A24 debuts a new Tragedy of Macbeth trailer seeing Denzel Washington's titular character committing the murder that sets the story in motion. The latest adaptation of William Shakespeare's iconic play hails from Oscar-winning writer/director Joel Coen in his first project away from his brother Ethan as the latter has directed his focus on the theater. Coen began development on The Tragedy of Macbeth, a reimagining of the Shakespeare play, in early 2019 with A24 attached to produce and distribute.

The Tragedy of Macbeth revolves around the titular Scottish general as he finds himself convinced by three foreseeing witches to kill the King of Scotland, which would subsequently see Macbeth take the throne though also lead to his downfall from his own ambition, guilt and his power-hungry wife. Coen has assembled an ensemble cast for his new take on Shakespeare's play with Washington starring as Macbeth alongside Frances McDormand as Lady Macbeth, Brendan Gleeson as King Duncan, Alex Hassell, Bertie Carvel, Corey Hawkins, Harry Melling and Ralph Ineson. Initially slated for a theatrical release from A24, The Tragedy of Macbeth is gearing up to hit the big screen with a limited release followed by a streaming premiere on Apple TV+ in January.

With just a month to go until the film's limited theatrical release, A24 has debuted a new Tragedy of Macbeth trailer. The video sees Denzel Washington's titular character committing the murder that sets him down the dark path in Shakespeare's source material. Check out the trailer below:


The new Tragedy of Macbeth trailer may not offer much of a look at the new take Coen is bringing to the Shakespeare play, but it does show off plenty of the glorious style the writer/director has taken to adapt the source material. Previous footage and images for the film have confirmed it being shot in black-and-white and with it being shot entirely on sound stages, Coen has clearly utilized these elements to capture the more unsettling elements of the tragedy. It's also interesting to note that the new Tragedy of Macbeth trailer further teases the film sticking to the old English writing of Shakespeare's source material, not entirely unheard of for Shakespeare adaptations though certainly a rarity nowadays.

Early reception to The Tragedy of Macbeth has been just short of universal acclaim from critics since its debut at the New York Film Festival, currently sitting at a 98 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Though its limited theatrical release is aimed more towards ensuring the film's chances at the Academy Awards and Golden Globes, it will be interesting to see if the film can recapture the modest box office success of A24's similar historical adaptation The Green Knight from earlier this year. Only time will tell when The Tragedy of Macbeth hits theaters this Christmas followed by Apple TV+ on January 14.

The Tragedy Of Macbeth (2021)
Release Date: Dec 25, 2021