William Shakespeare was a late 16th-century English playwright, poet, and actor who is regarded by many as the greatest writer in history. Today, his plays are still performed on stages around the world, and studying his works is a high school right of passage.
It’s not surprising that the Bard would go on to inspire future writers and their stories. Shakespeare’s works have since been used as the basis for a lot of movies – and not just the straight adaptations like Romeo + Juliet or Macbeth. Modern interpretations of his plays exist in every film genre, with numerous movies inspired by Shakespeare. All you have to do is look closely, and you will find that sometimes a zombie movie is a romance, or an animated musical is a Shakespearean tragedy. From Men of Respect to The Lion King, we analyze and rank which are the best Shakespeare adaptation movies that aren’t as obvious to audiences thanks to their modernized retellings.
30
‘Motocrossed’ (2001)
Based on ‘Twelfth Night’
When it comes to films that you wouldn’t expect to have their origins from a Shakespearean classic, a Disney Channel Original Movie might just top the list in terms of the most surprising and unexpected. However, especially when compared to the various other films based on Twelfth Night, it’s easy to see Motocrossed as an effective, dirt-bike-based parallel to the classic story. The film follows Andrea Carson (Alana Austin), who, despite her love of motocross, is barred from competing in the sport for being a girl, so she decides to secretly race as a guy in place of her twin brother, Andrew.
Even with its smaller, made-for-TV scope and scale, Motocrossed still manages to handle a lot of the same themes and gender dynamics that made Twelfth Night such an effective and timeless story. Motocross and Shakespeare don’t initially seem like they would make for an effective pairing, but the film’s execution has widely proven otherwise, as the film is still highly remembered as one of the best Disney Channel Original movies. – Robert Lee
29
‘Scotland, PA’ (2001)
Based on ‘Macbeth’
The story of Macbeth is one of deception and tragedy as it shows the downward spiral of an accursed king with too much power, so it seems outlandish and backwards to set the story in a hard-working hamburger stand. However, this massive shift in perspective is exactly what makes the dark comedy of Scotland, PA work so well, finding inspiration not only from Shakespeare but classic Coen Brothers films to tell its story of amateur crime.
The film follows the unassuming Joe McBeth (James Le Gros), whose simple life of hardworking at a hamburger stand with his wife Pat (Maura Tierney) is taken for a ride when Pat aspires for them to deserve more in life. She soon divides a plan to have Joe rob the restaurant’s safe and murder their boss, Norm (Christopher Walken), hopefully using the robbery as a way of misleading the cops while they get away with the murder.
28
‘Forbidden Planet’ (1956)
Based on ‘The Tempest’
An iconic entry of 1950s sci-fi cinema, one whose influence on the genre going forward as A-grade entertainment cannot be overstated, Forbidden Planet is one of the most famous titles of 50s Hollywood. It follows the crew of a spaceship sent to a distant planet to investigate why the scientific colony stationed there decades earlier has gone silent. Upon arrival, they discover that one of the scientists and his daughter are the only two survivors, and endeavor to uncover the dark truth as to why.
Derived from Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Forbidden Planet thrives with its narrative intrigue that places an emphasis on character. Its special effects and art design retain much of the striking grandiosity today as they did upon release almost 70 years ago, which is actually a testament to the story and the manner in which such elements were implemented into the film. The film is still widely beloved as one of the most influential sci-fi films of the era, with its staying power and thematic resonance being attributed to the strengths of The Tempest. – Ryan Heffernan
27
‘Strange Magic’ (2015)
Based on ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’
A strange and often forgotten box-office misfire from producer and story writer George Lucas, Strange Magic combines an abstract fantasy world filled with monsters and trolls with a jukebox musical romance adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The film follows the normally vicious and deceptive Bog King (Alan Cumming) finding an unexpected change of heart when he starts to fall for fairy princess Marianne (Evan Rachel Wood) who had just had her heart broken. However, the chaos of this unexpected crush is only further amplified by a parallel plot of love potions for Marianne’s sister.
While the unsavory visuals and strange musical mismatch made the film a notable failure at the box office, the film’s core premise and reflection of the Shakespeare classic lends itself to some effective themes and messaging. The story of A Midsummer Night’s Dream proves to lend itself effectively to an animated musical, making for various fun moments while making the story adaptable and understandable to audiences of all ages.
Strange Magic
- Release Date
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January 23, 2015
- Director
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Gary Rydstrom
- Writers
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Gary Rydstrom, Irene Mecchi, David Berenbaum
26
‘Men of Respect’ (1990)
Based on ‘Macbeth’
Men of Respect is the story of Mike Battaglia (John Turturro), who climbs to the top of his mafia family by killing the boss and anyone else who threatens to get in his way. The film is a 1990s crime drama that mirrors the tragedy of Macbeth, transporting the story into the world of organized crime while still sticking to the themes of power and pain that make Macbeth such a tried and true classic.
