Slathered in blood and filled with pure vengeance come Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard in the first trailer for Justin Kurzel's re-imagining of Macbeth. William Shakespeare's iconic play has been brought to the screen more than a few times, but this dark, war-centric telling looks more visceral than the tale's been told in years, and based on early reviews from Cannes last month the film lives up to this potential.
Filmed throughout barren Scottish hills, this trailer highlights the upcoming film's distinctly hard-knuckled vision. The story appears stripped down to its most raw essentials, and thus brings to focus the brooding, emotionally heavy performances Cotillard and Fassbender reportedly bring as the two Macbeths. Its a fierce, passionate-looking film, and should be a memorable new look at the classic tale.
This is just one Macbeth film to come of late, as this Weinstein Company project vies for Academy attention, Martin Scorsese and Kenneth Branagh announced they'll make a documentary based on a revival of the play the latter actor, and hopefully some returning cast members from Manchester International Festival, brings to the Second World War Leavesden Aerodome in Hertfordshire.
Meanwhile, Fassbender and Cotillard appear on screen together again soon after this, for both signed on to star in another adaptation, this time of the popular video game series Assassin's Creed, which Fassbender also produces. Kurzel directs this new movie too, scheduled to start production later this year for a December 21, 2016 release.
Check out the trailer below. Macbeth doesn't have an official release date yet, but a fall release for this is almost certain:
Image courtesy of Zak Hussein/INFphoto.com