32 Movies You Didn't Know Were Based On Shakespeare Plays
There’s no question that William Shakespeare is one of the most prolific and legendary writers to ever write. However, if you need further proof look to the catalog of work that has been created that’s inspired by The Bard’s plays. From some of the best rom-coms to incredible animated films to intense dramas, Shakespeare’s plays have inspired tons of films, and here are 32 of them.
10 Things I Hate About You - The Taming of the Shrew
Arguably, one of the best rom-coms inspired by Shakespeare, and just one of the best rom-coms period, is 10 Things I Hate About You. Inspired by The Taming of the Shrew, the film follows Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) as he tries to date Kat Stratford (Julia Stiles) because her sister paid him to. Along with the plot following the play relatively closely, the characters' last names as well as the Shakespearean dialog mixed into the film add to it all, making this a fun, edgy and loving homage to William Shakespeare.
Anyone But You - Much Ado About Nothing
The surprise box office success Anyone But You is a classic enemies-to-lovers tale inspired by The Bard’s classic Much Ado About Nothing. Starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, this film features fake dating, a nearly disastrous wedding and lots of fun shenanigans, all around, while loosely based on Shapkespeare’s play, it’s a fun homage to it.
West Side Story - Romeo and Juliet
Rather than the lovers being from warring families, West Side Story is about two people from warring gangs in New York City. Tony and Maria are drawn together, despite their families' allegiances to the Jets and the Sharks, and what ensues is a tragic story about star-crossed lovers set to the brilliant score of Leonard Bernstein with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.
Strange Brew - Hamlet
I bet you didn’t expect one of Rick Moranis’ funniest movies to be loosely based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The comedy legend co-wrote, co-directed and co-starred with Dave Thomas in the movie about two brothers’ quest to get and drink as much free beer as they could while taking down an evil, evil brewer. While it’s about as loose as you can get when it comes to its inspiration, Strange Brew does use madness in the same way Hamlet does and there are multiple characters named after the great poet’s characters, and the brewery is named after Hamlet's castle, Elsinore.
Get Over It - A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Taking inspiration from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which is about two boys who are in love with the same girl, Get Over It is an early 2000s rom-com with quite the love triangle at the center. Following Berke (Ben Foster), we see him try to win back his ex-girlfriend Allison (Melissa Sagemiller) by getting help from Kelly (Kirsten Dunst) and joining the school play, which is, of course, A Midsummer Night’s Rockin’ Eve. Overall, Get Over It is giving a little bit of High School Musical and a little bit of Shakespeare.
She’s The Man -Twelfth Night
Starring Amanda Bynes as Viola, She’s the Man follows her as she attends a boys' boarding school disguised as her brother and gets all mixed up in the messy, messy, messy web of high school romance. While there she joins the soccer team, and falls for Duke, who is played by a young and dashing Channing Tatum, and from there, chaos ensues. Overall, this silly 2006 movie is fairly on point with the Shakespeare play it's based on, Twelfth Night.
The Lion King - Hamlet
Leave it to Disney to rip your heart out and do it while referencing Shakespeare in a movie about lions. While The Lion King is not directly inspired by Hamlet, per Blu-Ray.com there are undeniable parallels that were leaned into, like the story centering around a fatherless prince and featuring an evil uncle. Also, plot points, like Simab’s exile and his return to Pride Rock, mirror the story of the legendary play.
Men of Respect - Macbeth
What happens when you take the haunting tale of Macbeth and translate it into a tale set in the world of organized crime? You get Men of Respect. This movie tracks a hitman who is told a prophecy that he’s meant to lead his family. After that, we get a bloody battle for power that mirrors Shakespeare's play, however, instead of old-fashioned war, we are dealing with mob violence.
