The awards season is coming up and one curious absence is Justin Kurzel‘s "Macbeth." It’s not slotted at any fall festivals, even though it got very good notices out of Cannes, it seems The Weinstein Company aren’t going to risk too much on the Shakespeare adaptation, perhaps because it’s a bit tougher to market a "difficult" take on the Bard to mass audiences and Academy voters. Especially when they’ve got the universally beloved "Carol" in their arsenal. Either way, for those of us who missed it on the Croisette, we’ll be seeing this on the big screen as soon as we can.
A new trailer has arrived for the movie starring Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard. The duo, who will reteam in "Assassin’s Creed," star as the royal couple who seize power in Scotland. With people like David Thewlis, Jack Reynor, Sean Harris and Elizabeth Debecki in support, this is an actor’s showcase, and coupled with Kurzel’s smoky, grimy approach, it promises to be something to behold.
"Macbeth" opens in the U.K. on October 2nd and in the U.S. on December 4th via Radius.
Seems worth seeing just for the imagery. The trailer doesn\’t really give us much on what Kurtzel\’s angle on the play is though, besides just the graphic and surreal nature of the violence, and that\’s really where he\’ll be judged by the hardcore bardolaters. My prediction is it will be visually interesting and flashy, but mostly thematically bankrupt.