Hopkins' 'King Lear' movie cancelled

A film adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear, which was due to star Anthony Hopkins and Keira Knightley, has been cancelled.

The Ruby Films production would have marked Knightley's first film performance in a work by Shakespeare, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Hopkins was cast in the lead role, while Knightley was to play his youngest daughter Cordelia.

Gwyneth Paltrow and Naomi Watts had signed to star as Lear's older daughters Regan and Goneril respectively.

A spokeswoman for the film company said: "Ruby are no longer doing it - the film will no longer go ahead. It has not really been announced."

The firm did not comment on whether the ongoing recession is behind the cancellation.

Earlier this month, it was announced that Al Pacino and director Michael Radford will reunite to make their own adaptation of King Lear following their collaboration on The Merchant Of Venice in 2004.