Gerard Butler Goes to War With Ralph Fiennes

The actor has agreed to take on a role in Ralph Fiennes' adaptation of Shakespeare

Call it a buddy tragedy.

Fresh off comedy with The Ugly Truth and the upcoming The Bounty with Jennifer Aniston, Gerard Butler has agreed to star in Ralph Fiennes' adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy Coriolanus, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

As you may remember from the SparkNotes, the play follows the exploits of a prideful Roman war hero (Fiennes) who turns against his own people with the aid of his former foe, to be played by Butler.

Bloodshed and iambic pentameter ensue. (Spoiler alert: Shakespeare's tragedies generally don't end well for the leads.)

According to the trade, Fiennes' first foray into film directing will update the 1608 play with a contemporary setting, though presumably with the original language more or less intact.

Because if you mess with Shakespeare's poetry, that would be a real tragedy.