The Princess (2022 action film)

Last updated
The Princess
The Princess poster.jpeg
Official release poster
Directed by Le-Van Kiet
Written by
  • Ben Lustig
  • Jake Thornton
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyLorenzo Senatore
Edited byAlex Fenn
Music by Natalie Holt
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release date
  • July 1, 2022 (2022-07-01)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$26 million [1]

The Princess is a 2022 American fantasy action comedy thriller film directed by Le-Van Kiet and starring Joey King in the title role with Dominic Cooper, Olga Kurylenko, and Veronica Ngo. The film focuses on a strong-willed princess who fights to protect her family and save the kingdom when her suitor, a cruel sociopath she refuses to marry, intends on taking over the kingdom. The Princess, released on Hulu on July 1, 2022. [2] It received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, who praised King's performance, but criticized the screenplay.

Contents

Plot

The film is set in a medieval realm ruled by a king and his queen, who have two daughters, the titular princess and her younger sister, Violet. With the queen's quiet approval, the princess was trained in the fighting arts by Linh, the niece of Khai, one of the king's advisors. Since the queen didn't bear any sons, the king had intended to wed the princess to Julius, the ruthless son of a royal diplomat, who despises the king's peaceful reign because of his belief that a "strong" king should rule with an iron fist. The princess left him at the altar, and as a result, Julius, his whip-wielding henchwoman Moira, and a band of brutal mercenaries have taken the castle by force, seizing the royal family and their retainers.

The princess is locked in the top of her castle's highest tower to await her forced wedding with Julius. When two mercenaries enter and prepare to rape her, she kills them and sets out to rescue her family. After she slays several mercenaries on her way, Julius and Moira are finally alerted and send their men after her. She evades her pursuers and meets up with Linh, who has escaped the castle's sacking and joins in her fight. While trying to reach the sewers, en route to the dungeons, they are forced to fight Moira, and Linh stays behind to stall her. The princess frees her family, but they and Linh are quickly captured and brought before Julius. When she continues to resist him, Julius decides to cement his claim to the throne by marrying Violet instead. When the princess fights back, she is thrown into the castle's nearby lake to drown, while Linh and Violet escape through a secret door.

The princess escapes the fall with her life and sneaks back into the castle, where she reunites with Linh and Violet. The three equip themselves with weapons in a secret storeroom, and the princess and Linh fight the mercenaries, while Violet frees Khai; however, Violet is soon discovered and captured. Linh is wounded while fighting Julius, but the princess kills Moira and engages him in single combat. Weakened and on her knees, she bides her time while Julius gloats before preparing to kill her. At the right moment, she wrests Julius' sword away and decapitates him. Finally convinced of his daughter's strength and dedication, the king makes her the heir to the throne and decrees that women of the kingdom are allowed to choose their own way in life.

Cast

Additionally, Katelyn Rose Downey appears as Violet, the princess's sister, Kristofer Kamiyasu plays Khai, Linh's uncle, and Fergus O'Donnell appears as Kurr, one of Julius' soldiers. Antoni Davidov and Todor Kirilov appear as the Merc Leader and the Heavy Merc, respectively.

Production

The film's original logo The Princess 2022 logo.jpeg
The film's original logo

On October 30, 2020, 20th Century Studios acquired the rights to Ben Lustig and Jake Thornton's spec script The Princess, with Hulu set to distribute. [4] It was conceived as a streaming title from the outset. [5] Neal H. Moritz's Original Film co-produced the film with 20th Century and Derek Kolstad. [6] Joey King, Lustig, and Thornton served as executive producers. [7] On November 12, 2021, Le-Van Kiet was announced as the film's director. [8] The screenplay for The Princess was written by Ben Lustig and Jake Thornton. [9]

Release

On November 12, 2021, it was announced that The Princess was scheduled for release in the summer of 2022, with plans for its debut on Hulu in the United States. [10] It was intended to be released on Disney+ internationally on Star and on Star+ in summer 2022 as well. [11]

On April 12, 2022, the release date was confirmed as July 1, 2022, [12] with the film also slated to premiere on Star and Star+ in Latin America on in July 2022. [13] The film was removed from Disney+ and Hulu on May 26, 2023. [14] It remains available through digital video-on-demand services.

