A24 has debuted a teaser forOak Thorn & The Old Rose of Love, a new short film directed byDavid Lowery, which will be available on the special collector’s edition Blu-ray of his 2021 filmThe Green Knight. The 19-second teaser feels like a piece with the main film, to which it isn’t connected directly, but is essentially set in the same universe. The project was shot in secret earlier this year, over three days. It features a score byDaniel Hart, who also provided the music forThe Green Knight.Fans of that fascinating film — Lowery’s surreal (and millennial) take on the Arthurian legends — will recognize some of the same hypnotic imagery and ethereal music in the teaser forOak Thorn & The Old Rose of Love. The 20-minute short film starsJackie Earl HaleyandSylvia Hoeksas two entities that exchange their knowledge in unconventional ways.Loweryexclusively told Colliderlast month that the short was born out of his adoration for physical media, and that he loves the idea that it will exist only on the disc. In his own words:
“It’s not directly related [to ‘The Green Knight’], but it is based on another piece of Arthurian lore, so there’s definitely a connection. I’d already been thinking about adapting this particular story, and as we were coming up with ways to make the Blu-ray extra special, I thought it would be nice to have an adjunct movie on the disc. I love physical media, and loved the idea of having this short film that would never be released online, that would only ever be available on the big screen or on this disc. I’m sure someone will rip it right away, but in theory this short film is an exclusively physical object.”
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Lowery broke out with the acclaimed indieAin’t Them Bodies Saintsalmost a decade ago, and then proceeded to embark upon one of the most exciting careers of any American filmmaker working today. He deployed a familiar “one for them, one for me” approach, but even his ostensible blockbusters bear his unmistakable stamp. Lowery followed upAin’t Them Bodies Saintswith Disney’sPete’s Dragon, after which he directed the melancholic two-handerA Ghost Storyand the biographical filmThe Old Man & The Gun. He will chaseThe Green Knightwith another Disney film,Peter Pan & Wendy.
The collector’s edition ofThe Green Knightfeatures original artwork bySophyHollingtonand a 62-page interior booklet. The printed discpack comes enclosed in a vegan leather-grained paper slipcase. Besides the short film, bonus features include a director’s commentary by Lowery, a mini-documentary on the score, a BTS documentary shot on location in Ireland, and other featurettes on the costumes and VFX. You can watch the new teaser here, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
