WithThe Green Knightopening in theaters this weekend, I recently spoke to writer-directorDavid Loweryabout the making of his fantastic film based on the 14th-century Arthurian poemSir Gawain and the Green Knight. If you haven’t seen the trailers,The Green Knighttells the story of Sir Gawain (Dev Patel), who must embark upon a quest to visit the Green Chapel to meet his fate. Along the way, Gawain encounters numerous obstacles which test his resolve and character. Trust me, you have not seen a movie likeThe Green Knightand Lowery has crafted something truly special that will leave you thinking about the experience long after the movie has ended.The Green Knightalso starsJoel Edgerton,Alicia Vikander,Sean Harrisas King Arthur,Kate Dickieas Queen Guinevere,Sarita Choudhuryas Morgan Le Fay,Erin Kellyman, andBarry Keoghan.
During the wide-ranging interview, Lowery talked about his desire to not make a traditional adventure movie, how he was inspired to work on the script after finding hisWillowaction figures, how he was extremely sick for half the shoot and had to have surgery after production ended, why his original two-hour and forty-five minute first cut didn’t work and the various challenges he had to overcome in the editing room, and more. In addition, with the roundtable in the movie looking like the Criterion C, I jokingly asked if this was done on purpose because of his love of Criterion movies and his hope thatThe Green Knightwould get a Criterion release.
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Finally, if you’re not aware, Lowery is currently in Vancouver shooting his next movie,Peter Pan and Wendy, which is his take on J.M. Barrie’s beloved story. While he is still filming the project, he told me it’s currently his favorite of all his films:
“I think, personally speaking, it’s my favorite thing I’ve ever made, which I wasn’t expecting going into it, but it is. I’ve never been as in love with a movie as I am with this one. We’ve got a couple of weeks left to go and I just love this movie. It’s the most personal thing I’ve ever made.”
He went on to talk about how the film is forcing him to grow up:
“It is, ironically, the most adult movie I’ve ever made. I went into it thinking that my entryway into this movie was that I’ve got a classic case of Peter Pan syndrome. I don’t want to grow up. Who does? And I thought that was what was going to appeal to me about it, but in making it, in writing it, and now directing it and seeing it come to life, I’ve realized that this is a movie about me letting go of that. Whether that’s good or bad, I haven’t processed yet, but it’s the first movie I’ve made from an adult perspective, if that makes any sense.”
Lowery said the Disney movie is “very true to the original book and to the elements of the Disney movie that we can adapt. Obviously, there’s a lot of things about the animated film that you’re just going to leave to the darker side of history, but we’re not reinventing the tale. But I hope that we are illuminating it and making it a movie of great import.”
Peter Pan and Wendyis scheduled for release on Disney+.
Check out what Lowery had to say in the player above and below is exactly what we talked about.