West Side Story (2021) - Romeo and Juliet
In 2021, Steven Spielberg shared his take on 1961’s West Side Story. Not only did we get to relive this classic retelling of Romeo and Juliet and witness one of the best musicals of 2021, but we also got a master’s take on a masterwork. Plus, the world was introduced to the vast talents of newcomers like Rachel Zegler (Maria) and Broadway performers turned movie stars, Ariana DeBose (Anita) and Mike Faist (Riff).
Deliver Us from Eva - The Taming of the Shrew
Inspired by The Taming of The Shrew, 2003’s Deliver Us From Eva tells the story of a man who is paid to date a woman whom many would consider “undateable.” Gabrielle Union plays the titular Eva, and she’s a health inspector with three younger siblings she’s raised. She is fake-turned-real courted by LL Cool J’s Ray. All-in-all it’s a unique take on The Bard’s tale about Katherina and Petruchio.
O - Othello
Inspired by Othello, O is about Mekhi Phifer’s Odin as his best friend Hugo (played by Josh Hartnett) tries to convince him that his girlfriend, who is played by Julia Stiles, is cheating on him. Like The Bard’s play, this story is centered around jealousy and the mess that comes with it. However, instead of taking place in Venice, it takes place in a high school.
Just One of the Guys - Twelfth Night
Loosely based on Twelfth Night, Just One of the Guys follows Terri as she goes undercover at a different high school in an effort to prove that she’s a great journalist. While doing this, she meets Rick and develops quite a crush on him. What comes after that is a messy tale that involves a lot of jealousy and love.
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead - Hamlet
Have you ever wondered what minor characters are up to when they’re not on stage? Well, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead tries to answer that question. The film tracks two of the minor characters in Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern – played by Gary Oldman and Tim Roth, respectively – as they go on adventures while the play goes on and attempt to figure out what’s really going on with Prince Hamlet.
Warm Bodies - Romeo And Juliet
Inspired by The Bard’s tragic love story Romeo and Juliet, Warm Bodies takes us on a journey with R (Nicholas Hoult) as he falls in love with Julie (Teresa Palmer). However, the twist is, R is a zombie and Julie is a human.
My Own Private Idaho - Henry IV
Starring River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves, My Own Private Idaho is about Mike and Scott, two gay hustlers, as they travel from Oregon to Idaho to Italy to try and find Mike’s estranged mom. Inspired by King Henry IV: Part 1, Phoenix’s character Mike mirrors Ned Poins and Reeves’ Scotty parallels Prince Hal and it explores power dynamics similar to the ones in the play.
Strange Magic - A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Capitalizing on the more fantastical elements of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, George Lucas’s Strange Magic is about a curmudgeonly king played by Alan Cumming who hates love. He’s put in an order to kill Primroses, however, his view of the world starts to change when he meets Princess Marianne.
The Boys from Syracuse -The Comedy of Errors
According to Rodgers and Hammerstein’s website, The Boys from Syracuse is the first musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s work. The project started on Broadway and became a film in 1940. This adaptation of The Comedy of Errors tracks twins separated at birth as they wind up in the same city, where they frequently get mistaken for one another.
Chimes at Midnight - The Character Sir John Falstaff
Orson Welles wrote, directed and starred in the 1966 film Chimes at Midnight. It is centered around Shakespeare’s Sir John Falstaff, who was a recurring character in Henry IV Part 1 and 2. It also features lines from Richard II, Henry V and The Merry Wives of Windsor. All around the Shakespeare influence is massive and obvious in this work from a master.
Scotland, PA - Macbeth
Taking the drama of a haunted king and placing it in the comedic world of Scotland, Pennsylvania, Scotland, PA. is a modern retelling of Macbeth. In this movie that stars Christopher Walken, Maura Tierney and James LeGros, we become familiar with Duncan’s Cafe and the power politics surrounding it, and like the play it’s based on things get weird…but in this movie, it’s in a dark and funny way.
Were The World Mine - A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Were the World Mine heavily features A Midsummer Night’s Dream through its magical elements and by actually having the characters put on a production of the play in the movie. In this story, Timothy, an openly gay boy with a crush on a rugby player, is cast in The Bard’s play, and he finds a magical flower in the script that makes it so the people of his town start having romantic feelings toward people of the same sex.
