King Lear trailer: Anthony Hopkins plays Shakespeare's doomed monarch in Amazon-BBC adaptation

William Shakespeare has often been touted as the greatest writers, with his works being re-adapted in nearly every language and medium. The newest project to have germinated from his works is King Lear, the Amazon Prime Video film based on the poet’s play of the same name, the trailer for which released on 20 August. [caption id=“attachment_5012501” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Anthony Hopkins plays the eponymous ruler in the Amazon Prime Video’s King Lear. YouTube screengrab[/caption] The trailer opens with King Lear, played by veteran actor Anthony Hopkins, scribbling on a map lines to divide his kingdom among his daughters following his decision to step down from the throne. While the feature has been set in a fictional, alternate present era, the crux of the narrative seems to not have been tampered with. King Lear will be reuniting Anthony Hopkins with BAFTA and Olivier Award-winning director Richard Eyre, who previously worked with the actor on The Dresser in 2015, a Shakespearean history drama. Apart from Hopkins, the series will see Emma Thompson as Goneril, Emily Watson a Regan, Florence Pugh as Cordelia, and Jim Broadbent as the Earl of Gloucester. King Lear, which was previously aired by BBC Two on 28 May_,_ will be streaming on Amazon Prime from 28 September. Watch the trailer here: