Was it more important with a project like this, where it was originally a play, to have a lengthy rehearsal period? I’d imagine this isn’t the way you normally rehearse before shooting.
No, it probably isn’t. Although I tell you what, I may from now on because the more time you give the actors to really get into the roles, the more rewarding it is. We had to shoot this film very fast, like in seven weeks, so I was absolutely insistent that we had this period and that we hit the ground running, which we did. It allowed us to shoot the film very fast.
I’m sure it allows your actors more of a chance to get into the characters, but do you lose some of the spontaneity of how they would approach a scene?
Not if they’re good actors, no.
Did the extra long rehearsal period allow your actors to bond more as a cast? Would you say this was a pretty close-knit group?
Oh yeah, definitely. Over a period of a couple of months, we sort of met in different parts of the world to rehearse this thing and we became very close. I think that it helps enormously.
Now that you’ve discovered how to successfully make a film based on Shakespeare, would you consider doing another one?
I’ve thought about it. If this one works… Certainly I’ve talked with both Al and Jeremy about the possibility of doing another one. Certainly Al is very keen to do another one, but we don’t know quite which yet because some of them are so theatrical it’s difficult to know how to do them in cinema. Others have much more of a kind of cinematic plot to them. “King Lear,” for instance, is very theatrical. Sometimes the plot works in the theater but it doesn’t work in any kind of reality. Whereas something like “Macbeth” is pretty cinematic.
But it’s been done a few times…
It’s been done. It’s been done, absolutely.
Would you make a few changes?
I would. I definitely would.
Are you leaning toward doing “Macbeth?”
I don’t know yet. I really don’t know. I’ve got to sit down and it’s a question of getting an inspiration. If you can suddenly see it, then that’s the one. Also I have to choose one that Al can do. There’s no point of me doing “Romeo and Juliet” with Al Pacino (laughing). But don’t tell him that.
So the fact you definitely want to do another film with Al Pacino will be one of the biggest factors in deciding which project to do?
Absolutely, yeah. Absolutely, because we like working together.
