The King's Man

***The King's Man*** is a prequel of the *Kingsman* movie franchise. It was released on December 22nd 2021.

## Synopsis

*As a collection of history’s worst tyrants and criminal masterminds gather to plot a war to wipe out millions, one man must race against time to stop them. Discover the origins of the very first independent intelligence agency in The King's Man.*

## Plot

In 1902, British aristocrat Orlando, Duke of Oxford, his wife Emily, and their young son Conrad visit a concentration camp in South Africa during the Second Boer War while working for the Red Cross. Emily is killed during a Boer sniper attack on the camp, causing pacifistic Orlando to determine that the world needs someone to head off such conflicts before they occur.

Twelve years later, Orlando has recruited two of his servants, Shola and Polly, into his spy network dedicated to protecting the United Kingdom and the British Empire from the approaching Great War. Conrad, eager to fight, is forbidden to join up by the protective Orlando, who persuades Lord Kitchener, Secretary of State for War, not to let him join the army.

At the behest of Kitchener, Conrad and Orlando ride with Orlando's friend Archduke Franz Ferdinand through Sarajevo, and Conrad saves the Archduke from a bomb thrown by Gavrilo Princip, a rebel intent on sparking a war. Later, however, Princip happens to run into the Archduke's entourage again, this time succeeding in fatally shooting the Archduke and his wife Sophie. Orlando's group, relying on information from other dignitaries' socially invisible servants, learn that Princip was part of a plot to pit the German, Russian, and British empires against each other. The group, headed by the mysterious Shepherd from a secret mountain-top headquarters, have their own network of agents, including the Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin, a trusted adviser to Tsar Nicholas of Russia.

Rasputin, on the orders of the Shepherd, manipulates Tsar Nicholas by poisoning his young son Alexei, and only curing him when Nicholas promises to leave the war. Conrad is notified of Rasputin's manipulation by his cousin, Prince Felix Yusupov. Knowing the Western Front will be left vulnerable if Russia leaves the war, Conrad delivers this information to Kitchener and his aide-de-camp Major Morton, who set sail for Russia. Their ship is torpedoed by a submarine and sunk. Word of Kitchener's death reaches Orlando, spurring him to head to Russia with Shola, Polly, and Conrad to deal with Rasputin once and for all. At a Christmas party hosted by Prince Yusupov, Orlando, Shola, Conrad, and Rasputin fight, the skirmish only ending when Polly shoots and kills Rasputin.

At the Shepherd's orders, Erik Jan Hanussen, an adviser to Kaiser Wilhelm II, sends the Zimmermann Telegram, hoping to distract Britain and the United States. Although the message is intercepted by British intelligence and given to the United States, President Woodrow Wilson refuses to join the war without concrete proof. The Shepherd recruits Vladimir Lenin and orders his Bolsheviks to overthrow the Tsar and remove Russia from the war, sending an assassin to kill the Romanovs.

Now of age, Conrad is commissioned into the Grenadier Guards against his father's wishes. Orlando meets with King George V, who summons Conrad back to Britain. Conrad sends back a young soldier named Lance Corporal Archie Reid in his place, giving him the codename "Lancelot" to send a message to his father. Disguised as Archie, a member of the Black Watch, Conrad volunteers for a mission into No-Man's Land to retrieve information from a British agent wounded there, but is mistaken for a German spy upon his return and executed at gunpoint. However, the information he retrieved from the spy is the proof President Wilson required to enter the war.

Orlando's group learn President Wilson is being blackmailed with a film of him being seduced by one of the Shepherd's agents, Mata Hari. Orlando locates her at the American embassy and after overpowering her recovers her cashmere scarf, made from rare wool only found in one specific mountainous region. Correctly identifying this location as the Shepherd's base of operations, Orlando, Shola, and Polly head there and fight their way inside. Morton, who had faked his own death and sunk the battleship, is revealed to be the Shepherd. Orlando and Shola fight and kill Morton while Polly recovers the original film negative of Wilson's seduction, allowing his country's forces to mobilise.

A year after the war, Orlando purchases the Kingsman Tailor Shop as a front for his organisation. Orlando, Shola, Polly, King George, Archie Reid, and a U.S. Ambassador form the original Kingsman, each assuming a codename from the King Arthur legend to honour Conrad. In a mid-credit scene, Hanussen is revealed to have taken on the Shepherd identity, and introduces Vladimir Lenin to the Romanovs' killer: a young Adolf Hitler.

