Ralph Fiennes will direct 'Coriolanus'

Vanessa Redgrave may star in Fiennes directing debut

By HitFix Staff Sunday, Feb 8, 2009 7:02 PM

Ralph Fiennes

Credit: Marmus Schreiber/AP

Ralph Fiennes is currently rounding up financing to make his feature directing debut on William Shakespeare's "Coriolanus."

According to Variety, Fiennes has already scouted Eastern European locations for the production and is in talks with Vanessa Redgrave to play a key female role.

Fiennes would play the title role, Roman general Caius Martius, who returns from war and is urged by his mother Volumnia (Redgrave, possibly) to run for consul, but his ambition leads to his downfall.

The "Schindler's List" and "Quiz Show" and "The Reader" star played Coriolanus to mixed reviews in London and New York city back in 2000.

Currently appearing on the big screen in "The Reader," the two-time Oscar nominee will next be seen in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."

It appears that Shakespeare is back in vogue again as Hollywood's hot go-to screenwriter. The news of Fiennes' "Coriolanus" comes just days after Al Pacino was attached to reunite with his "Merchant of Venice" director Michael Radford on a new production of "King Lear."