Taymor's TEMPEST to Highlight NY Film Fest., Oct. 2

As BroadwayWorld has previously reported, Julie Taymor is at the helm of a new film adaptation of THE TEMPEST, to be released this winter. The film was shot in Hawaii with stars Helen Mirren (Prospera), Alfred Molina (Stephano), Ben Whishaw (Ariel), FeliciTy Jones (Miranda), Russell Brand (Trinculo), Djimon Hounsou (Caliban), Alan Cumming (Sebastian), Chris Cooper (Antonio), and David Strathairn (Alonso).

The New York Times reports today that the film will in fact be the main attraction at this year's New York Film Festival, presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center in October.  The film will get a special screening on October 2, 2010 at Alice Tully Hall.

Taymor is the Broadway director of The Lion King, for which she won the Tony Award, and is currently preparing the Broadway musical version of the Marvel Comic's Spiderman. Her other films include Titus, based on Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus, and Frida.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the film, being produced by Bob Chartoff, Lynn Hendee and Julia Taylor-Stanley, is seeking a November start date in Hawaii. Miramax has acquired the rights to all English-speaking territories; Icon is handling foreign sales.

Shakespeare's play mixes romance with fraternal politics and the supernatural. As revised for the screen, it will center around Prospera, her daughter Miranda (Jones) and a shipwrecked crew full of Prospera's enemies.

The Tempest is Taymor's second big-screen spin on Shakespeare she reimagined Titus Andronicus into the 1999 film Titus.

The film also continues the strong relationship Taymor has developed with the Walt Disney, for which she directed the Broadway musical adaptation of The Lion King, as well as the company owned art focused film division Miramax, which released the Taymor directed Frida.

Photo Credit: Peter James Zielinski