In the climate of contemporary cinema, where franchises and superheroes own the box office, there’s something quaint about big-screen Shakespeare adaptations still being made. Ok, perhaps Ophelia technically isn’t a pure Shakespeare adaptation – it’s a reworking of Hamlet, based on the novel by Lisa Klein – but that hasn’t stopped an all-star cast from signing on for it.
Daisy Ridley had already signed on the dotted line to play the titular character, as well as Naomi Watts as the queen, but they’ve now been joined by Clive Owen, Tom Felton, George MacKay and Devon Terrell to star in the thrilling romantic tragedy.
The film will be directed by Claire McCarthy (The Waiting City) and adapted for the screen by Semi Chellas (Mad Men), with principle photography beginning this month.
The official plot synopsis is as follows:
“Set in the 14th Century but spoken in a contemporary voice, Ophelia is a dynamic re-imagining of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Ophelia takes center stage as the Queen’s most trusted lady-in-waiting. Beautiful and intelligent, she soon captures the attention of the handsome Prince Hamlet and a forbidden love blossoms.
As war brews, lust and betrayal are tearing Elsinore Castle apart from within and Ophelia must decide between her true love or her own life in order to protect a very dangerous secret”.
Sounds exciting. If McCarthy can work her magic and achieve something as aesthetically stimulating as Justin Kurzel‘s 2015 Macbeth, we could be in for something special.
#Peace.Love.Ophelia