## Cast

* Harris Dickinson as Conrad Oxford
* Ralph Fiennes as Orlando, the Duke of Oxford
* Stanley Tucci as United States Ambassador / Bedivere
* Charles Dance as Herbert Kitchener
* Daniel Brühl as Erik Jan Hanussen / The Shepherd
* Matthew Goode as Captain Morton / The Shepherd
* Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Archie Reid / Lancelot
* Gemma Arteton as Pollyanna "Polly" Wilkins / Galahad
* Tom Hollander as George V / Percival, Wilhelm II, and Nicholas II
* Robert Aramayo as Sergeant Major Atkins
* Djimon Honsou as Shola / Merlin
* Rhys Ifans as Grigori Rasputin
* Alison Steadman as Rita
* Neil Jackson as Captain Forrest
* Joel Basman as Gavrilo Princip
* Aaron Vodovoz as Prince Felix Yusupov
* Todd Boyce as Alfred DuPont
* Branka Katic as Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna
* Valerie Pachner as Mata Hari
* Alexandra Maria Lara as Emily Oxford
* Ron Cook as Archduke Franz Ferdinand
* Barbara Drennan as Duchess Sophie
* August Diehl as Vladimir Lenin
* Ian Kelly as Woodrow Wilson
* David Kross as Adolf Hitler

## Media

### Trailers

The King's Man - Official Trailer - 20th Century StudiosThe King’s Man New York Comic Con 2019THE KING’S MAN OFFICIAL TRAILER IN THEATERS SEPTEMBER 18The King's Man - Villains Trailer - In cinemas Boxing Day!THE KING'S MAN (2021) - World PremiereThe King's Man Official Teaser Trailer HD 20th Century FOXThe King's Man Official Trailer 2 HD 20th Century FOXThe King's Man - Official Red Band Trailer - 20th Century StudiosFinal Trailer - The King's Man - 20th Century StudiosOfficial Rasputin Dance Video - The King's Man - 20th Century Studios"The Nobleman" - The King's Man - 20th Century StudiosThe King's Man - The Marksman - HD - FR-NL - 20th Century Studios BEFKA twigs - Measure of a Man ft. Central Cee (Audio)'The King's Man's Ralph Fiennes, Harris Dickinson & More On Film - -NYCC19 - Entertainment WeeklyRalph Fiennes talks about ‘The King’s Man’ l GMAThe King's Man - Harris Dickinson on making a serious Kingsman movie & looking sharp on setThe King’s Man - Look for it on Digital & Blu-rayHow I Met Your Father Disney+ Release Date + The King's Man Release Announced - Disney Plus NewsOrigin - The King's Man - HuluThe King's Man- Casting & Franchise Future Clip -EXCLUSIVE-

## Production

### Development

In June 2018, Matthew Vaughn announced that a prequel film titled Kingsman: The Great Game was in active development, stating that the plot would take place during the early 1900s and would depict the formation of the spy agency and that the project would film back-to-back with "the third regular Kingsman film" which was scheduled to be released in 2021.

### Casting

In September 2018, it was announced that Ralph Fiennes and Harris Dickinson would star in the prequel with the former also serving as one of the executive producers of the film. In November 2018, it was revealed that Daniel Brühl, Charles Dance, Rhys Ifans and Matthew Goode would co-star in the film.

In February 2019, it was reported that Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Gemma Arterton, Tom Hollander, Djimon Hounsou, Alison Steadman, Stanley Tucci, Robert Aramayo and Neil Jackson had joined the cast. In April 2019, it was announced Alexandra Maria Lara had joined the cast of the film. Later in May, Joel Basman joined the cast. That same month, as filming concluded, Vaughn denied reports that Liam Neeson had joined the cast. Vaughn also said The Great Game was a working title and the film would not have that name.

### Filming

Principal photography began January 22, 2019 in the United Kingdom. In April 2019, some scenes were shot in Turin and in two palaces close to it, the Palace of Venaria and Stupinigi in Italy. The film's initial cinematographer Ben Davis had to depart the project during reshoots due to his commitments to Eternals.

