Apple Original Films has officially partnered with A24 for theatrical and streaming distribution of Oscar-winning filmmaker Joel Coen’s upcoming drama film The Tragedy of Macbeth, based on the classic Shakespearean tragedy of the same name. They’re planning to theatrically release the Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand-led feature worldwide in the fourth quarter of this year, followed by a global launch on Apple TV+ which puts the film up as an awards season contender.
This film marks Coen and McDormand’s latest collaboration together after 1984’s Blood Simple, 1996’s Fargo, and 2016’s Hail, Caesar!. This project will also be Coen’s first solo directing feature without longtime creative partner and brother Ethan Coen.
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The Tragedy of Macbeth is described as a new take on the iconic Shakespeare tale and was shot in black-and-white. The story follows a lord who’s convinced by a trio of witches that he’s destined to become the king of Scotland. With the help of his ambitious wife, Macbeth tries to seize the crown by any means necessary.
In a previous interview, Dormand revealed that Joel Coen’s adaptation will be exploring more about the characters’ age and that she and Washington are portraying much older versions of the Macbeths which is different from previous iterations. Because of this, it will add more depth to the story by putting a lot of pressure on the leading characters to take the crown for themselves.
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The Tragedy of Macbeth is written and directed by Joel Coen. Joining the Oscar-winning actors are Bertie Carvel, Alex Hassell, Corey Hawkins, Kathryn Hunter, Harry Melling, and Brendan Gleeson.
The film will also reunite frequent Coen collaborators including Bruno Delbonnel as the cinematographer, Mary Zophres as costume designer, and a score from Carter Burwell. In addition to directing, Coen produces the film alongside McDormand and Robert Graf.
