2 April 2014
Motion picture history will be made in the Caribbean this year with “Macbett”, a new film directed by Aleta Chappelle, making her the first African- American woman ever to direct a film version of a Shakespeare play.
Broadway and Hollywood actors Terrence Howard, Sanaa Lathan, Blair Underwood, Harry Lennix and Evan Ross will star in the Caribbean-set movie adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”, filming of which is scheduled to get underway in Jamaica and Puerto Rico. The new film’s storyline revolves around General Macbett (Howard) who meets the “weird sisters,” rulers of earth, water, fire and sky as the spirit daughters of Mother Africa.
As the strange spirits manipulate Macbett by telling him he will soon become king, Macbett and his beautiful wife Lady Macbett (Lathan) become obsessed with ambition, setting the stage for “Something wicked this way comes. Open, locks, whoever knocks,” in the words of Shakespeare’s original play. Howard appeared on Broadway in the 2008 revival of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”.
His film and TV credits include “Iron Man”, “Hustle & Flow”, “Crash” and “The Brave One”. Lathan starred in “A Raisin in the Sun” on Broadway. Her film and TV credits include “AVP: Alien vs. Predator”, “Blade”, “The Cleveland Show”, “Boss”, “Out of Time” and “Something New”. Underwood appeared in the most recent Broadway revival of “A Streetcar Named Desire”. His film and TV credits include “LA Law”, “Gattaca”, “One Life to Live” and “Deep Impact”. Lennix starred in “Radio Golf” on Broadway. His film and TV appearances include “Ray”, “The Matrix Revolutions”, “State of Play” and “The Matrix Reloaded”.
