Hollywood, like Macbeth’s Scotland, is a place where power is never secure. Stars must constantly fight to stay in the spotlight. As well as eventually killing for power, Macbeth destroys careers by leaking rumors, getting involved in scandals, and blacklisting former allies.

Lady Macbeth: Macbeth's ambitious wife and manager who pushes him to take drastic steps to secure his fame. She convinces him to play dirty, use underhanded tactics, and sabotage others to rise to fame.

Duncan: An established Hollywood A-list actor, who currently has control and power over the industry. This portrayal of Duncan mirrors King Duncan’s rule over Scotland. 

Banquo: Macbeth's closest friend whose career is starting to take off greatly. He stays grounded and avoids Macbeth’s ruthless tactics, but when his career starts surpassing Macbeth, Macbeth sees him as a threat. Macbeth completely blacklists him in the industry and even has him murdered.

Witches: Portrayed as a trio of paparazzi/industry insiders who predict Macbeth’s success but also manipulate him with disinformation and exposure. These shady insiders drop cryptic hints about his future success through a blog but ultimately exploit him.

Macduff: A journalist who is determined to bring Macbeth down once his actions of corruption, scandal, and assasination are exposed. He investigates Macbeth’s rise, finds evidence of his sabotage, and ultimately releases a bombshell exposé.

Ross: A talent agent who initially helps Macbeth to his rise, but quickly shifts loyalties after analyzing the scandals that lead him to where he is now. 

Malcom: A son of Duncan, a young actor, who was mentored by his father before his murder. At first, he disappears from the public eye, but as Macbeth’s empire crumbles, he comes back as the new rising star, taking the place Macbeth thought was his destiny.

Donalbain: Another son of Duncan, a silent observer who is not much of an actor and flees after his fathers murder, rejecting fame and power all together. 

Fleance: Banquo's son who escapes Macbeth's assasination attempt and works to live out his fathers legacy as an actor.   

In Macbeth, power alone is not enough. Macbeth becomes obsessed with securing his rule and eliminating threats. In this adaptation, Macbeth is not just ambitious, he is desperate to stay relevant. Once he gets his breakthrough role and sees the prophecies made for him by the trio of paparazzi, he becomes consumed with the fear of losing his fame. His over-ambition leads to him committing immoral acts in order to secure his role as a rising actor. 

Fame: 

In the world of acting and social media, there is one place to go. All rising stars and A list celebrities meet in one place, Hollywood. There is a constant battle for relevance and virality. This adaptation connects to Macbeth because, he starts the story as a rising star. A man who has always had the aspirations of becoming an A list celebrity and being famous. Macbeth thinks the only way to get to this status is a viral moment. The one thing that makes him an overnight sensation and that is the murder of Duncan. This allows him to secure his place as an A list celebrity and be very famous in Hollywood. 

Betrayal:

Macbeth’s betrayal of his mentor, Duncan, and best friend, Banquo, mirrors real-life Hollywood back stabbings such as leaked stories, career sabotage, and underhanded deals. Macbeth believes his allies will stay loyal as long as he’s on top, but as soon as he starts losing power, they abandon him. Ross perfectly embodies this theme. He plays both sides, shifting alliances to protect his own career.