The English nobles Cambridge and Grey are approached by French agents hoping to induce them to the French cause. Hal interrogates a captured assassin who claims to have been sent by King Charles VI of France to assassinate Hal. His sister Philippa, now the Queen of Denmark, cautions that nobles in any royal court have their own interests in mind and will never fully reveal their true intentions. However, Hal chooses to frame this as a positive reflection of his boyhood. At his coronation feast, the Dauphin of France sends Hal a ball as an insulting coronation gift. Hal opts for peace and conciliation with his father's many adversaries, despite his actions being seen as weakness. Henry IV dies in his bed with Hal present, and Hal is crowned King Henry V. Shortly thereafter, Thomas is killed in battle after taking his campaign to Wales. Although Hal kills Hotspur, ending the battle without further conflict, Thomas complains that Hal has stolen his glory. Thomas is sent to subdue Hotspur's rebellion but is upstaged by the arrival of Hal, who challenges Hotspur to single combat. His father summons Hal and informs him that Hal's younger brother, Thomas, will inherit the throne. Hal is uninterested in succeeding his father and spends his days drinking, whoring, and jesting with his companion John Falstaff in Eastcheap. Henry, Prince of Wales, " Hal", is the emotionally distant eldest son of King Henry IV of England. The film received generally favorable reviews from film critics but was criticized by historians for its inaccuracy to both the original plays and historical reality. The King premiered at the 76th Venice International Film Festival on 2 September 2019, and was released digitally via Netflix on 11 October 2019. The film focuses on the rise of Henry V as king after his father dies as he also must navigate palace politics, the war his father left behind, and the emotional strings of his past life.
The King includes an ensemble cast led by Timothée Chalamet as the Prince of Wales and later King Henry V of England, alongside Edgerton, Sean Harris, Tom Glynn-Carney, Lily-Rose Depp, Thomasin McKenzie, Robert Pattinson, and Ben Mendelsohn. The screenplay was written by Michôd and Joel Edgerton, who both produced the film with Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, and Liz Watts. The King is a 2019 epic war film directed by David Michôd, based on several plays from William Shakespeare's Henriad.