This 'Macbeth' Trailer Is Epic And Beautiful

When most of you think of Shakespeare, the first phrase that pops into mind isn’t too often “totally badass.” That, however, might change with the latest adaptation of Macbeth, which does in fact look totally badass. If you don’t believe me, just check out this new trailer.

Director Justin Kurzel (The Snowtown Murders, the upcoming Assassin’s Creed adaptation) takes the Bard’s tragedy and gives it a Braveheart style makeover, taking an already dark tale and turning the lights down even more. For those of you not familiar, Macbeth follows a Scottish duke who receives a prophecy from three witches (“…double, double, toil and trouble…”) that he will become king. Consumed by his ambition, he and his wife, murder the king and take the throne, but it costs them everything.

Starring Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, David Thewlis, and more great actors, Kurzel’s Macbeth premiered recently at Cannes, winning acclaim for its thematic richness, the semi-mythical setting, oh, and epic, brutal battle scenes. You get all of that from this trailer. Atmospheric and moody, you can see Mabeth’s (Fassbender) mind stretching and snapping, there’s brutal old-timey combat, and tension for days.

Macbeth hits U.K. theaters on October 2, and though there is no U.S. release date, you can bet if it’s as good as people are saying, it’ll hit domestic shores in time to qualify for end-of-the-year awards.