## Release

The King's Man had its world premiere in London, United Kingdom on December 7, 2021 and was theatrically released on December 22, 2021, its eighth proposed release date and more than two years after it was originally due to come out. It was originally scheduled to be released on November 8, 2019, but was pushed back first to November 15, 2019, then to February 14, 2020, and then to September 18, 2020. The release date was again pushed back by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures to February 26, 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the delay of Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Four films, *The King's Man* was moved up two weeks to February 12, 2021, before being moved again to March 12, 2021. In January 2021, the release date was delayed again to August 20, 2021, and then in March 2021, it was further delayed to the December 2021 date. Eventually, it's revealed that the film will play in cinemas for 45 days before heading to digital platforms.

### Home media

The film started streaming on Disney+ through Star in the UK, Ireland, Japan, and South Korea on February 9, 2022. It will stream on HBO Max and Hulu on February 18 and on Star+ on March 2, 2022. The film will be released on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD by 20th Century Studios Home Entertainment on February 22, 2022.

## Music

Matthew Margeson, who worked with Henry Jackman in the previous Kingsman films, composed the film score with Dominic Lewis. Hollywood Records released the soundtrack digitally on 22 December 2021. The ending theme is "Measure of a Man" by FKA Twigs featuring Central Cee.

## Reception

As of 15 February 2022, The King's Man has grossed $36.9 million in the US and Canada, and $87.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total $124 million. In the US and Canada, The King's Man was released alongside Sing 2 and The Matrix Resurrections. It was originally projected to gross $15–20 million from 3,175 screens over its first five days of release. It went on to under-perform, grossing $5.9 million in its opening weekend and an estimated $10 million over the five days, finishing fifth at the box office, with contributing factors such as the reluctance to go to cinemas during the pandemic, the rise of the Omicron variant of COVID and being released during the second weekend of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Men made up 65% of the audience during its opening, with those in the age range of 18–34 comprising 54% of ticket sales and those above 35 comprising 40%.

Outside the US and Canada, the film earned $6.9 million in its opening weekend, including $3.5 million in South Korea, $2.1 million in Japan, and $600,000 in Indonesia.

## Critical response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 43% based on 167 reviews, with an average rating of 5.1/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Ralph Fiennes' solid central performance in The King's Man is done dirty by this tonally confused prequel's descent into action thriller tedium". On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 44 out of 100, based on 40 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported 77% of audience members gave it a positive score, with 60% saying they would definitely recommend it. Steve Pulaski of Influx Magazine gave the film a "C-" letter-grade, calling it "the most ungentlemanly Kingsman movie yet."

## Accolades

The King's Man began its For Your Consideration campaign in January 2022, hoping to obtain a nomination for Ben Davis for the Best Cinematography category.

## Possible Sequel

Matthew Vaughn stated that if a sequel were to be developed he would like to see the story about the first decade of the Kingsman agency with all characters that audience see at the end. According to the Hollywood Reporter, he said:

It's more if the public demands it. So the second The King's Man is nearly ready to go. Seeing Ralph [Fiennes] and Aaron [Taylor-Johnson] on a mission together with Polly (Gemma Arterton) and Shola (Djimon Hounsou)? I'm in! Those four together? Let's go! I think it would be great.

In October 15, 2023, Collider released an interview with Matthew Vaughn where he revealed that the script for the next installment would be entitled *The Traitor King*, focusing on the rise of Hitler and the support he received from the English aristocracy. Vaughn however stated that they had still yet to decide whether the installment would be a series or a film.

