A couple of months back, reports surfaced that "informal conversations" were happening between Kenneth Branagh and Martin Scorsese about bringing the actor’s "Macbeth" stage show to the big screen. It seemed to be an idea at best, and given both the director’s and actor’s busy schedules, it wasn’t quite clear where this would all fit in. But it seems that some progress has been made.
Recently appearing on BBC Radio‘s Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review (via What’s On Stage) Branagh provided an update on the "Macbeth" project. "We will remount the production and all things being well Mr. Scorcese will direct a film version of that production," he said. "Fingers are hovering above pieces of paper. Everybody wants to do it, it’s just a question of schedules. I’m very very hopeful it’s going to happen."
Hoping that Scorsese will create something "very impressionistic" and "very abstract," Branagh’s stage show is designed to place audiences right up close and inside the action, inches away from the actors performing the piece. So it will certainly set itself apart from other movie versions that have been made, likely including the highly anticipated film starring Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard. But as always, nothing is officially confirmed, and we’ll see if Scorsese can actually make the time in his schedule that is consistently filled with a variety of projects vying for attention.