StudioCanal has boarded Macbeth, the Shakespeare adaptation for director Justin Kurzel (Snowtown) starring Michael Fassbender as the doomed Scottish king and Natalie Portman as Lady Macbeth, The Hollywood Reporter said.

Kurzel's version is described as modern take on the tale of a fearless warrior ultimately destroyed by ambition and desire.

StudioCanal will co-finance the feature, which British shingle See-Saw Films is producing. Preproduction is set to start at the end of the year for a planned January shoot.

StudioCanal will distribute Macbeth in the U.K., Germany and France and will handle international sales duties, shopping the title to buyers in Cannes next week.

Iain Canning and Emile Sherman of See-Saw, whose credits include the Oscar-winning The King's Speech, will produce. See-Saw developed the project with Film4, which is also a financier on Macbeth.