The filmmaker discusses those inspirations below…
E.T.
the Extra-Terrestrial(1982)
I sawE.T.on my own in New York, as a child.
I was pretty much the same age as Elliott and I became obsessed with it.
It was so outrageous, and flamboyant, and gory, and erotic.
It felt like a science fiction film, even though it was set in the ancient past.
That is how I thought up the idea forThe Kid Who Would Be King.
It was British fantasy-adventure movie.
Its obviously Python-esque but its not pure Python.
Its not as completely silly as the Python movies.
Explorers(1985)
Thats a very pure 80s kids-adventure movie with a terrific cast.
River Phoenix and Ethan Hawke.
Its funny when a film you love is not loved by the director.
And its got a fantastic twist that I wont spoil for anybody that hasnt seen it.
Watch the trailer forThe Kid Who Would Be Kingat the top of the page.
