7 Movies You Never Knew Were Based on Shakespeare’s Plays, From ‘The Lion King’ to ‘She’s the Man’
From teen comedies to Disney classics, these modern Shakespeare adaptations are must-watches
Shakespeare, Shakespeare—wherefore art thou modern-day adaptations? Turns out, they’re all around us! From timeless tragedies to laugh-out-loud comedies, these movies based on Shakespeare’s plays give the Bard’s classics a fresh twist. Featuring stars like Julia Stiles, Keanu Reeves and Natalie Wood, these adaptations prove that Shakespeare’s themes are just as relevant today. Keep reading to discover 7 must-watch modern retellings!
7. ‘0’ (2001) is based on ‘Othello’
Starring Julia Stiles, Mekhi Phifer and Josh Hartnett, the teen version of Othello follows a high schooler named Odin (Phifer) who becomes convinced his girlfriend, Desi (Stiles), is cheating on him after his best friend, Hugo (Hartnett), tells him so. Soon, though, Odin learns that Hugo is making it all up to try and sabotage Odin’s good luck. What follows is a perfect blend of high school antics and Shakespearean drama.
You can watch O on Hulu.
6. ‘My Own Private Idaho’ (1991) is based on ‘Henry IV Parts I and II’
A young Keanu Reeves takes center stage in this movie based on Shakespeare’s Henry IV. In it, Reeves plays the rebellious mayor’s son, who travels across the country with a gay, narcoleptic hustler named Mike Waters (River Phoenix) to find his estranged mother. It is a dramatic take on how difficult discovering yourself can be.
You can watch My Own Private Idaho on Amazon Prime Video.
5. ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ (1993) is based on the play of the same name
The Much Ado About Nothing movie might have the same name as the classic play, but it takes a much more farcical approach. In it, Beatrice (Kate Beckinsale) and her fiance, Claudio (Robert Sean Leonard), decide the week before their wedding that they need to set up their friends Benedick (Kenneth Branagh) and Beatrice (Emma Thompson). Denzel Washington, Keanu Reeves and Michael Keaton also appear in this film.
You can watch Much Ado About Nothing on Tubi.
4. ‘She’s the Man’ (2006) is based on ‘Twelfth Night’
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night was so ahead of its time that it serves as inspiration for this 2006 Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum film that follows a high school girl named Viola (Bynes) after she disguises herself as a man to play soccer.
And while the film might have quickly become a fan favorite, Bynes herself isn’t that fond of it, revealing, “When the movie came out, and I saw it, I went into a deep depression for four to six months [after], because I didn’t like how I looked when I was a boy.”
You can watch She’s The Man on Paramount+.
3. ‘West Side Story’ (1961) is based on ‘Romeo and Juliet’
In theory, you could argue that any enemies-to-lovers story could be an adaptation of Romeo & Juliet, but let’s be honest, none of them shine as brightly as the 1961 film West Side Story. Set in 1961 New York City, two rival gangs—The Sharks and The Jets—are continually battling it out. But Maria (Natalie Wood) and Tony (Richard Beymer) defy the odds and fall in love. West Side Story won 10 Oscars after its release.
You can watch West Side Story on Max.
2. ‘The Lion King’ (1994) is based on ‘Hamlet’
Many people are surprised to learn that the classic Disney film The Lion King is based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, but there are quite a few similarities between them. Both feature a group of three “witches”—in The Lion King, it’s the hyenas—and follow a young prince who tries to get revenge on the person who killed his father, who turns out to be his uncle. The key differences between the two are that Hamlet does not follow animals, and The Lion King has a musical aspect, whereas the Shakespeare version sadly does not.
You can watch The Lion King on Disney+.
1. ‘10 Things I Hate About You’ (1999) is based on ‘The Taming of the Shrew’
Obviously, we had to put the best Shakespeare adaptation—10 Things I Hate About You—at number one. In it, a rugged high school girl named Kat Stratford (Julia Stiles) gets set up with the school’s resident’s bad boy, Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger), by Cameron Jones (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) so he can try and date Kat’s sister Bianca (Larisa Oleynik).
“I was just so eager to get that part because it was unique at the time,” Stiles said of the film. “I hadn’t read a character that was so feisty, outspoken and opinionated, so when other people responded to that, it was an affirmation that I was on the right track.”
She did admit, though, that despite the film’s ever-growing success, she doesn’t ever go back and re-watch it. “I usually just look away. I’m glad that people enjoyed it and I’m glad that they’re still talking about it. I don’t take that for granted, but I look away pretty quickly.”
You can watch 10 Things I Hate About You on Disney+.
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