It's like 'Lost' meets 'Harry Potter'!

(I was having a difficult time trying to post the video, but it can be seen here.)

I am sure many of us studying Shakespeare are very excited for the release of Julie Taymor's new film adaptation of 'The Tempest'. Making the most of today's cinematic technology, the previews seem to make it look, as Stephen Colbert so eloquently put it, as if "it's like 'Lost' meets 'Harry Potter'". Fancy computer-generated fire aside, what I am more interested in is that Helen Mirren is taking on the role of Prospero (a). I was wondering how a female lead would affect the tone of the film, and if any dialogue would be added or cut. In this interview, Julie Taymor comments on the role of Prospera, and how since the lead is now a woman, the relationship between Prospera and her daughter Miranda has significantly changed; the relationship between a mother and daughter is quite different than that of a father and daughter. Obviously, I will have to see the movie to see the actors' chemistry, but I thought it was an engaging idea. Would a mother's concern for her daughter's future be based more on the welfare of her child? I would think so. I think this could be a comment on the original Prospero's sense of ownership of his daughter; Miranda was more of a prize, or something material - she is, after all, his "rich gift" (iii.iii.8). Hopefully, I'll be able to see the movie over the break!