Joel Coen Releases First Trailer to ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’

Joel Coen has shared the first look at The Tragedy of Macbeth, a film he adapted from the classic play by William Shakespeare. The film marks Coen’s solo directorial debut as his brother, Ethan, is not attached to the film.

Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth trailer is filmed entirely in black and white. In under a minute, fans already feel the ominous darkness that is ever-present in Shakespeare’s plays. Coen does eerie masterfully, as the trailer begins with blackbirds circling overhead. There is not much dialogue, with the exception of a witch delivering to viewers an iconic line from the play: By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.”

The witches from The Tragedy of Macbeth is my aesthetic pic.twitter.com/2C0ge7uwnA

— Into The Forest Dark (@ElliottBlackwe3) September 23, 2021

Thinking about The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) pic.twitter.com/8re4yt0chK

— T’Challa Stan (@KhameekJ03) September 21, 2021

To quote the witch, something wicked this way is undoubtedly coming. Macbeth is a tale of cunning nature, madness, and murder. Coen’s fierce adaptation has a stacked cast, beginning with Academy-Award winning actor Denzel Washington and Academy-Award winning actress Frances McDormand. Washington will be playing Lord Macbeth, and McDormand will be portraying his wife, Lady Macbeth. Viewers watch Macbeth trudging through a desert, and his wife is fearfully looking over her shoulder.

Frances McDormand. Denzel Washington. Joel Coen. Macbeth. pic.twitter.com/BrPQA2uQMm

— atilla bora (@atillabora6) September 21, 2021

Yeah I need The Tragedy of Macbeth in my life as soon as humanly possible pic.twitter.com/4qb6lBmNi2

— ⪽ (@bradstra) September 23, 2021

Other prominent cast members include Corey Hawkins (The Walking Dead) as Macduff, Moses Ingram (The Queen’s Gambit) as Lady Macduff, Brendan Gleeson (Harry Potter) as King Duncan, Harry Melling (The Queen’s Gambit) as Malcolm, and Ralph Ineson (The Green Knight) as the Captain.

so excited for moses ingram’s serve in tragedy of macbeth

— paulˣ (@paulswhtn) September 21, 2021

Fans have stormed social media to reveal their excitement over the pairing between McDormand and Washington playing the complicated couple.

So, Macbeth and Joel Coen, Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand. Oh, yeah, this is going to be a fantastic sight. #TheTragedyofMacbeth pic.twitter.com/VdJSKFATlq

— Nana (@nannarkin) September 22, 2021

Just seen the trailer for Joel Coen’s forthcoming #Macbeth, starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand, and it looks STUNNING… 📽️🗡️🩸 pic.twitter.com/B9tCZL9QJ9

— Dr. David Vernon (@DrDavidVernon) September 21, 2021

The Tragedy of Macbeth will take viewers on an exciting ride. As Joel Coen shares only a minute of his upcoming film, fans are excited for what is to come. The Tragedy of Macbeth is in theaters on December 25 and Apple TV+ on January 14. The ominous trailer is available to watch above.