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Original Release: May 28, 2018 (BBC Two) Directed by: Richard Eyre Written by: Richard Eyre Based on: King Lear by William Shakespeare Produced by: Noëlette Buckley Genre: Tragedy Running Time: 115 minutes Distributors: Amazon Studios and BBC |
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Set in an alternative universe, 21st-century, highly militarised London, the sovereign King Lear calls his family together one evening in order for him to announce the division of his kingdom among his three daughters. The two elder daughters, Regan and Goneril, make open statements about their allegiance to and love for their father and receive each a share of the kingdom. The king’s youngest daughter Cordelia, however, finds the act of making such a verbal statement superficial and declines to make a comparable declaration. As a result, she refuses her part of the inheritance, which is now entirely divided between her two elder sisters, while Cordelia is left to her own devices to survive. |
Cast & Characters
Anthony Hopkins (Lear), Emma Thompson (Goneril), Emily Watson (Regan), Jim Broadbent (Earl of Gloucester), Florence Pugh (Cordelia), Jim Carter (Earl of Kent), Andrew Scott (Edgar), John Macmillan (Edmund), Tobias Menzies (Duke of Cornwall), Anthony Calf (Duke of Albany), Karl Johnson (Fool), Christopher Eccleston (Oswald), John Standing (Butler).
Production Photos
Awards & Nominations
2019: Critics’ Choice Television Awards – Best Movie/Miniseries
2019: Satellite Awards – Best Miniseries or Television Film
2019: Primetime Emmy Awards – Outstanding Television Movie
Critics Consensus
Led by dual mesmerizing performances from Sir Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson and rounded out by a solidly stocked ensemble, this King Lear is a highly watchable adaptation.
Official Trailer