If you thought popping up as the voice of the Asgardian spaceship distress call at the start of Infinity War was the only surprise Kenneth Branagh had to spring this year, think again. We learned in October that he's snuck in an entire film while finishing work on Artemis Fowl, and the trailer for Shakespeare tale All Is True is now online.
This time around, Branagh is playing William Shakespeare instead of adapting him, with Judi Dench as his wife Anne and Ian McKellen as the Earl of Southampton. The story is set in 1613, with Shakespeare acknowledged as the greatest writer of the age. But his renowned Globe Theatre burns to the ground, and Shakespeare returns to Stratford, where he must face a troubled past and a neglected family. Haunted by the death of his only son Hamnet, he struggles to mend the broken relationships with his wife and daughters and is forced to examine his own failings as husband and father. His very personal search for the truth uncovers secrets and lies within a family at war.
Ben Elton, usually found bringing the Bard to life via Upstart Crow. wrote the screenplay, while Shakespeare In Love fans will be happy to see it includes a bit with a dog.
All Is True will have a limited, awards-qualifying release in the States on 21 December before arriving properly on UK screens on 8 February.
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