Even though William Shakespeare was a playwright in the 1500s, his stories as well as their themes are still resonating with audiences today. You may not know that many movies we would consider modern now were based on Shakespeare plays. Some might be more obvious remakes than others, like “West Side Story”, which was based off of “Romeo and Julie” That being said, many people do not know that their rom-com favorites, like “Anyone But You”, were based on plays like “Much Ado About Nothing.”
“10 Things I Hate About You”
Directed by: Gil Junger
Adapted from: “The Taming of the Shrew”
An example of this is “10 Things I Hate About You”, directed by Gil Junger. “The Taming of the Shrew,” the play which the movie drew inspiration from, was first criticized for its reversal of traditional gender roles in its original time. “10 Things I Hate About You” follows the plot of this play more than any other adaptation on this list. Kat Stratford (Julia Stiles) is beautiful, smart and quite abrasive to most of her high school peers, and she does not pay much attention to romance. Unfortunately for her younger sister, Bianca (Larisa Oleynik), their dad forbids her from dating until Kat has a boyfriend. To work around this, Bianca pulls some strings to set the dour damsel up for a match that will last long enough for Bianca herself to date. Soon, Kat crosses paths with new student Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger), who has quickly earned a schoolwide reputation for being a delinquent. Kat may just let her guard down enough to fall for the effortlessly charming Patrick.
“She’s The Man”
Directed by: Andy Fickman
Adapted from: “Twelfth Night”
”She’s the Man,” starring Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum, was inspired by Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night.” The play follows twins, Viola and Sebastian, who get separated at sea. Viola takes on her brother’s character and pretends to be him in a land called Illyria. Viola ends up falling in love with a duke, but she has to keep her true identity secret. The movie version keeps many of the original names and plots of the play, including the setting as a highschool in Illyria. Viola’s whole life is playing soccer, so when the girls team at her school gets cut, she pretends to be her brother at his all-male highschool, home to a thriving soccer team. She ends up falling for her new roommate, Duke, who is also a soccer star.
“Anyone But You”
Directed by: Will Gluck
Adapted from: “Much Ado About Nothing”
While most of the Shakespeare inspired rom-coms were made in the 2000s, “Anyone But You” came out December 2023. Even though this movie is a bit more adult than some of the other movies on this list, it still stuck with teenage audiences. Starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, “Anyone But You” was based off of “Much Ado About Nothing.” The two share in having a very powerful female lead, like Sweeney’s character, Bea. After having a great first date that quickly turns to tears and animosity, Bea and Ben end up stuck together at a friend’s destination wedding. In hope of winning their ex-partners back, though, the two pretend to be the perfect couple. This movie is incredibly witty, a light and breezy watch, and full of stunning cinematography that creates uproarious scenes.
“West Side Story”
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Adapted from: “Romeo and Juliet”
”West Side Story” is about two rival street gangs in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, in 1961. The Sharks, a Puerto Rican gang, and the Jets, a gang made up of white boys, battle for territory within the city. Like in the Shakespeare play, “Romeo and Juliet,”, two rival groups fight over a longstanding conflict. The musical follows the forbidden relationship between Maria (Rachel Zegler), whose brother is the head of the Sharks, and Tony (Ansel Elgort), an ex-Jet trying to reform after getting in trouble with the law. Both stories end in tragedy after forbidden love and romance across familial barriers result in violence and death.
“The Lion King”
Directed by: Rob Minkoff, Roger Allers
Adapted from: “Hamlet”
One of the most well known movies on this list is “The Lion King,”, but it is possibly one of the least well known in terms of Shakespeare adaptations. This Disney animated movie follows the adventures of the young lion cub Simba, who is the heir to his father’s throne. After Simba’s father dies due to a plan that his uncle, Scar, designed, Simba runs away and befriends two other animals. They live off of the jungle’s resources until Simba’s old friend Nala convinces him to come back and save their home, which Scar and his army of hyenas have destroyed. “The Lion King” is similar to “Hamlet” because both Simba and Hamlet gained courage to return to their home to take back the throne and avenge their fathers’ death.
