Joey King Explains Why The Princess Is Both Empowering And A Really Good Time - Exclusive

Once upon a time, a pop culture princess' only aspirations were to look pretty and marry a prince. If the men in Hulu's action-adventure film "The Princess" had their way, that's all the title character would aspire to as well. Fortunately, since the unnamed princess played by Joey King was a young girl, she's had more on her mind than marriage. It was then that she started training in combat, with the goal of learning to defend her kingdom.

It's a skill that comes in handy when Julius (Dominic Cooper), the man she left at the altar, has his mercenaries overrun her castle and take her and her family captive. Julius is intent on seizing her father's throne by any means necessary. But the strong-willed princess is even more intent on ensuring that never happens, and she's willing to punch, kick, and stab her way through as many of Julius' henchmen as required to take back her kingdom and free her family.

It's an empowering tale of a woman fighting fiercely for the people she loves and what she believes in. Mostly, though, the movie's an action-packed blast, with enough spectacularly choreographed fights and battles to satisfy even the biggest action movie buff. In an exclusive interview, King explained to Looper why although she's proud of the film's empowering message, the film's number one goal is to entertain.

The story of "The Princess" is undeniably inspiring. After all, who wouldn't be impressed by a person who takes matters into their own hands regardless of the steep odds against them? However, the movie's message of empowerment is never conveyed in a heavy-handed way, something that Joey King noted was important to the filmmakers.

"It's a story of empowerment of a person who is underestimated ... and I love that our message is definitely not the part of the story that's being shoved down your throat and in your face," she explained. "Our message is to have a great time when you watch this movie, and to take away the deeper message within that is definitely obvious and it's in there, but we want you to first and foremost have so much fun while taking in this deeper meaning."

Ultimately, King emphasized that the movie is an exciting thrill ride whether viewers focus on its message or not. "I love that it's in this format because it's a great message to have," King observed, "but it also feels like it's woven into a movie that wants you to appreciate the whirlwind of the world that it's in."

"The Princess" is available to stream on Hulu.