Julie Taymor is no stranger to bring the works of William Shakespeare to the big screen. Her 1999 adaptation of Titus Andronicus (called, simply, Titus) remains the definitive cinematic version. This Friday sees the release of her latest foray in the work of the Bard with a unique look at his final play, The Tempest.
With versions dating back very nearly to the birth of film, The Tempest has come to the screen in wildly different interpretations, including the cult 1980 Derek Jarman version and 1956’s science fiction take, Forbidden Planet.
Though the chief deviation from the original play is the reimagining of the magician Prospero as a woman (Helen Mirren starring as Prospera), Taymor’s version delivers a good portion of the original text with an all-star cast, including Djimon Hounsou, Alfred Molina, David Strathaim, Russell Brand, Ben Whishaw, Felicity Jones, Reeve Carney, Chris Cooper and Alan Cumming.
Hounsou (Caliban), Brand (Trinculo) and Mirren talked with ComingSoon.net about Taymor’s take on the project and their role in adapting the play for its 400th anniversary.
