'Tempest' cast includes Helen Mirren

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Julie Taymor Adds More Gender-Bending to Shakespeare. Trade Roughage 10/08/08
Published 10/8/2008 by Christopher Campbell at SpoutBlog
... Julie Taymor is directing a film adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, which will star plenty of Oscar-caliber performers, including Helen Mirren, Jeremy Irons, Djimon Hounsou and possibly Geoffrey Rush (Also: Russell Brand as the jester, Trinculo!). Taymor’s version should be interesting considering her postmodern take on the Bard’s Titus Andronicus for her film debut, and she’s already revealed one twist by casting Mirren in the lead, as a gender-reversed “Prospera”. But I bet it still won’t out-arthouse Peter ...

Mirren Prospers in Taymor’s Tempest
Published 10/8/2008 by Kirsten Anderson at At The Movies - Film News and Reviews
... The Hollywood Reporter brings us news that Helen Mirren has been cast in Julie Taymor’s big screen adaptation of The Tempest. In a twist, Mirren will be playing the lead–Prospero, a role written for a man, will be renamed Prospera. ...

Helen Is Queen Again In The Tempest
Published 10/8/2008 at Cinema Blend News
... of the Shakespeare play. Taymor, who set teen romance to Beatles songs last year with Across the Universe , is apparently set on breaking the rules from the first moment in this one; cast in the lead role of Prospero, the duke on the island, is Helen Mirren-- yes, Helen Mirren the lady. The character will apparently be renamed Prospera, and will be surrounded by a seriously motley crew-- Jeremy Irons, Russell Brand, Ben Whishaw, Djimon Hounsou and maybe even Geoffrey Rush. The Hollywood Reporter says the movie will start filming this November in Hawaii, which means this ...

Mirren, Irons, Hounsou, Wishaw, Molina, Brand to Rock Up Taymor's Tempest Adaptation
Published 10/11/2008 at OH NO!!
... foray into Shakespearean territory -- she turned his "Titus Andronicus" into the 1999 film "Titus." The pic also continues the strong relationship Taymor has developed with Disney, for which she directed the Broadway musical adaptation of "The Lion King," and Disney's specialty division Miramax, which released her Salma Hayek-starrer "Frida." this post has been brought to you by two cell phones fucking up a performance of 'Teaching As You Like It' Source