Joel Coen To Direct The Last MACBETH Movie We’ll Ever Need

There are some movie lineups that just cannot be countered with any sort of indifference, regardless of circumstances. If you had asked me yesterday whether I would ever watch Macbeth again in this lifetime, I would probably tell you no. I’ve read it a bunch, and I have seen more than my fair share of adaptations. It’s a classic story, almost a fable in structure, that lends itself well to cinema thanks to its violence, witches and easy to grasp themes. But, you know, I pretty much get it at this point.

(To all you Shakespeare heads, I respect that this is one of the Big Four, but I’ve always given that inclusion side-eye. Sorry! Macbeth is great. It’s not GREAT like some of the other plays that could instead be adapted willy-nilly all over the place.)

And so it is with equal parts excitement and disappointment that I must share the following: Joel Coen is adapting and directing a new Macbeth adaptation starring Francis McDormand and Denzel Washington. So when I said “holy shit” up top, I really meant it.

Yes, I will pay money to see this. There’s absolutely no way I’ll miss it. I want to see these actors play these roles. I want to see what Coen does with Shakespeare. I want to see what Joel Coen without Ethan Coen looks like.

On the other hand, of all the plays... why Macbeth? Can you imagine a Coen doing Troilus and Cressida? Or one of the Late Romances? Oh well.

In other words, it looks like I have one more Macbeth in me after all. But after this one I am DONE!