CYMBELINE First Trailer Stars Ethan Hawke, Ed Harris, Milla Jovovich, John Leguizamo, Dakota Johnson and Anton Yelchin

Lionsgate’s Grindstone Entertainment has acquired all North American rights to Hamlet writer/director Michael Almereyda’s modern day adaptation of Shakespeare’s play CYMBELINE ahead of its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, it was announced today by the film’s producers, Michael Benaroya of Benaroya Pictures and Anthony Katagas of Keep Your Head Productions.

The film, starring Academy Award nominees Ethan Hawke (Boyhood) and Ed Harris (A Beautiful Mind), Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil), John Leguizamo (Chef), Penn Badgley (Margin Call, Easy A), Dakota Johnson (the upcoming 50 Shades of Grey) and Anton Yelchin (Star Trek Into Darkness) will be distributed in spring 2015 by Lionsgate Home Entertainment.

CYMBELINE unfolds amidst an epic battle between dirty cops and a drug dealing biker gang, set in a corruption-riddled contemporary America. In the style of Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet, CYMBELINE is a fresh take on a universal story of love, betrayal and revenge.

“We have the highest confidence that Lionsgate and Grindstone will give Cymbeline the dedicated handling it deserves,” said Benaroya and Katagas. “We’re deeply impressed with their enthusiasm and couldn’t be happier that they have come on board to release the film in North America.”

“We’re thrilled to have acquired a visionary film with an amazing cast assembled by Michael Almereyda, and we’re excited about partnering with Benaroya Pictures, whose track record of producing quality films speaks for itself,” said Grindstone partners Barry Brooker and Stan Wertlieb.

CYMBELINE is produced by Katagas (Academy Award-winning Best Picture 12 Years a Slave, The Immigrant, Killing Them Softly) for Keep Your Head Productions and Benaroya (Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions’ Margin Call, Kill Your Darlings), who is fully financing the film through his Benaroya Pictures banner. Ben Sachs of Benaroya executive produced the film along with Brooker and Wertlieb. Andrew Fierberg (That Awkward Moment, Hamlet) co–produced Cymbeline.

CAA negotiated the deal on behalf of the filmmakers and Barry Brooker, Stan Wertlieb and Ryan Black on behalf of Grindstone.

International Film Trust is handling international rights to the film.