Ethan Hawke is reuniting with writer-director Michael Almereyda to tackle their second Shakespeare adaptation and first in 13 years after updating Hamlet to a modern-day New York setting. This time, they’re going to take on William Shakespeare’s lesser known tragic romance Cymbeline (also referred to as “Cymbeline, King of Britain”) with plans to start filming in New York CIty on August 19.
According to Deadline, this contemporary romance story is set against the backdrop of a war between dirty cops and drug-dealing bikers, described as a cross between Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet and the hit FX show “Sons of Anarchy.” At this point, the female lead in this romance has not been named, but it will be produced and financed fully by Michael Benaroya and Benaroya Pictures, while producer Anthony Katagas, who worked on Hamlet, will also produce for Keep Your Head Productions.
Hawke is having a particularly busy year with his starring roles in very different movies, from his reunion with Richard Linklater and Julie Delpy in Before Midnight to his headlining of the hit horror-thriller The Purge and starring in the Warner Bros. action-thriller Getaway opposite Selena Gomez which is out next month. He’s also returning to the stage to perform in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” at Lincoln Center starting in November.
