Here Comes Martin Scorsese’s Movie On Kenneth Branagh’s Version Of Shakespeare’s MACBETH

Kenneth Branagh, who for a while there almost became synonymous with Shakespeare, put on a really great sounding Macbeth production that apparently placed the audience right in the middle of the action and made the play a somewhat more immersive than normal theatrical experience. It played the Manchester International Festival a couple years ago and New York in 2014.

Martin Scorsese saw the play in New York and has been wanting to do something with/to/about it ever since. Normally we assume that means he wants to direct an adaptation. But we are stupid to make assumptions. We never learn.

Instead, Scorsese will make a documentary following Branagh and his crew for a few weeks as they get ready to perform the play. So far, only Branagh will return, but they are hoping to get back as much of the original cast as possible, including Doctor Who’s Alex Kingston as Lady Macbeth.

I think this is great news. Much as I’d like to see Scorsese do Shakespeare, I think I’ve seen enough Macbeth movies for a while. A documentary about a production, however, is right up my alley, especially with all this great pedigree.