Rumors about the casting of Al Pacino as King Lear have been around for years – but now it’s finally official. The Oscar-winning actor will tackle the titular role in the upcoming adaptation of the classic tragedy written by William Shakespeare.
King Lear will be helmed by Michael Radford, who directed Pacino in The Merchant of Venice. Both projects are based on Shakespeare’s plays, but Radford still believes we’ll get a taste of something completely different from his next adaptation.
“Lear is the one that everyone aims for. Al has been toying with the idea for a long time. There’s a difference between Shylock, who’s only in five scenes, and Lear, who is in every scene, pretty much. It’s enormous. I think Pacino would like to have that kind of kudos because he’s a terrific actor,” explained the director.
The legendary actor will have a couple of major projects in the theaters before King Lear comes out. In 2019 we’ll get to see Al Pacino in two of the most anticipated films of the year – The Irishman by Martin Scorsese and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood by Quentin Tarantino.
