Apple TV+ clearly hopes to win more awards by picking up the rights to The Tragedy Of Macbeth starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand. The film is set to premiere in theaters in the fourth quarter of 2021 before hitting Apple’s streaming service.
Washington is playing the doomed King of Scotland. McDormand is his scheming wife. Other actors involved include Bertie Carvel, Alex Hassell, Corey Hawkins, Kathryn Hunter, Harry Melling and Brendan Gleeson, according to Deadline. (Spoiler for a play first performed in 1606: all of their characters will be dead by the end of the movie.)
The adaptation of a very violent Shakespeare play will be directed by Joel Coen. Surprisingly, he’s working without his brother Ethan — usually they come as a team.
Oscar hopes for Macbeth
There are Oscar predictions for this version of Macbeth because this group already won so many. Denzel Washington alone has received two Oscars out of nine nominations, along with three Golden Globes and a Tony Award. Frances McDormand has four Oscars and two Golden Globes. Joel Coen (mostly working with his brother) has 14 Oscar nominations and 6 wins. He also has three Golden Globes.
Winning awards is a large part of Apple’s marketing strategy for its streaming service. CEO Tim Cook recently bragged that Apple TV+ has so far garnered 352 award nominations and 98 wins. In 2021, there were two Oscar nominations, and Jason Sudeikis took home a Golden Globe for his lead role in the comedy series Ted Lasso.
Watching any of the thrillers, crime dramas, comedies children’s shows and documentaries on Apple TV+ — along with The Tragedy Of Macbeth — costs $4.99 a month.
