Michael Fassbender to play Macbeth

London: `12 Years a Slave` star Michael Fassbender is set to play Macbeth in a new film version of the William Shakespeare tragedy.The picture will be directed by the Australian filmmaker Justin Kurzel, best known for his 2011 crime drama `Snowtown`, reportedly.

Macbeth charts the rise and fall of a Scottish general, who seizes the throne with the help of his ambitious wife and eventually sparks a civil war. Shakespeare`s play has been tackled in the past by directors such as Roman Polanski, Akira Kurosawa and Orson Welles. The Kurzel version will be produced by See-Saw Films from a script adapted by Todd Louiso and Jacob Koskoff. The casting of the play`s other roles, including Lady Macbeth, has yet to be announced. Fassbender made his screen debut in the sword-and-sandal epic `300`, before going on to star in `Eden Lake`, `Prometheus` and `Inglourious Basterds`.