Reception

Audience viewership

Whip Media, which tracks viewership data for the more than 21 million worldwide users of its TV Time app, reported that The Princess was the third most-streamed movie in the U.S. during the week of July 1 to July 3. [15] It subsequently ranked fourth during the week of July 8 to July 10. [16]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval of 61% based on 85 critics, with an average rating of 5.5/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Joey King is a credible action star in Princess, but she deserves a better kingdom than this uneven vehicle that gets weighed down by a clunky script and shabby production values." [17] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 43 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [18]

Scott Mendelson of Forbes found The Princess to be a solid action movie and complimented its concept, drawing some comparisons with the Die Hard film franchise, while praising Joey King's performance and the action sequences. [19] Jesse Hassenger of Consequence found the movie funny and praised its premise, applauded Le-Van Kiet's direction, stating the director provides a lot of action sequences across a frenetic direction, while saying the performances of the actors manage to be forceful. [20] Andy Crump of Paste rated the movie 7.4 out of 10, praised the performances of the cast members, saying Joey King provides a fierce performance across the film, complimented the choreography though the action sequences, and said Le-Van Kiet, Ben Lustig, and Jake Thornton succeed to provide an action movie with a female lead challenging patriarchy across the direction and the script. [21]

Jennifer Green of Common Sense Media rated the film three out of five stars, praised the depiction of positive messages and role models, citing female-empowerment and courage, and complimented the diverse representations across the characters and their origins. [22] Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com rated the movie two out of four stars, said the performance of Joey King manages to be the best element of the film, and found some of the action sequences entertaining, but stated the movie fails to provide a script that is sufficiently creative. [23]

Accolades

Joey King was nominated for Best Actress in an Action Movie at the 2023 Critics' Choice Super Awards. [24] [25]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Princess Diaries</i> (film) 2001 American film

The Princess Diaries is a 2001 American coming-of-age comedy film produced by Walt Disney Pictures, directed by Garry Marshall, and written by Gina Wendkos. Based on Meg Cabot's 2000 young adult novel of the same name, it stars Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews, with a supporting cast consisting of Héctor Elizondo, Heather Matarazzo, Mandy Moore, Caroline Goodall, and Robert Schwartzman. The plot follows Mia Thermopolis (Hathaway), a shy American teenager who discovers she is heir to the throne of a European kingdom. Under the tutelage of her estranged grandmother (Andrews), the kingdom's reigning queen, Mia must choose whether to claim or renounce the title she has inherited.

Nala (<i>The Lion King</i>) Fictional character from The Lion King franchise

Nala is a fictional character in Disney's The Lion King franchise. Introduced in the The Lion King (1994), Nala subsequently appears as a less prominent character in the The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998) and The Lion King 1½ (2004), and serves as a recurring character in The Lion Guard (2015–2019) television series. In the original animated film trilogy, the adult Nala is voiced by American actress Moira Kelly. Young Nala's speaking voice in the original film is provided by actress Niketa Calame, while singers Laura Williams and Sally Dworsky provide the singing voices of young and adult Nala respectively. Nala is introduced as the daughter of an unnamed lion and Sarafina, the best friend of Simba, and ultimately becomes his wife as well as the daughter-in-law of Mufasa and Sarabi and the niece-in-law of Scar by the end of The Lion King. Nala becomes Simba's wife as well as his Queen Consort. Nala is also the mother of Kiara and Kion, and in The Lion King: Six New Adventures, she is the mother of Kopa.

