While Hollywood has done renditions of Macbeth in the past, A24 is coming out with a new spin on Shakespeare’s royal tragedy with their film The Tragedy of Macbeth set to release later this year. Directed by award-winning filmmaker Joel Coen, the movie-- rendered in an alluring black and white--will star Oscar-winning actor and actress Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand in their lead roles as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
Though the story of Macbeth has been told before, the film aims to give audiences a refreshing take, blending Shakespeare and film noir. One of the main differences between Coen’s film adaptation and the play, as Frances McDormand explains, lies in the characters’ ages.
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“In Joel’s adaptation, we are exploring the age of the characters, and in our adaptation, the Macbeths are older,” Frances McDormand says. “Both Denzel and I are older than what is often cast as the Macbeths. We’re postmenopausal, we’re past childbearing age. That puts a pressure on their ambition to have the crown. I think the most important distinction is that it is their last chance for glory.”
Boasting Coen’s directorship, a superstar cast, and a take on Macbeth that has never been done before, cinephiles have much to look forward to. The film will hit theaters on December 25th, and will be available to stream on Apple TV next year on January 14th.
Watch the official trailer for the film below.