Sons of Anarchy meets Shakespeare in the trailer for Cymbeline starring Ed Harris and Ethan Hawke

Fans of the FX biker series SONS OF ANARCHY are already fully aware that the series is heavily influenced by William Shakespeare‘s HAMLET. While that series deviates from the classic play in some ways, The Bard’s immortal tale is front and center and works perfectly with the modernized setting. While contemporary re-tellings of Shakespeare have been happening since the invention of film, there are countless plays the general public are unfamiliar with that can use a fresh take.

The latest Shakespeare play to get the big screen update is CYMBELINE. Starring Ed Harris, Anton Yelchin, Penn Badgley, Milla Jovovich, Ethan Hawke, John Leguizamo, and FIFTY SHADES OF GREY star Dakota Johnson, CYMBELINE is using a similar motorcycle club to SONS OF ANARCHY to sell a tale of crime and greed.

CYMBELINE unfolds as an epic battle between dirty cops and a drug dealing biker gang set in a corruption-riddled 21st century America. CYMBELINE is a fresh take on a universal story of love, betrayal and revenge.”

The trailer plays just like an iambic pentameter version of SONS OF ANARCHY which would be tiresome if not for the damn fine cast of actors in this project. I am definitely intrigued by this take on one of the few Shakespeare plays I am unfamiliar with. Like last year’s Ralph Fiennes directed CORIOLANUS, CYMBELINE could end up being a nice addition to Shakespeare’s filmed works.

CYMBELINE does not currently have a release date but expect to see it sometime in 2014.

Source: The Film Stage

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Alex Maidy has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. A Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and a member of Chicago Indie Critics, Alex has been JoBlo.com's primary TV critic and ran columns including Top Ten and The UnPopular Opinion. When not riling up fans with his hot takes, Alex is an avid reader and aspiring novelist.