Joel Coen’s ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’ to open 59th New York Film Festival
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The Bard is coming to the city, with some serious star power.
“The Tragedy of Macbeth,” directed by Joel Coen, will open the 59th New York Film Festival on Sept. 24 at Alice Truly Hall. The doomed Macbeth and Lady Macbeth will be portrayed by two Oscar winners: Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand.
The film also marks the first time one of the Coen brothers will direct a film without the other’s help, as Ethan is sitting this one out.
“The New York Film Festival is a place where I’ve been watching movies as an audience member and showing them as a filmmaker for almost 50 years,” Joel, 66, said in a press release. “It’s a real privilege and a thrill to be opening the Festival this year.”
The four-time Oscar winner’s black-and-white version of the classic Shakespeare play takes inspiration from Laurence Olivier and Akira Kurosawa, but “Coen’s tale of sound and fury is entirely his own,” according to organizers with Film at Lincoln Center.
Last year’s festival was forced to go largely virtual because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the event will return to Lincoln Center this fall, running from Sept. 24 to Oct. 10. It will also feature outdoor and virtual screenings.
“With Joel Coen, Frances McDormand, Denzel Washington, and our friends at Apple and A24 on Opening Night at Alice Tully Hall, we’re setting the stage for a momentous return to our roots,” festival director Eugene Hernandez said.
“The Tragedy of Macbeth” will be distributed in theaters by A24, with a later release on Apple TV+. Brendan Gleeson will appear as King Duncan, while Corey Hawkins will play Macduff. Kathryn Hunter will star as all three witches who issue the prophecy that seals Macbeth’s fate.
