Denzel Washington Has ‘Absolutely' Been in Talks for an ‘Othello' Film Adaptation

Yahoo

24-03-2025

Denzel Washington may be bringing his version of 'Othello' to the screen.
Washington stars alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in the Broadway play, which has been in previews since February 24. 'Othello' opened March 23 and runs through June 8. The play already broke the record for the highest weekly gross ever by earning $2.8 million in its second week. Now, director Kenny Leon is teasing that the historic Shakespeare retelling could lead to a film.
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Leon told The Hollywood Reporter that there has 'absolutely' been talks with Washington about adapting the play into a feature. Leon previously has collaborated with Washington on two other plays, 'A Raisin in the Sun' and 'Fences,' which Washington then later directed the film version of. When asked if Gyllenhaal would also potentially reprise his role for an 'Othello' film, Leon said, 'I would hope so, absolutely, that's what I would hope would happen.'
Leon's 'Othello' is set in 'The Near Future,' with Iago (Gyllenhaal) manipulating the titular Othello (Washington) into thinking that his wife, Desdemona (Molly Osborne), is having an affair. This is the first Broadway production of 'Othello' in more than 40 years, though Daniel Craig and David Oyelowo co-starred in a staging at New York Theatre Workshop off-Broadway between 2016 and 2017.
'It's important for today because, for 100s of years, we're still dealing with ourselves. Humanity is still struggling with itself,' Leon said. 'This play is about pure love but what happens to pure love when there's rumors and lies and jealousy. And all that's timely for every generation.'
He added that a play and a film are 'two different art forms' but the story of 'Othello' will have 'the same truth' in either form. 'We're trying to get this up first,' Leon said of the play.
The Variety review cited the respective star power of Washington and Gyllenhaal onstage. 'These scenes capitalize on all 70 of Washington's years on this Earth, as he looms over Desdemona and speaks with an authority his misguided beliefs have not earned,' the review reads. 'That Washingtonian authority demonstrates the production's one big idea — to place two big stars at the center of the stage and trust that their talent and charisma will carry the day. And, for the most part, they do; no fan of Washington or of Gyllenhaal will leave disappointed in the actors. Leon lets his two stars cook, but hasn't stocked the production with anything to give what they're doing any flavor.'
Washington recently led another Shakespeare film adaptation, Joel Coen's 2021 feature 'The Tragedy of Macbeth.' He will next star in Spike Lee's 'Highest 2 Lowest.'
'Othello' has been brought to the screen before, most (in)famously with the 1965 version which starred Laurence Olivier as the titular character. Olivier received an Oscar nomination for his performance; however, he was in blackface to play Othello.
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