Barbara Broccoli is making Othello with David Oyelowo, Rachel Brosnahan, and Cynthia Erivo
When Amazon purchased MGM for $8.5 billion back in 2022, they found themselves in the James Bond business, as the Bond franchise was set up at MGM – and they wanted to start making Bond movies as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, creative disagreements between Amazon MGM Studios and producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli of EON Productions slowed down the process. So, earlier this year Amazon paid off Wilson and Broccoli so they can gain creative control over the franchise for the foreseeable future. Amazon has brought Amy Pascal of Pascal Pictures and David Heyman of Heyday Films in to produce the new Bond film, with Denis Villeneuve (Dune) signed on to direct a screenplay by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. With Bond now in the hands of others, Barbara Broccoli is focusing on different projects – and Deadline reports that she’s moving forward with a new take on the William Shakespeare tragedy Othello.
Shakespeare’s story tells of a respected Moorish general in the Venetian army who is manipulated by his envious ensign, Iago. Iago tricks Othello into believing his wife, Desdemona, is unfaithful, leading Othello to kill her in a jealous rage before taking his own life when he realizes his mistake. Broccoli was behind a 2016 theater production of the Shakespeare classic Othello that moved the setting of the story from early 17th century Venice to a U.S. barracks in Iraq, and that’s the version of the story that she’ll be bringing to the screen.
David Oyelowo (Lawmen: Bass Reeves) is on board to star as Othello, which he’ll also be directing. His co-stars will include Rachel Brosnahan (Superman) as Desdemona and Cynthia Erivo (Wicked) as Desdemona’s maid Emilia. Oyelowo and Brosnahan also starred in Broccoli’s stage production, where Iago was played by then-Bond Daniel Craig.
Othello will be filming in Qatar during Autumn 2026. Broccoli and Nicky Bentham are producing for EON Productions, along with Oyelowo for Yoruba Saxon and in partnership with Qatar’s Doha-based Katara Studios, which is co-financing. The project will be taking advantage of the Qatar Screen Production Incentive. The post-production and VFX company Company 3 will be working on the film.
Oyelowo had this to say about the project: “Our cinematic version of Othello is bitingly modern and fearlessly ambitious. To have a real shot at that, you need fearless actors. Cynthia is not only a generational talent but a dear friend with whom I am always keen to collaborate, and Rachel was a dream to play opposite in our original stage production and has been an inspiring pillar to build around for our fresh take on this legendary tale.“
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Image courtesy of Deadline
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