Denzel Washington is set to star alongside Frances McDormand in a new adaptation of Macbeth.
The film will be directed by McDormand’s husband Joel Coen based on his own original script with no confirmation on whether his brother, frequent collaborator Ethan, will be involved. The latest version of William Shakespeare’s tragedy will be produced by Scott Rudin, who has previously worked with Coen on best picture winner No Country for Old Men, Inside Llewyn Davis and the True Grit remake.
The most recent major adaptation was in 2015 with Justin Kurzel directing Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard. It gained mostly positive reviews with the Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw praising Kurzel’s “operatic verve”.
Washington was last seen in the hit sequel The Equalizer 2 and is attached to star in crime thriller Little Things before directing Michael B Jordan in fact-based drama Journal for Jordan. Washington has experience with Shakespeare adaptations, starring as Julius Caesar on Broadway in 2005 as well a role in Kenneth Branagh’s 1993 big screen take on Much Ado About Nothing.
McDormand won her second Oscar last year for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and will next be heard as God in Amazon’s Good Omens series before starring in The Rider director Chloe Zhao’s awards-tipped drama Nomadland.
McDormand has previously starred as Lady Macbeth in a 2016 Berkeley Rep production as well as a high school production when she was 14. She’s previously worked with Coen on a number of projects including Fargo and Blood Simple.
