Sony Pictures Classics Buys Shakespeare Drama ALL IS TRUE Starring Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench, and Ian McKellen

The worldwide rights to the Shakespeare drama "All Is True" starring Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench, and Ian McKellen has been acquired by Sony Pictures Classics according to Variety.

In addition to staring as William Shakespeare, Branagh directed the film from Ben Elton's script. The film is about the little-known period in the final years of William Shakespeare. Dench plays Shakespeare's wife Anne, while McKellen plays the Earl of Southampton.

The movie 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. Shakespeare died in 1616 at the age of 52.

In a statement, Sony Classics said, "We have known and worked with Ken for 25 years. We feel this is a movie he was destined to make. He conjures up for us the depth and dramatic richness of a character about whom we have always been fascinated. What we have seen has confirmed our excitement to plan a qualifying run at the end of this year and to open the movie fully in the new year. We believe audiences will embrace the freshness of 'All Is True.'"

"All is True" will be produced by Tamar Thomas and Ted Gagliano. Judy Hofflund, Matt Jenkins, Becca Kovacik, with Laura Berwick executive producing.

The film will be released in 2019, after it has a one-week awards qualifying run in New York and Los Angeles on Dec. 21, followed by an official film release in 2019.

Read the original article on Variety.