History Trivia / Macbeth

** Although Lady Macbeth's nationality is never officially stated in the play, she's assumed to be Scottish. She's played by French actress Marion Cotillard NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent - because she's an Oscar winning actress who is otherwise perfect for the part. The change does have a historical justification; Scotland has had many French queen consorts, making it plausible that Lady Macbeth could be French.

* CreatorBreakdown: It's widely assumed that the film's BloodierAndGorier nature was influenced by the real life murder of Creator/RomanPolanski's wife Sharon Tate. When some crew members suggested toning the film down, he responded "I know violence. You should have seen my house last summer."
** The little girl who played Lady Macduff's dead daughter was asked what her name was playfully by the director while he was smearing fake blood on her. She replied [[TearJerker "Sharon"]].

* FakeScot: Irish actors Creator/MichaelFassbender and Jack Reynor as Macbeth and Malcolm, and the English David Thewlis as Duncan.

* CreatorBacklash: Orson Welles hated his own costume, claiming "I looked like the Statue of Liberty in it" but had to use it because the low budget wouldn't allow for a change. He had mixed feelings towards the final film but ultimately said he wasn't ashamed of it.
* CrossCastRole: One of the witches is played by Brainerd Duffield - a man. As noted below, Orson Welles's daughter played Macduff's son.
* DirectedByCastMember: Orson Welles directs and plays the lead role.
* DuelingWorks: Laurence Olivier released an adaptation of ''{{Theatre/Hamlet}}'' the same year, and Orson Welles withdrew this film from Cannes to avoid competing with it. Laurence Olivier had planned to make a ''Macbeth'' film initially, but dropped it when it became clear that this one would come out first.

* ExecutiveMeddling: Republic forced Orson Welles to cut two reels of the film and re-record the dialogue with the actors using their natural voices instead of the {{Fake Scot}}s they had been in the original film.
* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: The film was met with apathy in Britain and America, but it was a huge hit elsewhere. In France especially it was regarded as a masterpiece.
* RealLifeRelative: Macduff's young son was played by Orson Welles's [[CrossCastRole daughter]], [[GenderBlenderName Christopher Welles]].
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Vivien Leigh was the first choice for Lady Macbeth but Orson Welles didn't even ask her, feeling that Laurence Olivier wouldn't have allowed her to star. Agnes Moorhead, Anne Baxter and Mercedes [=McCambridge=] were all approached but unavailable.

* CreatorBreakdown: It's widely assumed that the film's BloodierAndGorier nature was influenced by the real life murder of Roman Polanski's wife Sharon Tate. When some crew members suggested toning the film down, he responded "I know violence. You should have seen my house last summer."
* NamesTheSame: The little girl who played Lady Macduff's dead daughter was asked what her name was playfully by the director while he was smearing fake blood on her. She replied [[TearJerker "Sharon"]].
* RoleEndingMisdemeanor: Role ''preventing'' misdemeanour in this case. Marianne Faithfull screentested for the part, but was rejected after her heroin use was discovered.

* TroubledProduction: Production suffered lots of setbacks due to bad weather delaying filming, special effects malfunctioning and Roman Polanski insisting on doing several long excessive takes. Production ran six months over schedule and $600,000 over budget.

* FakeScot: Irish actors Michael Fassbender and Jack Reynor as Macbeth and Malcolm, and the English David Thewlis as Duncan.

* ProductionPosse: Justin Kurzel, Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard immediately moved from this film to ''Film/AssassinsCreed2016''.
* PromotedFanboy: Marion Cotillard always dreamed of playing Lady Macbeth, and had assumed she'd only play her on the stage in France. Jack Reynor was likewise a fan of Marion and said it was an honour to actually work with her.

* TropeNamers: EyeOfNewt, LadyMacbeth, NoManOfWomanBorn, OutDamnedSpot

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Vivien Leigh was the first choice for Lady Macbeth but her husband Laurence Olivier refused on her behalf. Agnes Moorhead was also courted for the role but turned it down.

* CulturalTranslation: A 1970 Zulu-language adaptation by South African playwright Welcome Msomi, called ''uMabatha'', adapts the play into Zulu tribal culture of the early 19th century (around the reign of the famous King Shaka). Actor and theater critic Peter Ustinov remarked that until reading ''uMabatha,'' he did not understand ''Macbeth.'' Nelson Mandela remarked on the similarities between Macbeth and King Shaka.

* ProductionPosse: Justin Kurzel, Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard immediately moved from this film to ''Film/AssassinsCreed''.

* ExecutiveMeddling: About a hundred years after Shakespeare died, an English theatre impresario (probably Creator/ColleyCibber) added an extra "witches" scene to Act III which was later assumed to have been part of the original play. (After the witches' "double, double, toil and trouble" speech, Hecate and three ''other'' witches show up randomly, sing a song called "Black Spirits", and vanish). [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment This is never mentioned again.]] Most versions of the play produced before about 1970 include this scene; most since leave it out.

