This particular film has been done for a while, so this kind of news is refreshing and encouraging. Ralph Fiennes’ directorial debut, a modern day telling of the lesser-known Shakespeare play Corionalus, has been picked up by The Weinstein Company. The film stars Fiennes, Gerard Butler, Vanessa Redgrave, Brian Cox, Jessica Chastain and James Nesbitt Star to name a few.
The play is fictionalization of the famous Roman military general Caius Martius (Fiennes) and his miltary rival Tullus Aufidius (Butler), commander of the Volscian army, and their unlikely bound in attacking the city of Corioles after Martius is exiled from Rome.
Here’s what Mr. Harvey Weinstein had to say about Fiennes’ film:
“My brother’s and my relationship with Ralph stretches back many years and includes two of our most cherished productions, The English Patient and The Reader. He’s a brilliant artist, and we are honored and delighted to partner with him in bringing CORIOLANUS to American moviegoers.”
This is the definition of a passion project, and something most high-caliber actors like Fiennes have in the back of their heads. See Paddy Considine’s Tyrannosaur for proof. It seems for every discouraging story about Weinstein wading further and further from their artistic roots, there’s a story like this. Let’s hope the scale begins to tip more the way of Corionalus.
Do you know this play? Are you a fan of Fiennes’ acting?