Ariel (<i>The Little Mermaid</i>) Fictional character from Disneys 1989 animated film The Little Mermaid

Ariel is a fictional character in Walt Disney Pictures' animated film The Little Mermaid (1989). Ariel is voiced by Jodi Benson in all official animated appearances. Ariel is the youngest daughter of King Triton and Queen Athena of an underwater kingdom called Atlantica. She is often rebellious, and in the first film, she longs to be a part of the human world. She marries Prince Eric, whom she rescued from a shipwreck, and together they have a daughter, Melody. She is the fourth Disney Princess and also the first Disney Princess to be developed during the Disney Renaissance.

<i>The Princess and the Frog</i> 2009 Disney animated film

The Princess and the Frog is a 2009 American animated musical romantic fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is inspired in part by the 2002 novel The Frog Princess by E. D. Baker, which in turn is based on the German folk tale "The Frog Prince" as collected by the Brothers Grimm. The film was directed by John Musker and Ron Clements and produced by Peter Del Vecho, from a screenplay that Clements and Musker co-wrote with Rob Edwards. The directors also co-wrote the story with the writing team of Greg Erb and Jason Oremland. The film stars the voices of Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Michael-Leon Wooley, Jim Cummings, Jennifer Cody, John Goodman, Keith David, Peter Bartlett, Jenifer Lewis, Oprah Winfrey, and Terrence Howard. Set in New Orleans during the 1920s, the film tells the story of a hardworking waitress named Tiana who dreams of opening her own restaurant. After kissing prince Naveen, who has been turned into a frog by the evil voodoo witch doctor Facilier, Tiana becomes a frog as well and the two must find a way to turn human again before it is too late.

Action comedy is a genre that combines aspects of action and comedy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snow White (Disney character)</span> Title character from Disneys 1937 animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Snow White is a fictional character and a main character from Walt Disney Productions' first animated feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). She was originally voiced by Adriana Caselotti. The character of Snow White was derived from a fairy tale known from many countries in Europe with the best-known version being the 1812 tale collected by the Brothers Grimm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joey King</span> American actress (born 1999)

Joey Lynn King is an American actress. She starred as Ramona Quimby in the comedy film Ramona and Beezus (2010) and gained wider recognition for her lead role as a late-blooming teenager in The Kissing Booth film series (2018–2021). King received critical acclaim for playing Gypsy-Rose Blanchard in the crime drama series The Act (2019), for which she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.

Sierra McCormick is an American actress. She first became known for participating in the game show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (2007–2008) before making her acting debut with a recurring role as Lilith on the television series Supernatural (2008). She also starred as Scout Thomas on the comedy television series Romantically Challenged (2010), played Alice in the direct-to-DVD film Spooky Buddies (2011) for which she won a Young Artist Award, and Susan Kushner in the comedy film Ramona and Beezus (2010). She had her breakthrough starring as Olive Doyle on the Disney Channel series A.N.T. Farm (2011–2014).

Merida (<i>Brave</i>) Fictional main character from the 2012 film Brave

Merida is the main protagonist of the 2012 Disney/Pixar film Brave (2012). She is voiced by Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald. Merida was added to the Disney Princess line-up as the eleventh member, on May 11, 2013, becoming the first Disney Princess to be created by Pixar. Merida is also the only Scottish member of the Disney Princess line-up and the first to be single in her solo film.

<i>Cinderella</i> (2015 American film) 2015 film by Kenneth Branagh

Cinderella is a 2015 American romantic fantasy film directed by Kenneth Branagh from a screenplay by Chris Weitz. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures, Allison Shearmur Productions, Beagle Pug Films, and Kinberg Genre, it is a live-action remake of Disney's 1950 animated film Cinderella, itself an adaptation of Charles Perrault's 1697 fairy tale "Cinderella". Starring Lily James as the titular character, the film features a supporting ensemble cast including Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden, Stellan Skarsgård, Holliday Grainger, Derek Jacobi, and Helena Bonham Carter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peyton Elizabeth Lee</span> American actress (born 2004)

Peyton Elizabeth Lee is an American actress. She is known for starring in the title role of the Disney Channel comedy-drama series Andi Mack (2017–2019). She has continued to work with Disney in the film Secret Society of Second-Born Royals (2020) and the series Doogie Kameāloha, M.D. (2021–2023).

