For centuries people have been drawn to the works of William Shakespeare, and filmmakers have brought a wide range of the bard’s plays to the silver screen with varying degrees of success. Among the numerous interpretations, there’s something for everyone. The traditionalist may prefer Sir Laurence Olivier’s works of Hamlet and Richard III, while postmodern film fans might favor the more gruesome and challenging Titus or The Tempest by Julie Taymor. Old school romantics may prefer the musical theater take on Taming of the Shrew, Kiss Me Kate, while teens might favor 10 Things I Hate About You or Baz Lurhmann’s William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. Shakespeare’s stories have run the gamut of genres, and attracted countless acclaimed actors. Now the latest Shakespearean tale to hit screens will be a science-fiction version of Henry V.
According to The Playlist (via Production Weekly’s Tweet), Henry5 is to be a sci-fi thriller that will star Michael Caine (The Dark Knight), Ray Winstone (The Departed), Gerard Depardieu (Mesrine: Killer Instinct), Derek Jacobi (The King’s Speech) and Vinnie Jones (X-Men: The Last Stand). Darclight Films, a division of Arclight, will be shopped at the American Film Market with these tough guys attached along with cinematographer-turned-director, Michael Anderson.
Their pitch includes this poster, along with the tag line, “HOW WILL THEY JUSTIFY WHY THEY WENT TO WAR?” (I smell allegory!)
Here’s the premise courtesy of Darclight:
“In an age of apocalypse, in a land without a leader, a dissolute prince finds redemption when he crushes a rebellion that threatens to destroy his father’s kingdom. But upon assuming the throne himself, he immediately engineers a war against a neighboring state to slake his lust for power.
Despite his enemy possessing weaponry rendering their forces almost invincible, the newly crowned king seizes a glorious victory from the jaws of defeat by ruthlessness and cunning. But for all his wiles there’s one thing the young monarch has overlooked. Just as he’s prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure victory, so is his enemy…”
While the project seeks a buyer it’s hard to predict what the end result will look like, and whether or not the cast and crew will remain the same by production. But for better or worse, I’m always interested in Caine, and the other actors are often as charismatic as they are menacing, so it could prove interesting.
We’ll keep you posted.
What’s your favorite Shakespeare movie? Are you interested in Henry5?