* HeyItsThatGuy:
** In the 1971 Creator/RomanPolanski version, Macbeth was played by Jon Finch, who was first choice for Doyle in ''Series/TheProfessionals''. Banquo was played by Martin Shaw, who ''did'' play Doyle!
** The RSC production filmed for television in 1979 features Creator/IanMcKellen as Macbeth, Creator/JudiDench as Lady Macbeth, [[Film/JurassicPark Bob Peck]] as Macduff, [[Film/RobinHoodMenInTights Roger Rees]] as Malcolm, [[Franchise/StarWars Ian McDiarmid]] as Ross (and the porter) and [[Film/AnAmericanWerewolfInLondon John Woodvine]] as Banquo.

* The 8th among the royal descendants of Banquo who appear in the witchcraft induced vision in Act 4 is supposed to be King James I of England, who was believed to be 8 generations removed from the real life Banquo. Somewhat ironically, the current British royal house is actually descended from the Thanes of Glamis, the old fief belonging to Macbeth himself in the play, since the Queen Mum, the mother of the current Queen Elizabeth II, is of a Scottish noble family who has been the real Thanes of Glamis since 14th century and spent her childhood there.

** In the 1971 Creator/RomanPolanski version, Macbeth was played by Creator/JonFinch, who was first choice for Doyle in ''Series/TheProfessionals''. Banquo was played by Creator/MartinShaw, who ''did'' play Doyle!

* HeyItsThatGuy: The RSC production filmed for television in 1979 is known universally as the nerd-tastic production. Why? Because...
** [[Film/TheLordOfTheRings Gandalf]]/[[Film/{{X-Men}} Magneto]] is Macbeth.
** [[Film/JamesBond M]] is Lady Macbeth.
** [[Film/JurassicPark Robert Muldoon]] is Macduff.
** [[Film/RobinHoodMenInTights The Sheriff of Rottingham]] is Malcolm.
** [[StarWars Emperor Palpatine]] is Ross (and the porter).
** [[Film/AnAmericanWerewolfInLondon Dr. Hirsch]] is Banquo.

* Also the RomanPolanski version: Macbeth was played by Jon Finch who was first choice for Doyle in TheProfessionals. Banquo was played by Martin Shaw who DID play Doyle!

* NoBudget: The play can be thrown together on the cheap. That's part of the reason it's so dangerous.

* The 8th among the royal descendants of Banquo who appear in the witchcraft induced vision in Act 4 is supposed to be King James I of England, who was believed to be 8 generations removed from Banquo. Somewhat ironically, the current British royal house is actually descended from the Thanes of Glamis, the old fief belonging to Macbeth himself in the play, since the Queen Mum, the mother of the current Queen Elizabeth II, is of a Scottish noble family who has been the real Thanes of Glamis since 14th century and spent her childhood there.

* The 8th among the royal descendants of Banquo who appear in the witchcraft induced vision in Act 4 is supposed to be King James I of England, who was believed to be 8 generations removed from Banquo. Somewhat ironically, the current British royal house is actually descended from the Thanes of Glamis, the old fief belonging to Macbeth himself in the play, since the Queen Mum, the mother of the current Queen Elizabeth II, is of a Scottish noble family who has been Thanes of real life Glamis since 14th century.

* CulturalTranslation: A 1970 Zulu-language adaptation by South African playwright Welcome Msomi, called ''uMabatha'', adapts the play into Zulu tribal culture of the early 19th century (around the reign of the famous King Shaka). Actor and theater critic Peter Ustinov remarked that until reading ''uMabatha,'' he did not understand ''Macbeth.'' Nelson Mandela remarked on the similarities between Macbeth and King Shaka.

* Also the RomanPolaski version: Macbeth was played by Jon Finch who was first choice for Doyle in TheProfessionals. Banquo was played by Martin Shaw who DID play Doyle!

* CulturalTranslation: A 1970 Zulu-language adaptation by South African playwright Welcome Msomi, called ''uMabatha'', adapts the play into Zulu tribal culture of the early 19th century (around the reign of the famous King Shaka). Theater critic Peter Ustinov remarked that until reading ''uMabatha,'' he did not understand ''Macbeth.'' Nelson Mandela remarked on the similarities between Macbeth and King Shaka.

* Also the RomanPolaski version: Macbeth was played by Jon Finch who was first choice for Doyle in TheProfessionals. Banquo was played by Martin Shaw who DID play Doyle! Banquo was better than Macbeth!

** [[RobinHoodMenInTights The Sheriff of Rottingham]] is Malcolm.

** [[Film/AnAmericanWerewolfInLondon Dr. Hirsch]] is Banquo.

** [[Film/TheLordOfTheRings Gandalf]]/[[Film/XMen Magneto]] is Macbeth.

** [[TheLordOfTheRings Gandalf]]/[[XMen Magneto]] is Macbeth.
** [[JamesBond M]] is Lady Macbeth.
** [[JurassicPark Robert Muldoon]] is Macduff.

** [[AnAmericanWerewolfInLondon Dr. Hirsch]] is Banquo.

** [[StarWars Emperor Palpatine]] is Ross (and the porter).