Ralph Fiennes’ adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Coriolanus” has finalized its cast and is due to begin a two month shoot next week in Serbia.
Joining Fiennes, who will playing the titular lead as well as making his directorial debut, are the previously announced Gerard Butler, Vanessa Redgrave, Jessica Chastain as well as a heap of talent including the likes of Brian Cox, John Kani, Paul Jesson, James Nesbitt, Ashraf Barhom, Lubna Azabal and local Serbian talents Slavko Stimac, Dragan Micanovic, Svetislav Goncic and Danijela Vranjes.
The story follows General Coriolanus as he enters Roman Senate on the insistence of his mother (Redgrave). However, when he is banished from Rome for rioting after failing to win the public’s support, he must team with sworn enemy, Tullus Aufidius (Butler), in taking out revenge on the city.
“‘Coriolanus’ as a play is thought to be difficult … as the text is very dense,” Fiennes adds of the John Logan script. “We’ve edited it quite aggressively and this is the case with Shakespeare adaptations, you have to lose a lot of text … but the narrative lines of ‘Coriolanus’ are very dynamic.”
Fiennes’ take on the classic tale will seemingly follow the lead of Baz Luhrman’s “Romeo + Juliet” as it will retain the Shakespearean language but partner it with modern technology and a contemporary setting. Acclaimed “The Hurt Locker” cinematographer Barry Ackroyd and sound mixer Ray Beckett are among the crew.