Fiennes to Film “Coriolanus” in Serbia
River Road Entertainment will film a modern day version of Shakespeare’s “Coriolanus” in Serbia, directed by Ralph Fiennes who will also portray the legendary Roman leader. In July, Fiennes—along with producer Frank Hildebrand, and set designer Mark Geraghty—scouted potential film locations across Serbia, including Belgrade’s Old Court and the Pink film studio in Šimanovci and were impressed with the variety of sites. The Federation Palace and the IMT factory in Belgrade were ultimately chosen for the shoot, which is scheduled to begin in March 2009.
Final casting has not been announced, but it is expected that several Serbian actors will appear. “Coriolanus” is being filmed in collaboration with Work in Progress, a Serbian production company. Another recent Work in Progress collaboration project, “Brothers Bloom,” also featured Serbian talent.
USAID’s Competitiveness Project worked closely with Work in Progress to secure the “Coriolanus” opportunity. “What this means for Serbia is about $10 million in direct investment—that’s how much American producers have set aside from the overall budget for shooting in Serbia. It is a great opportunity for Belgrade and Serbia to be promoted through a Hollywood production,” says USAID’s Ana Ilić.
The dramatic feature is based on the life of the legendary Roman leader, Gaius Martius Coriolanus, and will be set in modern times. A previous version of this Shakespeare work was made in 1979 with Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman as the title character.
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| Actor/Director Ralph Fiennes in Belgrade. |
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