Kiss Me, Kate - The Taming of the Shrew
The 1948 musical Kiss Me Kate, was an adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew, and in 1953 it got the movie treatment. The story is about two divorced actors who come back together for a musical version of the aforementioned Shakespeare play. And while they want to quit, they have gambling debt to pay off and have to finish the project, so their actual lives also line up with the characters they’re playing.
Let The Devil Wear Black - Hamlet
Set in Los Angeles, Let the Devil Wear Black is a modern adaptation of Hamlet that follows Jack, a student haunted by his father’s death as he decides to take over his business. He then learns that his father might have been murdered, which leads him to investigate his family and the dangerous world around him.
David and Fatima - Romeo and Juliet
As is expected with Romeo and Juliet, 2008’s David and Fatima is about two star-crossed lovers however, they’re from Jerusalem – Fatima, a Palestinian woman and David, an Israeli man.
A Thousand Acres - King Lear
Based on the novel of the same name that’s inspired by King Lear, A Thousand Acres tells the story of what happens after Jason Robard’s Larry Cook (who is King Lear) decides to divide his land among his daughters, Ginny, Rose and Caroline (who are played by Jessica Lange, Michelle Pfeiffer and Jennifer Jason Leigh, respectively). What comes after that decision is a tragedy about how this tears the family apart, very similar to Shakespeare’s work.
Thane of East County - Macbeth
In Thane of East County, a group of actors are rehearsing a production of Macbeth. However, as they get into it, they start to actually do what the characters do in the haunting play, turning the film into a horror.
A Double Life - Othello
In the 1947 film A Double Life, we follow Tony as he takes the leading titular role in Othello. He becomes obsessed with the character, and the longer he plays him, the more reality and the play merge together.
Renaissance Man - Hamlet
Renaissance Man isn’t necessarily an adaptation of Shakespeare’s work, but it is a direct celebration of it. The film stars Danny DeVito as a teacher who starts teaching literacy classes at a US Army base. While there he teaches the students about Hamlet, Henry V and more, giving them an appreciation for The Bard. Plus, it includes the iconic reciting of St. Crispin’s Day Speech from King Henry V, so we had to include it.
The Lion King II: Simba's Pride - Romeo and Juliet
The Lion King had some serious parallels to Hamlet. Then, its sequel, The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, kept the streak alive by pulling influence from Romeo and Juliet. Much like Shakespeare’s romance, Kiara and Kovu’s love story involves rival families, like the Capulets and Montagues, as it sees one lion from Simba and Nala’s pride fall for a member of Scar’s banished pride.
All Night Long - Othello
The 1962 film All Night Long is a modernized version of Othello that takes place in the world of London jazz over the course of an anniversary party. It’s a story of jealousy and passion, just like the play that inspired it, however, this time, it’s to the soundtrack of ‘60s jazz.
Pizza My Heart - Romeo and Juliet
Taking a silly turn, the ABC Family film from 2005 Pizza My Heart is a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet. However, instead of fighting elite families, in this movie, the lovers have to deal with their families who are rival pizzeria owners.
Forbidden Planet - The Tempest
Forbidden Planet is a groundbreaking sci-fi film from 1956 that follows two living people on a planet and a group of astronauts on a mission there. However, it’s also an adaptation of The Tempest as it tracks isolated characters and shares similar plot points, but this movie is set on a planet rather than an island.
Gnomeo & Juliet - Romeo and Juliet
As the name of this movie suggests, it’s based on Romeo and Juliet, however, the twist is this is a love story about gnomes who come from different gardens. Gnomeo & Juliet also features James McAvoy and Emily Blunt as the titular characters, and all around it’s a fun little animated romp.
As you can see, William Shakespeare has inspired and influenced work of all kinds, and he’ll likely continue to as movies continue to be made and his legendary plays live on.
