The world of Hulu movies can be unpredictable, with old favorites and fresh surprises both expected on a monthly basis. However, director Le-Van Kiet’s upcoming movie The Princess is, quite possibly, one of the most unexpected concepts to be scheduled for the summer. Picture this: a Disney fairy tale, crossed with a John Wick movie, starring Joey King as the kick ass sovereign ready to settle the score.
Our titular Princess (Joey King) is in a bit of a harsh predicament, as her father has betrothed her to marry a black clad villain (Dominic Cooper,) and she has resisted. Before you can say “Rapunzel,” the trailer released by Hulu find said princess locked in a tower on the kingdom’s grounds, with her situation looking pretty hopeless.
At least, that’s until she’s taught to fight her way out, through training and determination. Once that angle enters the picture, the possibilities for The Princess’ fight scenes get pretty Wick-ian. Though if the trailer has anything to say about it, there’s a couple other fan favorite blockbusters you can spot in the DNA of this action-fantasy.
Part of The Princess obviously looks like it’s going to see Joey King fighting her way out of the tower that’s been made her prison; hopefully with a frying pan in the mix, as a clever nod to Tangled. With that in the picture, that 20th Century Studios spirit really seems to shine, as it looks like we’ve got a Die Hard-style scenario on our hands. How nobody’s previously thought to take a princess movie and set it in a John McClane sort of panic is beyond me.
Someone behind the scenes, at least in the marketing department that cut this trailer, also really wants to invoke those Shrek vibes. Playing Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’ “Bad Reputation” over footage of Joey King wiping the floor with Dominic Cooper’s goons definitely recalls Princess Fiona doing something very similar. Albeit, there wasn’t as much blood or swearing, as the R-rating attached to The Princess seems very much justified.
It’s a pretty action packed summer for Joey King, between her lead in The Princess, as well as her role in the crazy packed ensemble cast for Brad Pitt’s Bullet Train. As the John Wick series progresses, and exciting new characters are introduced, there’s a chance that this movie could see King eventually drafted into that ever growing universe. Maybe she can even face off against Ana de Armas, the woman hotly tipped to star in the Ballerina spin-off.
For now, we can eagerly await The Princess's reign of pain, which starts on July 1st; but you’re not going to find this potential happily ever after on Disney+. Streaming exclusively for Hulu subscribers, you’re going to want to make sure your account is up to date, if you want to see all the fun. In the meantime, check out the new releases arriving on Hulu in June 2022.
