I’ve been keeping an eye on this project for a few years now. It does look as though Daniel Craig’s next film might be his long-gestating passion project with Bond producer Barbara Broccoli, “Othello” — the play he also starred in off-Broadway.
Broccoli has been trying very hard to fund “Othello” for the better part of five years now, and her quest to find money — and perhaps a location — has inevitably led her to Qatari financing, where everyone seems to be going these days for money and surrender. But that’s a whole other story.
Broccoli confirmed the news today in Qatar — the film will shoot there in the fall of 2026. She additionally mentioned that David Oyelowo, Rachel Brosnahan, and Cynthia Erivo are set to star in the film, with Oyelowo also directing.
The “Othello” news was mentioned in the context of a masterclass Broccoli gave in Qatar. Curiously, there was no mention of Craig’s involvement, which is a tad odd considering this was as much a passion project of his as it was of hers. Regardless, Showbiz411’s Roger Friedman is hearing that Craig is still involved and will be part of the cast.
So yes, this is a version of Shakespeare’s “Othello,” but one set in an American barracks in Iraq. There was a very limited 2016 run of the show, which received rave reviews, and quite honestly, you still come across people who saw the show and rave about it. It was an event.
Craig played Iago to Oyelowo’s Othello off-Broadway at the New York Theatre Workshop. Rachel Brosnahan played Desdemona. No word yet on whom Erivo is playing.
The play’s director, Sam Gold, was originally supposed to helm the film version. Not entirely sure what happened there, but he has been replaced by Oyelowo, who made his feature directorial debut with 2020’s “The Water Man.”