## Trivia

* On January 1, 2022, it was mentioned how the film explains why the secret agency was born, and goes back a century, in the germ of the First World War. Karl Gajdusek, who co-wrote the script with Vaughn, explains that the idea was to make a “punk, borderline and mischievous” version of the story and “how it was conceived in very crazy circumstances, the First World War,” explains the screenwriter.
* On January 17, 2022, when asked about the much-talked-about action sequence, Djimon revealed how difficult it was and even described it as a "headache." He said, "It was such a headache shooting that but in the end we were very excited having to you know overcome some of those challenges. I for the first time got really hurt working on Matthew Vaughn's film and I certainly learned a thing or two about his way of working on action sequences."
	+ Also on this day, when commenting on her preparations, Arterton decided that the character should hail from the North of England.
* On January 18, 2022, it's revealed that the film will arrive on Hulu in February. Outside the U.S., the prequel to the Kingsman franchise will be part of the Disney+ Star or Star+ banner, with different release dates set for each region of the globe. Moreover, Disney+ subscribers living in UK & Ireland, Japan, and Korea will get to watch the prequel from the comfort of their homes earlier than everyone else, as The King’s Man debuts under the Star banner on February 9, 2022. Next comes the Hulu release in the U.S. on February 18, and for Disney+ clients in Latin America, the movie will only be available on March 2, under the Star+ banner.
* On January 20, 2022, Rhys Ifans, who plays Rasputin in ‘The Kings Man’, called the character a mysterious and powerful figure. He said that it was a “dream role” because of Rasputin’s magnetism, as well as his infamy. Commenting on his character, Ifans said about the religious charlatan who got very close to the family of the last Tsar, Nicholas II: “He is such a mysterious, powerful figure, well-referenced in history, but so much of his life is a mystery.
* On January 24, 2022, it was announced on this day that the film will soon be released to digital, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD along with The Kingsman Collection, which will include all three films.
* On January 28, 2022, it was mentioned that during the shoot, there was a drive to film as practically as possible, capturing the action in-camera with the use of bluescreens and greenscreens.“It was very stunt-led,” explains Lawrence, who was on set for the UK-based shoot. “Stunt Director Brad Allen, who trained with Jackie Chan, opted for a physical production strategy with minimal sets, with the knowledge that they'd be augmented with VFX.” This is where Framestore came in.
* On January 30, 2022, it was revealed that part of the DVD/Blue-Ray will include bonus features such as: The King’s Man: The Great Game Begins Documentary, A Generation Lost, Oxfords and Rogues, All the World’s a Stage, Instruments of War,Fortune Favors the Bold, and Long Live the Kingsman. Along with Featurettes like No Man’s Land and Remembrance and Finding Purpose.
* On February 1, 2022, Harris Dickinson is one many actors that are announced as the 2022 nominees for the BAFTA EE Rising Star Award.
* On February 10, 2022, it was revealed by Disney+ and 20th Century Studios under the Star banner in Australia on the February 23, 2022.

