‘The Green Knight’ UK cinema release pulled due to coronavirus concerns

The Green Knight, the long-awaited A24 fantasy-horror film starring Dev Patel, has pulled its UK cinema release due to coronavirus concerns.

• READ MORE: The Green Knight trailer reactions: “I am foaming at the mouth”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the David Lowery film, which also stars Alicia Vikander, Joel Edgerton, Sarita Choudhury, Sean Harris and more, will no longer arrive on August 6 as originally planned.

Cinemas in the UK have been advised by Entertainment Film Distributors – which is handling the UK release – to withdraw all trailers and posters until further notice. The decision was made due to coronavirus concerns in the UK, which is currently experiencing a surge in infection rates due to the Delta variant of the virus.

The Green Knight isn’t the only upcoming film that has been removed from the UK cinema schedule. Roger Michell’s British comedy-drama The Duke, starring Jim Broadbent, Helen Mirren and Fionn Whitehead, has been moved from its September 3 date to Spring 2022.

In The Green Knight, Patel stars as Sir Gawain, the headstrong nephew of King Arthur (played by Harris), who “embarks on a daring quest to confront the eponymous Green Knight, a gigantic emerald-skinned stranger and tester of men”.

A synopsis for the film continues: “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.”

Last week, nightclubs and cinemas rejected government advice for venues to voluntarily request COVID passports from attendees now that restrictions have been lifted.

On Monday (July 19), all restrictions on social distancing and capacity limits for live shows in England were removed as the country entered the fourth and final stage of its route out of lockdown.

Ahead of the reopening, new Health Secretary Sajid Javid encouraged events organisers and nightclub owners to put their own plans in place to ensure that only customers who have been vaccinated or can present proof of a recent negative test be admitted entry.

In response to the advice, nightclubs and cinemas have said that they won’t be employing the scheme while it remains voluntary.

Meanwhile, a cinema chain in the US is trialling a $150 system allowing film fans to rent out the entire cinema to themselves, in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

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