After spending the past few years bringing to life the works of Agatha Christie and embodying her signature detective Hercule Poirot, Kenneth Branagh is now set to play the role of another famed English novelist – Charles Dickens. Branagh has been tapped to lead The King of Kings, an animated, faith-based film from the South Korean studio Mofac Animation inspired by the life of Dickens and his family as well as his short story “The Life of Our Lord,” published in 1934 well after his death. He’ll be joined by Uma Thurman and Jojo Rabbit breakout Roman Griffin Davis as the writer’s wife Catherine Dickens and youngest son Walter Dickens.
The King of Kings will blend the story of the Dickens family with that of Jesus Christ, following Charles during a difficult period in his life as he balances a burgeoning writing career with being a good father to his children, namely young Walter. After receiving some advice from his wife, he reaches out to his “king”- obsessed son to connect with him over a shared interest in Jesus using his short story. Together, Charles and Walter set off on an enlightening journey, along with their cat Willa, as they immerse themselves in the religious tale. Prolific South Korean filmmaker Seong-ho “Jay” Jang directs the feature and penned the script with The Princess and the Frog co-writer Rob Edwards.
The Oscar-winning Branagh enters the Dickens-centric tale coming off a much bloodier and less family-friendly animated hit, Blue Eye Samurai, where he played the villainous Abijah Fowler, whom Maya Erskine‘s Mizu hunts down. He’s also fresh off another Christie adaptation in the horror-tinged A Haunting in Venice and enjoyed a role in Oppenheimer. Thurman, meanwhile, had a strong year as well, with the starry The Kill Room and sweet and sizzling LGBTQ+ rom-com Red, White & Royal Blue among the most recent credits for the Academy Award-nominee. Coupled with Davis, the much-lauded Critic’s Choice Award winner for Jojo Rabbit, who now has roles lined up opposite Bill Nighy and Nick Frost in 500 Miles and 152 Days respectively, among other things, the group makes for a rock-solid foundation of talent for The King of Kings to build on.
‘The King of Kings’ Promises More Big Announcements as Production Continues
Production on the animated faith-centric family feature is in its final stages, though Mofac Animation has yet to find a distributor. As work begins to wrap up, producer Anfernee Kim promised more enticing casting announcements are on the horizon to round everything out. They have faith, however, that the core trio alone will be able to help audiences deeply connect with the story of Jesus and the Dickens family. “It is through the Dickens family that our audience experiences the life of Jesus Christ, and Kenneth Branagh, Uma Thurman, and Roman Griffin Davis bring all the emotion, awe, heart, and gravitas to these essential characters,” Kim said. “These three actors are at the core of our story, and anchor a truly impressive cast – many of whom we look forward to sharing in the near future.”
There’s no release date yet for The King of Kings.
via Collider