'The Green Knight' trailer: Dev Patel stars in David Lowery's Arthurian horror

David Copperfield star Dev Patel is venturing back in time once again in the first trailer for David Lowery’s The Green Knight.

Inspired by the Arthurian legend, the film is based on the 14th century poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

According to the Wikipedia entry for the poem, the story is about Sir Gawain, a knight of King Arthur's Round Table, who accepts a challenge from a mysterious Green Knight.

The Green Knight dares anyone to strike him with his axe if he will take a return blow in a year and a day. “Gawain accepts and beheads him with his blow, at which the Green Knight stands up, picks up his head and reminds Gawain of the appointed time.”

The story has been adapted for the big screen twice before: first as Gawain and the Green Knight in 1973, and again in 1984 as Sword of the Valiant: The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, starring Sean Connery as the Green Knight.

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The Witch star Ralph Ineson is the mysterious Green Knight here, with Sean Harris as King Arthur, Alicia Vikander as Esel, and Patel is Gawain. The film also stars Joel Edgerton.

Writer-director David Lowery has established himself as a filmmaker of note in recent years with Aint Them Bodies Saints, Disney’s Pete’s Dragon remake, A Ghost Story and The Old Man & The Gun all receiving critical acclaim.

Patel recently told Yahoo that Lowery throws everything he’s got it into The Green Knight.

“I don't know what I can say about [The Green Knight], but I'm really excited. I really just broke open my chest cavity and put a lot of heart into it.

“It's about this old medieval poem called Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and it's a wonderful director, David Lowery. He has put his own spin on the world, it's a great cast in it too.”

The stylist first poster for the film also dropped overnight.

The Green Knight is yet to have a confirmed UK release date. It comes to American cinemas summer 2020.