The Weinstein Company has today lifted the lid on the latest haunting tease for Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth, promising a visceral portrayal of the famed and tragic Shakespearean play.
Pitting Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard on a meandering, bloodthirsty quest for the crown, the trailer sees the Thane of Glamis locking horns on the dank and misty Scottish Highlands, while his significant other is busy fighting battles of her own as she looks to engineer a way to overthrow King Duncan. As anyone with even a passing interest in English literature – or high school education – will know all too well, Macbeth charts the mythic rise to power and tragic decent into villainy of the titular Thane, who discovers his supposed destiny when a trio of witches reveal his would-be path to the throne in the fallout of a brutal battle.
Directed by Snowtown‘s Justin Kurzel, today’s trailer is only further confirmation of the filmmaker’s stylistic approach to medieval Scotland of the 17th century. From the barbaric battle sequences to the slow-motion shots of Fassbender’s general as a conflicted, mentally unstable leader. Moreover, the footage also contains various accolades and early opinions, trumpeting the film’s cinematography, leading performances and even saying that this is one of the more memorable renditions of the Shakespearean source material to date. Color us intrigued.
StudioCanal UK has plotted course for Macbeth to make its debut in the United Kingdom on October 2, before making the leap across the pond in time for December 4. Elizabeth Debicki, Sean Harris, David Thewlis, Jack Reynor, and Paddy Considine complete the star-studded ensemble.
Macbeth is the story of a fearless warrior and inspiring leader brought low by ambition and desire. A thrilling interpretation of the dramatic realities of the times and a reimagining of what wartime must have been like for one of Shakespeare’s most famous and compelling characters, a story of all-consuming passion and ambition set in war torn 11th Century Scotland.
