The Weinstein Company has released the first U.S. trailer for Macbeth, and it’s unsurprisingly fantastic. Directed by Justin Kurzel, the adaptation of the Shakespeare play stars Michael Fassbender as the eponymous general who, with the help of his wife/co-conspirator (Marion Cotillard) murders the king and takes the throne only to be overtaken by paranoia and madness.

The sheer craftsmanship on display in this new trailer is stunning. Kurzel looks to be bringing a visceral quality to this adaptation that sets it apart, and of course it helps that he has performers like Fassbender and Cotillard bringing these iconic roles to life. This has been on my most anticipated list for a while now, and this trailer only serves to heighten my excitement for the adaptation.


And there’s yet another reason to look forward to Macbeth given that Kurzel, Fassbender, and Cotillard are all reteaming for the Assassin’s Creed film that Fassbender is producing and starring in. Video game movies have been subpar for decades, but based on what we see on display in Macbeth, I’m incredibly curious to see what this trio is cooking up for the Ubisoft adaptation, which just started filming last week.

For now, though, take a look at the new trailer for Macbeth below, via The Weinstein Company. The film also stars Sean Harris, Paddy Considine, David Thewlis, Jack Reynor, and Elizabeth Debicki. Macbeth opens in select theaters on December 4th.

Here’s the official synopsis for Macbeth:

From the producers of THE KING’S SPEECH comes the feature film adaptation of Shakespeare's play MACBETH about Scottish General Macbeth (Michael Fassbender) whose ambitious wife (Marion Cotillard) urges him to use wicked means in order to gain power of the throne over the sitting king.


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