## References

1. ↑ https://thegww.com/wwi-era-prequel-movie-kingsman-the-great-game-will-reportedly-star-ralph-fiennes-and-harris-dickinson/
2. ↑ *The Hollywood Reporter*: 'Free Guy,' 'Thor 4' and 'Lightyear' Get Release Dates Amid New Disney Plan. December 11, 2020.
3. ↑ Kick-Ass Reboot and Kingsman Universe Coming from Matthew Vaughn’s New Studio – Empire Online
4. ↑ WWI ERA PREQUEL MOVIE ‘KINGSMAN: THE GREAT GAME’ WILL REPORTEDLY STAR RALPH FIENNES AND HARRIS DICKINSON -GWW
5. ↑ Exclusive: 'Game of Thrones' Star Joins 'Kingsman' Prequel; Rhys Ifans in Talks - Collider
6. ↑ ‘Kingsman’ Prequel: Harris Dickinson, Gemma Arterton, Ralph Fiennes, Aaron Taylor-Johnson Among Confirmed Cast - Deadline
7. ↑ ‘Rush/Control’ Actress Alexandra Maria Lara Joins The Cast of Matthew Vaughn’s ‘Kingsman: The Great Game’ - HNN
8. ↑ ‘Hanna/Papillon’ Actor Joel Basman Is Another Addition To The Cast of Matthew Vaughn’s ‘Kingsman: The Great Game’ - HNN
9. ↑ Matthew Vaughn Says ‘Kingsman 3’ Aiming For 2021 Release Date and There Could Be Two More Movies Coming – Debunks Report That Liam Neeson Is In ‘Kingsman: The Great Game’ - HNN
10. ↑ ‘Kingsman’: Matthew Vaughn Denies Liam Neeson’s Involvement; Next Film Won’t Be Called ‘The Great Game’ - The Playlist
11. ↑ Kingsman prequel begins filming - The Knowledge Online
12. ↑ Al via a Torino le riprese del film che racconta le “origini” dei Kingsman - fctp
13. ↑ Matthew Vaughn’s ‘Kingsman’ Prequel ‘The King’s Man’ Undergoes Reshoots - HNN
14. ↑ “The King’s Man” World Premiere Takes Place In London - What's On Disney+
15. ↑ ‘Kingsman 3’ Lands Fall 2019 Release Date - Hollywood Reporter
16. ↑ The Kingsman prequel is now known as The King's Man - EW
17. ↑ ‘Kingsman’ Prequel Moves to Next February, Ryan Reynolds’ ‘Free Guy’ Lands Summer 2020 Release - Hollywood Reporter
18. ↑ Disney Dates A Ton Of Pics Into 2023 & Juggles Fox Releases With Ridley Scott’s ‘The Last Duel’ To Open Christmas 2020, ‘The King’s Man’ Next Fall – Deadline
19. ↑ ‘The King’s Man’ Theatrical Release Pushed Back to 2021 - Variety
20. ↑ ‘Thor: Love & Thunder’ & ‘Black Panther 2′ Move Deeper Into 2022; Patty Jenkins’ ‘Star Wars’ Pic Going 2023: Disney Updates Release Sked Post Investor Day - Deadline
21. ↑ ‘The King’s Man,’ ‘Bob’s Burgers’ Among Latest Disney Film Delays - Variety
22. ↑ Shang-Chi, Free Guy, The King's Man and More Get New Release Dates at Disney - movieweb
23. ↑ Disney Releasing ‘Eternals,’ ‘Encanto’ Exclusively in Theaters - Variety
24. ↑ The King's Man on Disney Plus: Kingsman 3 streaming release date and all you need to know about prequel film - Scotsman
25. ↑ ‘The King’s Man’ Gets Early Hulu and HBO Max Debut - The Wrap
26. ↑ 'The King's Man' Gets 4K, Blu-ray, DVD Release With Making-of Documentary and More - Collider
27. ↑ ‘The King’s Man’ Soundtrack Album Details - Film Music Reporter
28. ↑ FKA Twigs Embraces Her Inner Crooner on New Song With Central Cee ‘Measure of a Man’ - Rolling Stone
29. ↑ With ‘Spider-Man’ Hoarding Christmas Box Office, Is There Room For ‘Matrix’, ‘Sing 2’ & ‘King’s Man’? - Deadline
30. ↑ ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Third-Best Christmas Ever With $31.7M US; Domestic At $467M+ & $1.05B WW – Sunday Update - Deadline
31. ↑ ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Dashes To $1B+ Global For Pandemic-Era First, Is Top 2021 Title WW – International Box Office - Deadline
32. ↑ “The King’s Man” (2021) Review - Influx Magazine
33. ↑ The King’s Man violently oscillates between being great and ordinary - East Mojo
34. ↑ The Walt Disney Studios- For Your Consideration - Sneakpeek
35. ↑ Matthew Vaughn on ‘The King’s Man,’ the Future of ‘Kingsman’ and Reuniting with Henry Cavill - Hollywood Reporter
36. ↑ Matthew Vaughn's ‘The King’s Man’ Sequel, 'The Traitor King,' Will Take on the Rise of Hitler [Exclusive
37. ↑ ‘The King’s Man: the first mission’: the characters and real stories of the film that you will not believe they are – Movie News - OICanadian
38. ↑ The King's Man star Djimon Hounsou discusses the film's 'rewarding' action sequence with Rhys Ifans - Pinkvilla
39. ↑ The King’s Man: Gemma Arterton On Her Role: “She’s Very Tough & Cleverest Person In The Room” - Koimoi
40. ↑ 'The King's Man' to Arrive on Hulu in February - Collider
41. ↑ Rhys Ifans Aka The King’s Man’s Rasputin Calls His Character A Dream Role: “He Is Such A Mysterious, Powerful Figure” - Koimoi
42. ↑ 'The King's Man' Gets 4K, Blu-ray, DVD Release With Making-of Documentary and More - Collider
43. ↑ Framestore Adds Digital Drama to 'The King's Man' - CGW
44. ↑ Action-Packed Origin Story ‘The King’s Man’ Heads To 4K UHD Blu-Ray This February - Geek Vibes Nation
45. ↑ ‘West Side Story’s’ Ariana DeBose, ‘The King’s Man’s’ Harris Dickinson on Their BAFTA Nominations - Variety
46. ↑ THE KING’S MAN TO DEBUT UNDER STAR ON DISNEY+ IN AUSTRALIA - TV Blackbox