Macbeth, one of William Shakespeare’s signature historical tragedies, may have been adapted in myriad form over the past 400+ years on stage and every conceivable form of media. However, something wicked (well, wickedly good) this way comes, taking shape as a developing film project from celebrated cinematic directorial sibling Joel Coen. Moreover, it looks like he’s already got an intriguing headlining duo in mind!
Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand are being eyed to play the lead roles – presumably as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth – in Joel Coen’s interpretation of Macbeth, reports Deadline. With talks currently underway for the starring duo, Coen has reportedly signed up to direct and write the adaptation. While there’s no word about whether Joel’s perennial collaborator, brother Ethan, will get involved, imbuing the project with the label of a Coen Brothers film, he will be joined on by producer Scott Rudin. The film would prospectively be distributed worldwide by A24.
A timeless tale of greed, paranoia and fatalism, Macbeth tells the story of a Scottish lord who is given a prophecy by a trio of witches that he’s destined to become king; an idea that metastasises from the machinations of his ambitiously manipulative wife, sending the lord down a spiral of regicide and subterfuge to attain the crown. However, as it tends to happen in these tragedies, the karmic ramifications prove to be enormous.
A film version of Macbeth was just released in 2018 starring Mark Rowley, and a major movie version arrived back in 2015, directed by Justin Kurzel, starring Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard. There was also 2017 drama Lady Macbeth, which wasn’t an adaptation of the play, but appropriately evokes the Shakespearean figure in its title to describe Florence Pugh’s main character. Of course, amongst the annals of Macbeth movies, the 1948 version, in which Orson Welles starred in and directed, remains frequently cited.
The Coen-directed Macbeth movie would be an intriguing turn for two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington, who, having seen and done it all in the industry, is coming off his action sequel, The Equalizer 2. Likewise, Frances McDormand, also a two-time Oscar winner, would be steered by a familiar collaborator in Joel Coen, having served as his (and Ethan’s) repertory cast member, going back to their directorial debut, 1984’s Blood Simple. McDormand will be coming off a TV run (as the voice of God) on Amazon’s Good Omens.
We will definitely keep you updated here on Joel Coen’s Macbeth as the news arrives!
