
Again, it’s that point of pride where it’s about what it’s about.
We wanted to make a piece of raw and real-ish cinema.
But, also, there were thematic and political reasons why we wanted to move away from the Shakespeare.
That was the first guiding principle.
And we’re stealing.
Also, it’s not like Shakespeare was a rigorously authentic historian.
It would never have occurred to me to do a medieval swords and horses movie.
As soon as I click into that groove, it actually becomes exciting but daunting.
CHALAMET:It was very challenging.
I want to ask you guys about the big battle scene [The Battle of Agincourt].
Was that at all an influence?MICHOD:No.
Weirdly, I am that person who has not watched [a lot of]Game of Thrones.
I weirdly put myself through the bizarre experience of watching the final episode.
We were actually thinking specifically about visual effects.
[The aerial shot] That’s the one shot that’s a crane shot from the sequence.
There’s a dialect, obviously, portion to it.
So, it was a little bit of everything.
And she shortly said, “I don’t know what it is, I just do it.”
I was like, How does this live?
How is this gonna be a real thing?
MICHOD:You do all the prep you could.
You prep the thing to within an inch of its life.
You’ve done the work.
[To Chalamet] I’m sure it’s true for you.
I hadn’t shot anything like this before and I guess the gift is you’re not really acting.
The Kingis currently playing in select theaters.
It will begin streaming Nov. 1 on Netflix.
