Emmerich casts Shakespeare thriller

Roland Emmerich will not be orchestrating the end of the world in his next flick (probably).

The man behind Independence Day , The Day After Tomorrow , and 2012 has bagged Vanessa Redgrave, David Thewlis and Rhys Ifans for Anonymous .

The film will explore the idea that Shakespeare didn't actually write his plays after all, and that it is in fact the Earl of Oxford who deserves the credit in English classes.

Emmerich says: “We have Vanessa Redgrave as Queen Elizabeth; David Thewlis as William Cecil, old and young; and Rhys Ifans as The Earl Of Oxford. It’s a true English cast and I’m really proud of it."

Emmerich had also been developing an adaptation of Isaac Asimov's epic sci-fi series Foundation , but it looks like this'll be going on the back burner in favour of Anonymous .

Source [ EmpireOnline ]

Will there be scope in this story for Emmerich to blow stuff up? Vent your thoughts below...

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine.