Pacino Taking on ‘King Lear’

Al Pacino is once again circling a project based on a work by William Shakespeare.   He directed and was featured in the 1996 documentary ‘Looking for Richard’ and later starred in the  Michael Radford-directed adaptation of ‘Merchant of Venice’.   Now, Pacino is reteaming with Radford for an adaptation of ‘King Lear’.

Pic will be produced by Barry Navidi, who teamed with Pacino on ‘Merchant’ as well as the upcoming ‘Salomaybe?,’ which Pacino directed and stars in. That film, based on the Oscar Wilde  play, is in post-production.

While Pacino has played many Shakespearean characters, he has never played King Lear, the aging monarch who selects his successor by parsing his kingdom in three parts, ruled by his trio of daughters. Two of them are scheming connivers who flatter their father, while the one loving daughter, Cordelia, refuses to play that game and is exiled. The king ultimately loses everything.

“Al has been offered this role many times over the years, but didn’t feel ready,” Navidi said. “He’s ready now. The film will be true to its period, very similar to the classical look of ‘Merchant of Venice.’ Michael came up with the most brilliant adaptation and Al and I flipped for it.”

Source: Variety