Will leaned back in his creaky wooden chair, steam from his green tea curling around his beard. With a theatrical groan, he tossed a stapled stack of A4 papers onto the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey want a rewrite, Ben,\u201d he sighed. \u201cThe script editor, a man with the soul of an old shoe, and the imagination of a month-old brassica, says the pacing is problematic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ben Jonson took a sip of his espresso, suppressing a smirk. \u201cProblematic, Will? What exactly did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe says the witches are confusing for a modern test-audience demographic,\u201d Will said, his voice steadily rising in pitch. \u201cHe asked if we could make them TikTok influencers. Influencers! Damnable man. Because apparently tragedy needs brand synergy now, whatever that infernal nonsense means. And the blood. He says there\u2019s too much of it. Apparently, focus groups say the \u2018out, damned spot\u2019 scene tests poorly. They find Lady Macbeth\u2019s mental health journey unrelatable without a redemption arc.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA redemption arc?\u201d Ben snorted, espresso sloshing dangerously. \u201cFor a woman who asks spirits to unsex her and fill her with direst cruelty? The man clearly hasn\u2019t read the character bio.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe told me the title was too old-fashioned,\u201d Will continued, his eyes flashing with creative indignation. \u201cHe suggested The Macbethinator and wants Macbeth to be a deadly robot from the future, instead of a man whose ambition devours his very soul. Then he said, and I quote, \u2018Does he have to kill the king? Couldn\u2019t we have some foxy, combat-clad MILF totting an AR-15 stop him dead in his tracks?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Will leaned over the table. \u201cIt\u2019s about the inevitability of fate, Ben. The erosion of the self. You can\u2019t replace a dagger of the mind with a MILF in fatigues.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd what of the ending?\u201d Ben chortled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, don\u2019t get me started. He wants Birnam Wood as a metaphor for green energy. Then he wants Macduff and Macbeth to settle their differences with a first-person shoot \u2018em up game. He says a decapitation is a tough sell for the rating they\u2019re chasing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Will slumped back, staring out the window at the bustling London street. For a moment, the fire in him wavered, replaced by that thin, familiar writer\u2019s dread. Imposter Syndrome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ll give them the rewrite,\u201d Will muttered, a mischievous glint returning to his eyes. \u201cBut the ghosts stay, louder than ever. If they want a Macbethinator movie, I\u2019ll give them a tragedy so profound they won\u2019t realise they\u2019ve been gutted until the credits roll.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ben raised his cup in a silent toast. \u201cTo The Macbethinator, then, Will. Break a leg.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOr a neck,\u201d Will grinned. \u201cDepending on the final cut.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And so, The Macbethinator begins. Showtime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
THE MACBETHINATOR<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Act 1 Scene 1 EXT NIGHT \u2013 A DARK ALLEY IN SOUTH LA. A PORTAL OPENS IN A SHOWER OF SPARKS. THREE WEIRD SISTERS STEP THROUGH AND LOOK AROUND. THEY SEE A BAR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
WEIRD SISTERS (TOGETHER)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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