Lear gets super cast

I wonder how a man, in this case Joshua Michael Stern, goes from directing a Kevin Costner comedy, to directing a faithful adaptation of KING LEAR, starring Anthony Hopkins in the title role, and the powerhouse trio of Gwyneth Paltrow, Naomi Watts, and Keira Knightley as his daughters. Stern’s feature debut SWING VOTE has yet to be released, so there’s no telling how it will fare, but I’d assume something like LEAR would be left for a heavyweight director. Stern told The Guardian his thoughts on the adaptation:

“It’s pre-Roman, Celtic, very raw. It’s a period in British history, from which Tolkien took a lot of his inspiration, where there were thatched-roof roundhouses and fortresses.”

I’ve studied LEAR heavily in University, and it’s a dark, nihilistic tragedy about a naïve King who misjudges his daughters and puts his trust in the wrong people. Filming starts next year in Britain and Ireland, and you can read the rest of the article HERE.