<i>The Little Mermaid</i> (2023 film) Disney live-action film

The Little Mermaid is a 2023 American musical romantic fantasy film directed by Rob Marshall from a screenplay by David Magee. Co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures, DeLuca Marshall, and Marc Platt Productions, it is a live-action adaptation of Disney's 1989 animated film The Little Mermaid, which itself is loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale. The film stars Halle Bailey as the title character, with Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Noma Dumezweni, Art Malik, Javier Bardem, and Melissa McCarthy in supporting roles. The plot follows the mermaid princess Ariel, who is fascinated with the human world; after saving Prince Eric from a shipwreck, she makes a deal with the sea witch Ursula to walk on land.

<i>Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion</i> 2022 American superhero comedy television series

Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion is an American superhero coming-of-age action-comedy television series developed by Leo Chu and Eric S. Garcia and created by Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit that aired on Disney Channel from June 3 to November 11, 2022. The series stars Scarlett Estevez, J.R. Villarreal, Marianna Burelli, Juan Alfonso, Brandon Rossel, Zelia Ankrum, and Bryan Blanco.

<i>Bullet Train</i> (film) 2022 film by David Leitch

Bullet Train is a 2022 American action comedy film directed by David Leitch. It is based on the 2010 novel Maria Beetle, written by Kōtarō Isaka and translated by Sam Malissa, the second novel in Isaka's Hitman series, of which the first novel was previously adapted as the 2015 Japanese film Grasshopper. Centered around a group of assassins on the JR Central Shinkansen that end up in conflict with each other, the film features an ensemble cast consisting of Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon, Benito A. Martínez Ocasio, and Sandra Bullock.

<i>Prey</i> (2022 film) 2022 film by Dan Trachtenberg

Prey is a 2022 American science fiction film in the Predator franchise. It serves as a prequel to previous films, being set in the Northern Great Plains in 1719. The film is directed by Dan Trachtenberg and written by Patrick Aison. It stars Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane DiLiegro, Michelle Thrush, Stormee Kipp, Julian Black Antelope, and Bennett Taylor. The story revolves around a young Comanche woman, Naru, who is striving to prove herself as a hunter. She finds herself having to protect her people from a vicious, humanoid alien that hunts humans for sport, as well as from French fur traders who are destroying the buffalo they rely on for survival.

<i>Rosaline</i> (film) 2022 film by Karen Maine

Rosaline is a 2022 American romantic comedy film directed by Karen Maine, written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, and starring Kaitlyn Dever, Isabela Merced, Kyle Allen, Sean Teale, Christopher McDonald, Minnie Driver, and Bradley Whitford. It is based on the 2012 young adult novel When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle, which in turn was inspired by William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

<i>Life & Beth</i> 2022 American comedy-drama TV show

Life & Beth is an American comedy-drama television series created by Amy Schumer, who also stars alongside Violet Young, Michael Cera, Yamaneika Saunders, Michael Rapaport, and Susannah Flood. The show premiered on Hulu on March 18, 2022. In April 2022, the series was renewed for a ten-episode second season. On February 16, 2024, the second season was released. In July 2024, Hulu cancelled the series after two seasons.

A Small Light is a biographical war drama miniseries created by Joan Rater and Tony Phelan. It premiered on National Geographic on May 1, 2023. The miniseries became available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu the following day.

<i>Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration</i> 2022 American TV series or program

Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration is a musical television special created for ABC, based on Disney's 1991 animated feature film Beauty and the Beast. It was produced by Jon M. Chu and directed by Hamish Hamilton. It serves as a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the animated film’s historic Oscar nomination for Best Picture. It aired on ABC on December 15, 2022, before streaming the next day on Disney+ and Hulu. Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration received generally positive reviews from critics.

Le-Van Kiet is a Vietnamese filmmaker, known for directing Furie and The Princess.

