AceShowbiz - Sam Riley and Dominic Cooper are in talks to lead the cast of director Guillem Morales' upcoming revenge thriller "The Duchess of Malfi".

The two Brits are expected to join "Saint Maud" star Morfydd Clarkin Luke Garrett's adaptation of the classic John Webster play, which revolves around the forbidden romance between a widowed duchess and her steward.

Filming is set to begin in Italy in November (21).

Freddie Fox and "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" 's Frank Dillane are also slated to appear in the film.

"There are no better times than these to tell the story of The Duchess of Malfi," director Morales tells Deadline. "Webster's masterpiece is ready for new, young audiences as its themes are so relevant today."

Meanwhile, Oprah Winfrey has been recruited to help Broadway producers encourage fans to return to theatres when they re-open next month (Sep21) following the COVID shutdown.

The Great White Way's venues have been closed since March 2020, and now theatre bosses are trying to generate interest in plays and musicals as part of the "This Is Broadway" campaign, which will launch on Monday (30Aug21).

It features a new video featuring archival footage of past and current Broadway shows and stars like Hugh Jackman, Bruce Springsteen, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Sara Bareilles, narrated by Oprah.

The footage will appear on screens throughout New York City's subway and bus stations, in taxis, and on a Times Square electronic cube.

It ends with Winfrey stating, "This is Broadway and we can't wait to welcome you home."