Frances McDormand and Denzel Washington Star in The Tragedy of Macbeth Trailer

Don’t call Joel Coen’s new movie Macbeth. No, not because of the supposed curse, the cast has just insisted that the movie—starring Denzel Washington as the titular character— be referred to by its official title, The Tragedy of Macbeth.

“I think is an important distinction,” Frances McDormand told IndieWire, who plays Lady Macbeth in the movie. “In Joel’s adaptation, we are exploring the age of the characters and in our adaptation the Macbeths are older. Both Denzel and I are older than what is often cast as the Macbeths. We’re postmenopausal, we’re past childbearing age. So that puts a pressure on their ambition to have the crown. I think the most important distinction is that it is their last chance for glory.”

The drama is palpable in the first trailer for Coen’s new film, which marks a rare solo effort away from his brother, Ethan. The Tragedy of Macbeth was shot entirely on sound stages and in black and white to give it the feeling of a “German Expressionist film.” The first trailer shows the results of that effort and introduces Washington and McDormand in their roles. The pair will also be joined by Corey Hawkins, Moses Ingram, Brendan Gleeson, Harry Melling, and Ralph Ineson.

A24 will release The Tragedy of Macbeth in theaters on December 25th and the movie will be available to stream on Apple TV+ on January 14, 2022.