‘Sons Of Anarchy’ Star Charlie Hunnam Calls His Version Of ‘King Arthur’ A ‘Hustler’

Guy Ritchie’s upcoming film Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur is expected to bring new and exciting elements to the classic tale. Along with attaching his own unique vision to the English legend, Ritchie is also straying from the typical storyline. In fact, the director has crafted a story that centers on a young Arthur, played by Charlie Hunnam, who is nothing like the usual rendition of the English king.

“I think where the pitfall has often been is trying to make King Arthur bland and nice, and nice and bland,” Ritchie explained in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “The two qualities make rather compatible bed companions. Unfortunately, they’re not interesting to watch. Luke Skywalker was always the most uninteresting character in Star Wars because he’s the good guy. Good guys are boring.”

In Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur, the legendary king is an orphan who was raised by prostitutes in London during the fifth century. The story follows Arthur, who has grown to lead a gang in the alleys of London.

With Ritchie’s version of Arthur drastically different than other renditions, Charlie Hunnam, known for his role as Jax Teller on Sons of Anarchy, was the perfect man for the newly envisioned character.

“He’s a little bit rough around the edges, but he’s basically a survivor. He’s a hustler,” Hunnam stated in regards to his character. “He’s a street kid. There’s definitely a harder edge to him than people would imagine. It’s sort of classic Guy Ritchie stuff.”

Meanwhile, in an interview with Men’s Journal, Hunnam stated that he is absolutely elated to have the opportunity to not only play Arthur, but also work with Ritchie.

“I’m thrilled man. I’ve been watching Guy’s movies since he first came on the scene, and I think you could say that the King Arthur story is why I got into acting in the first place,” the actor explained. “I fell in love with the story and would watch any of the movies about that story that played when I was a kid. It’s a real honor to be able to play this role.”

Hunnam added that playing Arthur meant he had to become adept at sword fighting.

“We’re getting right into it. I’m training hard. Luckily I already have a little experience with sword training for Pacific Rim, we had some intense stick fighting scenes that I had to prepare in that one.”

Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur is set to hit theaters in July 2016.

Charlie Hunnam is currently in Belfast to film The Lost City of Z with Robert Pattinson.

[Image Courtesy: Director Guy Ritchie via Instagram]