The Green Knight Director Reveals What Made Him Cast Dev Patel

Ever since his breakout role in 2009’s Slumdog Millionaire, actor Dev Patel has taken on a variety of roles and earned immense acclaim no matter what project he might be starring in, and while his talents alone surely merit him being considered for exciting roles, The Green Knight director David Lowery recently confirmed one reason he met with the actor was realization of how cool he’d look riding a horse throughout the medieval tale. Of course, this was only how the casting decision started, with Patel’s innate charm also offering the filmmaker an interesting opportunity to evolve the character in an unexpected way. The Green Knight is currently set to hit theaters on July 30th.

“I was meeting with lots of actors for the lead role and Dev was recommended,” Lowery revealed to the Associated Press. “His agent called me and asked if I’d thought about him. And I hadn’t for some strange reason, and so I went and re-watched Lion and instantly thought he would look really cool on a horse. I thought, ‘He’s going to look really cool carrying a sword, wearing armor, and riding a horse.’ And I just was so taken with that image that I got hooked on the idea.”

He continued, “He loved the script but he was like, you know, the character as written is pretty unlikable, which was true at that point. I’d written quite a cad. And he thought it was important to bring some likability to the part which I agreed with. But I also saw instantly that the sheer fact that he might be played by Dev would make him more likable. He is just one of the most easy-going, likable guys. I was like, if I cast him, I could have this character do anything and the audience will be on his side because they want him to succeed and want him to do the right thing and persevere because Dev himself is just that type of person.”

An epic fantasy adventure based on the timeless Arthurian legend, The Green Knight tells the story of Sir Gawain (Patel), King Arthur’s reckless and headstrong nephew, who embarks on a daring quest to confront the eponymous Green Knight, a gigantic emerald-skinned stranger and tester of men. Gawain contends with ghosts, giants, thieves, and schemers in what becomes a deeper journey to define his character and prove his worth in the eyes of his family and kingdom by facing the ultimate challenger. From visionary filmmaker David Lowery comes a fresh and bold spin on a classic tale from the knights of the round table.

The Green Knight hits theaters on July 30th.

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