RALPH FIENNES DIRECTS AND TAKES TITLE ROLE IN CORIOLANUS
London, 10th March 2010… CORIOLANUS, Ralph Fiennes’ directorial debut, in which he stars alongside Gerard Butler, Vanessa Redgrave and Brian Cox, starts shooting in Belgrade, Serbia next Wednesday, March 17.
Fiennes also produces, along with Gabrielle Tana (The Duchess), Julia Taylor-Stanley (The Tempest), Colin Vaines (The Young Victoria) and writer John Logan (BAFTA and Oscar nominee for Gladiator and The Aviator), who has adapted Shakespeare’s historical tragedy for the screen.
Cinematographer Barry Ackroyd and sound mixer Ray Beckett, fresh from their BAFTA and Oscar success with The Hurt Locker, are amongst the key crew.
Fiennes takes the title role of CORIOLANUS, a revered Roman General at odds with the city of Rome and his fellow citizens. Pushed by his controlling mother VOLUMNIA (Vanessa Redgrave) to enter the Senate, he is loath to ingratiate himself with the masses whose votes he needs in order to secure a Senate seat. When the public refuse to support him, Coriolanus’s anger prompts a riot which culminates in his expulsion from Rome. The banished hero then allies himself with his sworn enemy TULLUS AUFIDIUS (Gerard Butler) to take his revenge on the city.
Also featured in the cast are John Kani, Paul Jesson, James Nesbitt, Ashraf Barhom, Lubna Azabal and Jessica Chastain – soon to be seen in Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life and John Madden’s The Debt - as Coriolanus’s wife VIRGILIA.
CORIOLANUS mixes the classical and the contemporary, retaining Shakespeare’s language, but boldy combining it with modern technology and a contemporary environment, to enhance the visceral quality of the original story.
Hermetof Pictures, Magna Films and Icon Entertainment International present in association with Lip Sync Productions LLP, BBC Films, Kalkronkie LLP, Atlantic Swiss Productions, Artemis Films, MagnoliaMae Films and Synchronistic Pictures, a Lonely Dragon Production.
Executive producer for Hermetof Pictures is Marko Miscovic. Executive producers for Magna Films and Kalkronkie LLP are Robert Whitehouse, Christopher Figg and Will Young. Executive producer for Lip Sync Productions is Norman Merry, for BBC Films is Christine Langan and for Icon Entertainment is Anthony Buckner. Kevan Van Thompson is co-producer.
Icon is handling international sales, and Lionsgate is on board as the UK distributor.