Naomi Watts Watches King Lear

Signs on for star-studded Shakespeare

Naomi Watts Watches King Lear

by Helen O'Hara |
Published on

If you've spent the weekend watching Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy blow stuff up, and are left feeling uncultured as a result, or if you feel ready for more tragedy after that Doctor Who cliffhanger on Saturday, you might find solace in the news that a new adaptation of King Lear is on its way, and that Naomi Watts has joined the (very) star-studded cast.

Anthony Hopkins will play Lear himself, the tired old King who decides to divvy his kingdom up between his three daughters - played by Gwyneth Paltrow, Naomi Watts and Keira Knightley. Sadly, Lear decides to accomplish this divide on the basis of how much his daughters profess to love him. Since the two elder, Goneril and Regan (Paltrow and Watts, we're guessing) gush flattery while the youngest - and his favourite - Cordelia (Knightley) refuses on the basis that she's not going to spew insincere praise when her father should really already know that she loves him, Lear makes a bad call, disinheriting his good daughter and ensuring that he himself will be turned into a mad vagabond, and his country torn by war. Like, bummer.

The film's set to be directed by Joshua Michael Stern, who's previously only directed short films but has written episodes of Law & Order and Chicago Hope. He's going to keep the setting "pre-Roman, Celtic, very raw", so expect less with the corsets and more with the coarse linens. Stern promises that more "really great actors" will be signing up, so keep an ear to the ground as this one moves towards the screen.

Shooting is due to start somewhere in the British Isles early next year.

Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website, we never allow this to influence product selections - read why you should trust us