According to American ratings board the MPAA, Julie Taymor’s version of The Tempest will feature “some nudity, suggestive content and scary images.” But hey: Shakespeare, so it’s educational. And stuff. And now the first full trailer is online over at Apple.
If you were expecting another visual feast from Taymor, you won’t be disappointed: from the looks of this, it’s an insane blend of the elements, some impressive Hawaiian locations and plenty of effects trickery.
And while it’s not impossible to go wrong with the play (many have sat through dull theatrical interpretations just watching the clock count down), there’s a reason the plot has been used as the source for so many other stories.
Taymor has given it a gender tweak, with Helen Mirren as Prospera, the wronged (in this case) woman who suffers when her brother Antonio (Chris Cooper) has her accused of witchcraft and exiled on a voyage with her young daughter. But after washing up on a remote island, Prospera gathers magical powers and plots her revenge, while also dealing with the mysterious Caliban (Djimon Hounsou) and the ethereal Ariel (Ben Whishaw). But can she protect Miranda (Felicity Jones) from the outside world?
The proof of this one will be in the film itself – while the trailer looks great, it remains to be seen if Taymor has let her visual side overrule everything. Find the trailer at Apple and join the debate back here.
As for the film itself, it should arrive here early next year.