DUBAI: Rachel Brosnahan and Cynthia Erivo will star in an upcoming adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Othello,” directed and starring David Oyelowo and shot in Qatar.
Barbara Broccoli’s Eon Productions, the former producer of the James Bond franchise, and Qatar’s Film Committee are jointly producing the film that will shoot in Doha in autumn 2026.
It marks Broccoli’s first project since the sale of Bond rights to Amazon MGM. The film is an adaptation of the “Othello” production that ran at the New York Theatre Workshop in 2016, directed by Sam Gold.
Cynthia Erivo will star in an upcoming adaptation of William Shakespeare’s 'Othello,' co-produced by Barbara Broccoli. (AFP)
“I’ve wanted to produce the cinematic adaptation of ‘Othello’ since we staged the production in New York in 2016,” Broccoli said in a statement, reported by Variety.
Oyelowo will direct and will also play Othello, while Brosnahan takes on the role of Desdemona and Erivo plays Emilia.
Oyelowo commented: “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,” he added.
The screenplay recontextualizes the classic Venice-and-Cyprus-set play in a contemporary war-torn desert in the Middle East, with Deadline reporting that it will be set in a US barracks in Iraq.
Production will utilize the new Qatar Screen Production Incentive, a national rebate scheme launched this week.
The news comes as Erivo’s latest project, “Wicked: For Good,” soars with a North American opening of $150 million, alongside over $200 million globally. In the musical, Erivo plays Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West.
The film set a record for Broadway adaptations, beating the debut of 2024’s “Wicked,” which previously held the benchmark over the same pre-Thanksgiving frame.
