MattBeth, a new adaptation of William Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth, has found a new cast member from a galaxy far, far away. Riffing on the story of a general who receives a prophecy that he will one day become King of Scotland, MattBeth follows a former sitcom star on a bike journey across America to star in that very play.
The movie was written by Matthew Vlahakis, who co-directs with Murisa Harba. Vlahakis also stars as MattBeth, while Harba appears as a character named Elle Duffy. They’re joined by Michelle Merring, Savannah Shoenecker, Burt Bulos, and Christophe Zajac-Denek.
Deadline has reported that Vivien Lyra Blair, known for playing a young Princess Lei in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, has just been cast in MattBeth. Blair is also known for her work in Bird Box, where she starred alongside Sandra Bullock. The movie has been filming in Los Angeles, New York, and ten other cities.
What This News Means For Vivien Lyra Blair & MattBeth
Not much is known about Vivien Lyra Blair’s role in MattBeth, but on IMDB, Blair is listed with two character names: Grace and Bellatrix. This, paired with the fact that Blair is taking on an adaptation of Shakespeare’s work, pimples that MattBeth is a different, and uniquely challenging, kind of role for the actor.
But Blair has found her way to projects that come with their own specific hurdles. In Bird Box, for example, Blair had to spend much of her time blindfolded, and the actor revealed that joining the Star Wars franchise is terrifying in its own right.
Blair’s casting in MattBeth also serves as an example of just how loose the film’s writers are being with Shakespeare’s original work. While there are children in Macbeth, Blair, 13, is an unlikely pick to play those typically small parts.
That a rising star like Blair was cast in the film at all suggests that her role will be a more sizable or impactful one.
Our Take On Blair’s MattBeth Casting
For a gripping, true-to-source adaptation of Shakespeare’s beloved work, Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth is a better bet. But Blair’s casting still warrants some speculation about which Macbeth character she may be embodying, if loosely.
The fact that Blair’s character goes by multiple names suggests an air of mystery around her, for example, which could mean she is playing a new take on one of the play’s witch characters. Of course, there’s an equal chance that Blair is playing an entirely new character not based on one of Shakespeare’s creations.
MattBeth is expected to come to theaters in 2026.
