David Oyelowo is officially stepping behind and in front of the camera for a bold new film adaptation of Othello. The award-winning actor will direct, produce, and reprise the title role—marking a long-awaited evolution of a project he first led on stage nearly a decade ago.
Joining him are Cynthia Erivo as Emilia and Rachel Brosnahan, returning as Desdemona after originating the role opposite Oyelowo in the 2016 New York Theatre Workshop production. The trio will anchor this contemporary reimagining of Shakespeare’s tragedy, set to film in Qatar in autumn 2026.
Like the stage version, the film will transpose the early 17th-century Venetian drama into a U.S. military barracks in Iraq, exploring themes of power, insecurity, manipulation, and identity through a contemporary lens. Oyelowo has described this cinematic take as “bitingly modern and fearlessly ambitious,” expanding the story into a four-character viewpoint centered on Othello, Desdemona, Emilia, and Iago.
The film is produced by Barbara Broccoli and Nicky Bentham for Eon Productions, with Oyelowo producing under his Yoruba Saxon banner and Qatar’s Katara Studios coming onboard as co-financier. Broccoli has been developing this adaptation for almost ten years, building on the success of her 2016 stage production directed by Sam Gold.
The film marks one of the most high-profile international projects to shoot in Qatar, backed by the country’s Film Committee at Media City Qatar and supported by the newly launched Qatar Screen Production Incentive, which offers up to a 50% cash rebate. Katara Studios and global post-production giant Company 3—now launching operations in Doha—will also participate.
Broccoli announced the project during Industry Days in Qatar, where she appeared with Bentham and Oyelowo, spotlighting the country’s growing commitment to global filmmaking through new partnerships with Neon, Sony, Miramax, Company 3, and more.
Othello becomes Broccoli’s first major film following her transition away from the James Bond franchise, signaling a shift toward character-driven storytelling and international collaboration.
David Oyelowo recently starred in Apple TV+’s Government Cheese, Cynthia Erivo is coming off her return as Elphaba in Wicked: For Good, and Rachel Brosnahan is currently filming season two of Presumed Innocent.