References

  1. ↑ "The Princess Box Office Collection". boxofficeupdates.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  2. ↑ "20th Century Studios (@20thcentury) Tweeted: Don't get in her way. The Princess starts streaming July 1 on @Hulu". Twitter . 20th Century Studios. April 12, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Lash, Jolie (April 12, 2022). "Joey King's 'The Princess' Gets July Premiere Date on Hulu". TheWrap . The Wrap News Inc. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  4. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (October 30, 2020). "20th Century Studios & Hulu Land Joey King-Attached Spec 'The Princess'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  5. ↑ Mendelson, Scott (May 25, 2023). "'The Princess' Writers Mourn Film's Hulu Exit: 'It May Not Be Available for Anyone to See Ever Again'". TheWrap . Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  6. ↑ Hermanns, Grant (June 27, 2022). "The Princess Writers Reveal Surprising Inspiration For New Thriller Movie". Screen Rant . Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  7. ↑ Paur, Joey (June 2, 2022). "Joey King Kicks Ass in Action-Packed Trailer for THE PRINCESS". GeekTyrant. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  8. ↑ Goslin, Austen (November 12, 2021). "Disney Plus' The Princess is apparently John Wick meets Sleeping Beauty". Polygon . Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  9. ↑ Young, Liz (June 8, 2022). "Hulu's The Princess: Plot, Cast, and Everything Else We Know". MovieWeb . Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  10. ↑ Milligan, Mercedes (November 12, 2021). "Disney+ Day Reveals: More Disney-Pixar Animation, Hybrids, Marvel & Lucasfilm Magic on the Way". Animation Magazine . Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  11. ↑ Grater, Tom (November 12, 2021). "Disney+ Confirms Movies Heading To Star Internationally In 2022: 'Romeo & Juliet' Reimagining 'Rosaline', Action Pic 'The Princess' & Thriller 'No Exit'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  12. ↑ Remley, Hilary (April 12, 2022). "'The Princess': Joey King's Adventure Film Gets July Release Date on Hulu". Collider . Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  13. ↑ Paz, Maggie Dela (April 12, 2022). "The Princess Photo Sets Hulu Release Date for Joey King-Led Fantasy Pic". ComingSoon.net . Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  14. ↑ Weatherbed, Jess (May 21, 2023). "Disney will remove over 50 shows from Disney Plus and Hulu this month". The Verge . Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  15. ↑ Prange, Stephanie (July 6, 2022). "'Stranger Things,' 'Doctor Strange' Sequel Top Weekly Whip Media Streaming Charts". Media Play News . Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  16. ↑ Prange, Stephanie (July 12, 2022). "'Stranger Things,' 'Doctor Strange' Sequel Again Top Weekly Whip Media Streaming Charts". Media Play News . Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  17. ↑ "The Princess". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  18. ↑ "The Princess". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  19. ↑ Mendelson, Scott (July 1, 2022). "'The Princess' Review: Joey King Saves Herself In Terrific 'Die Hard' Clone". Forbes . Retrieved 2022-07-01.
  20. ↑ Hassenger, Jesse (July 1, 2022). "The Princess Review: The Raid By Way of Tangled, With a Kick-Ass Joey King". Consequence . Retrieved 2022-07-01.
  21. ↑ Crump, Andy (2022-06-30). "The Princess Reigns". Paste . Archived from the original on 2022-11-22. Retrieved 2022-07-01.
  22. ↑ Green, Jennifer. "The Princess Movie Review | Common Sense Media". Common Sense Media . Retrieved 2022-07-01.
  23. ↑ Tallerico, Brian (July 1, 2022). "The Princess movie review & film summary (2022) | Roger Ebert". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved 2022-07-01.
  24. ↑ Davis, Clayton (2023-02-22). "'The Batman,' 'RRR' and 'The Boys' Lead Critics Choice Super Awards Nominees for Film and Television". Variety . Retrieved 2023-03-23.
  25. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (2023-02-22). "'The Batman' Leads Nominations For The Critics Choice Super Awards". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 2023-03-23.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.