THE KING’S DAUGHTER Trailer

An extraordinary discovery leads to turmoil in The King’s Daughter, the latest from director Sean McNamara.

Based on the Nebula Award-winning book The Moon and the Sun, the film follows Marie-Josephe D’Alember as she leaves a convent for a luxurious life in King Louis XIV’s court. Instead of enjoying the pleasures, though, she becomes embroiled in the strange goings-on of the French court. A mermaid was recently acquired and brought back for study, thinking it could be used to make the king immortal. Marie-Josephe, however, is convinced of the mermaid’s personhood and fights for her rights.

With lavish costumes and a fantastical premise, this is a rare opportunity for families to take in a the pleasures of a live-action family film. Nowadays these have mostly been reserved for reimagined Disney animations, and while The King’s Daughter isn’t exactly an original story, it’s at least a story we haven’t seen on the big screen before.

Trying to capture the magic of the book is McNamara, who is a journeyman director of family fare. None of his movies have really stood out, but they’ve been good enough to keep his career going.

More impressive players are in front of the camera, with the incredibly unpredictable career of Kaya Scodelario once again going in a new direction as Mare-Josephe. Co-starring with her is Pierce Brosnan, William Hurt, Benjamin Walker, and Bingbing Fan. Hopefully they can lift this adaptation to the heights the book achieved.

The King’s Daughter is directed by Sean McNamara and stars Kaya Scodelario, Pierce Brosnan, and William Hurt. It will be released in the US on January 21st, 2022. For international release dates, click here.

Will you go on this adventure? Let us know in the comments!