HQ
Lionsgate’s Grindstone Entertainment has acquired North American rights to the modern-day movie adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Cymbeline,” ahead of its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
The film stars Ethan Hawke, Ed Harris, Milla Jovovich, John Leguizamo, Penn Badgley, Dakota Johnson and Anton Yelchin. The film will be distributed in the spring.
“Cymbeline” re-teams director Michael Almereyda with Hawke more than a decade after their collaboration on “Hamlet” in 2000.
“Cymbeline” is produced by Anthony Katagas for Keep Your Head Productions and Michael Benaroya, who is fully financing the film through his Benaroya Pictures. Ben Sachs of Benaroya executive produced along with Grindstone’s Barry Brooker and Stan Wertlieb.
“Cymbeline” centers on a battle between dirty cops and a drug dealing biker gang, set in a corruption-riddled contemporary America. Shakespeare’s play centered on the daughter of the British king Cymbeline, who discovers she has secretly married a man raised in her father’s court, resulting in his banishment from the court.
CAA negotiated the deal on behalf of the filmmakers and Brooker, Wertlieb and Ryan Black on behalf of Grindstone. International Film Trust is handling international rights to the film.
