EXCLUSIVE: Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose (West Side Story), Emmy winners Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), Oscar nominee LaKeith Stanfield (Judas and the Black Messiah), Chris Messina (Argo), Ted Levine (The Silence of the Lambs), Danny Huston (The Constant Gardener), Matthew Jacobs (Bar America), Rhys Coiro (Entourage) and Stephen Dorff (Blade) have joined Academy Award winners Al Pacino and Jessica Chastain in Bernard Rose’sLear Rex, a film adaptation of Shakespeare’sKing Lear.
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Barry Navidi is the producer, marking his fifth collaboration with Pacino followingThe Merchant of Venice, Wilde Salomé, Saloméas well as this year’s Johnny Depp-directedModi. Sharon Howard-Field, the film’s casting director, shares a long working history with Navidi, whose finance partners are Mattias Westman of Westman Films, Eco Entertainment, Dali Films and World Vision. CAA Media Finance is representing the North American rights, while Goodfellas is handling international sales. Principal photography will commence on August 12 in Los Angeles.
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InLear Rex, an aging King Lear (Pacino) divides his land among his three daughters to prevent future conflict. But he rejects the young daughter who loves him and places his trust in her malevolent sisters, who strip him of his power and condemn him to a wretched wasteland of horror and insanity. Chastain is set to play Goneril, DeBose will star as Cordelia, Brosnahan as Regan, Dinklage as the Fool, Huston as Albany, Messina as Cornwall, Stanfield as Edmund, Levine as Kent, Jacobs as Gloucester, Coiro as Oswald and Dorff as Poor Tom.
Writer-director Rose said, “It is enormously exciting to get the opportunity to work with this extraordinary cast that Al, Barry and Sharon have put together to tackle this radical, but accessible adaptation of Shakespeare’s greatest play.”
Navidi added: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to collaborate with Bernard Rose. His artistic vision, combined with a talented ensemble cast of players led by Al Pacino, promises to take us on a remarkable and unforgettable cinematic experience. We are merging the worlds of Shakespeare and Hollywood. This marks the commencement of an exciting new chapter, one that Al has poured his heart and soul into. It is a privilege for me to join forces with my dear friend once more, and to contribute to his enduring legacy.”
DeBose made her star turn as Anita in Steven Spielberg’sWest Side Story, for which she received multiple accolades including an Academy Award. Her upcoming feature films in 2024 include Blumhouse’sHouse of Spoils for Prime Video and Sony Pictures’Kraventhe Hunter.Shealso stars opposite Ke Huy Quan inWith Love, which Universal will releasein 2025, and recently wrapped production on the feature filmTowopposite Rose Byrne and Demi Lovato.
Brosnahan is best known for her Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning role as Miriam “Midge” Maisel in Amazon Prime Video’sThe Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She next will be seen as Lois Lane in the upcomingSupermanfor Warner Bros.andin James Hawes’The Amateuralongside Rami Malek and Laurence Fishburne.
Stanfield most recently starred in Sony’sThe Book of Clarence, Haunted Mansionfor Disney and the Apple TV+ seriesThe Changeling,which he also executive produced. In 2021, he was nominated for an Academy Awardfor his role inJudas and the Black Messiah. Upcoming projects includePlay Dirtyalongside Mark Wahlberg, Dermot Mulroney and Tony Shalhoub; starring and producing the film adaptation ofEl Paso, Elsewhere;and lending his voice to the documentaryErnest Cole: Lost and Found.
Dinklage is a four-time Emmy winner for his role as Tyrion Lannister in the HBO smashGame of Thrones. He next next will be seen as Dr. Dillamond inWickedfor Universal Pictures,Brothersalongside Josh Brolin and Brendan Fraser and The Thicketwith Juliette Lewis and Ned Dennehy.
Messina most recently starred in Bleecker Street’sI.S.S., The Boogeymanfor 20th Century Studios,Ben Affleck’sAiralongside Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Jason Batemanand Peaco*ck’sBased on a True Storyopposite Kaley Cuoco. Other notable credits include Affleck’s Academy Award-winningArgoas well as Hulu’sThe Mindy Project. His next projects includeWe’re Just Marriedopposite Lily Rabe as well as Clint Eastwood’sJuror #2.
Levine most recently starred in Hulu’sTiny Beautiful ThingsandBig Sky, AMC’sMayfair WitchesandThe Alienistfor Netflix. His film credits include blockbuster hitsThe Silence of the Lambs, Heat, Shutter Island, Wild Wild West, The Fast and the FuriousandAmerican Gangsterto name a few.Next he is set to star in Francesco Lucente’sStarbrightwith John Rhys-Davies and Elisabeth Röhm.
Huston is most recognizable for roles in Martin Scorsese’sThe Aviator,Alfonso Cuaron’sChildren of Men,Alejandro Inarritu’s21 Gramsand Fernando Meirelles’The Constant Gardeneralongside Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz. Upcoming projects includeRaideropposite Aaron Eckhart,Ice Fallwith Joel Kinnaman and Graham Greene, The Naked Gunwith Liam Neeson, Kevin Durand and Paul Walter Hauser andThe Crowwith Bill Skarsgård.
Jacobs is best known for his extensive career writing for iconic television productions includingThe Adventures of Young Indiana JonesandDoctor Who: The Movie.He also directed the award-winning featuresMothertime, Bar Americaand documentaryDoctor Who Am I.
Coiro is globally renowned for his role as Billy Walsh in multiple seasons of smash hit seriesEntourage. He will next be seen inRunning on Emptyopposite Lucy Hale,Trustwith Sophie Turner, Katey Sagal and Billy Campbell as well as TV seriesGotta GuyandThe Penguinfor Max.
Dorff has a multitude of film credits to his name including hit titlesBlade, ImmortalsandSomewhere.He currently has several upcoming projects includingThe Gunslingersopposite Nicolas Cage and Heather Graham andPeople Not Placeswith Shirley MacLaine.
Pacino, Chastain, Dinklage and Messina are represented by CAA. DeBose is repped by CAA, AC Management, The Lede Company7 and Ryan LeVine at Jackoway Austen Tyerman. Brosnahan is repped by CAA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners. Stanfield is represented by CAA, Stark Management and Ginsburg Daniels Kallis. Levine by Kass Management, Huston by UTA, Untitled Entertainment, Myman Greenspan and Julian Belfrage Associates, Jacobs by Independent Talent Group. Coiro by People Store and Paradigm Talent Agency and Dorff by Atlas Artists. Rose is repped by John Burnham and Casarotto Ramsay & Associates. Navidi is repped by attorney Bianca Goodloe, Goodloe Law.