The mafia setpiece lends itself perfectly to the deception and violent story of Macbeth, with Turturro giving a committed lead performance that further elevates the material. Battaglia’s ambitions and actions during his rise to power would ultimately become his downfall. Despite not being a masterpiece, Men of Respect is an interesting adaptation of Shakespeare’s well-known play Macbeth. William C. Reilly’s film has political overtones that allude to the idiom, “Be careful what you wish for,” just like the famous work by the gifted poet and playwright.
Men Of Respect
- Release Date
-
January 18, 1991
- Runtime
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113 minutes
25
‘Valley Girl’ (1983)
Based on ‘Romeo & Juliet’
There have been countless iconic adaptations and riffs on Romeo & Juliet over the years thanks to its status as one of the most beloved romance stories of all time, with Valley Girl drenching the classic story in a distinct 80s flair and energy. The film transforms the clashing factions of the original tale and translates them into topical high school cliques, with valley girl Julie (Deborah Foreman) fostering an unexpected romance with city punk Randy (Nicolas Cage). While their relationship initially seems impossible due to coming from completely different worlds, the sparks begin to fly as they feel perfect for one another.
At the heart of every Romeo & Juliet adaptation, removed from all the changes to setting, time period, and even stakes, what makes them all so effective is the core understanding of the strength that comes from forbidden young love. Cage and Foreman have exquisite chemistry, perfectly encapsulating the passion and excitement that comes from love at a young age, as well as the rebellious nature of its characters and their relationship as a whole. The film makes for a standout among other 80s rom-coms thanks to the inherent strengths of Shakespeare’s original story. – Robert Lee
Valley Girl
- Release Date
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April 29, 1983
- Runtime
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99 Minutes
- Director
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Martha Coolidge
- Writers
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Andrew Lane, Wayne Crawford
24
‘Get Over It’ (2001)
Based on ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’
When it comes to Shakespeare-retelling movies, Get Over It is a pretty loose adaptation (it is based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream), but it is well worth mentioning nonetheless. The teen romantic comedy tells the story of a high school senior who tries to win back his ex-girlfriend by joining the cast of the school play she is starring in (which happens to be the play from which the movie draws inspiration).
While it certainly finds itself getting more meta and self-aware than other Shakespeare adaptations, it continues to adhere to and stay in close connection to the core messaging of the original story. Tommy O’Haver‘s 2001 film veers far from Shakespeare’s original plot, exchanging mischievous fairies for impish but well-meaning high school boys. The film steers itself back by inserting scenes from the play, performed on stage by the high school students, while its musical performances by Vitamin C and Sisqo rooted the film firmly in the early 2000s.
Get Over It
- Release Date
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March 9, 2001
- Runtime
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87 Minutes
- Director
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Tommy O’Haver
- Writers
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R. Lee Fleming Jr.
23
‘Deliver Us from Eva’ (2003)
Based on ‘The Taming of the Shrew’
Eva (Gabrielle Union) is a little too involved in her three sisters’ love lives. Their partners decide to take matters into their own hands when the men hire Ray (LL Cool J) to woo her. They hope that Ray can keep Eva away from her sisters and out of their business, but their plan begins to backfire when the two fall in love for real in a wonderful approach to the fake dating trope in film. The film certainly plays up the deception and chaos from the original material to create a more energetic viewing experience for 2000s rom-com audiences.
Deliver Us from Eva is loosely based on The Taming of the Shrew. The film not only takes inspiration from the original Shakespeare classic, but divulges and differentiates itself from other notable adaptations of the play. This version of the play isn’t as complicated as the original text. What is complicated is the meddling of the three men in the life of the combative “shrew.” Although a bit predictable, Deliver Us from Eva is still a fairly enjoyable watch.
22
‘Prospero’s Books’ (1991)
Based on ‘The Tempest’
More than just a simple retelling of the events of The Tempest, Prospero’s Books sets itself apart as one of the most unique adaptations out there with its wild, one-of-a-kind structure to better align itself with the original Shakespeare story. The film largely follows the plot of the original tale, with Prospero’s daughter falling in love with the son of his enemy, all the while Prospero himself provides off-screen narration as well as the voices of various characters throughout the story.
More than any other Shakespeare adaptation, Prospero’s Books is a passionate love letter to the work and mastery of Shakespeare himself, even making changes to the original story to better fit it into Shakespeare’s overall legacy. While the film itself may seem relatively daunting to those who aren’t familiar with the intricate work of The Tempest, the film manages to be approachable enough that even those who aren’t aware of the film’s origins can have a great time watching this fantasy tale unfold. – Robert Lee
Prospero’s Books
- Release Date
-
August 30, 1991
- Runtime
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120 minutes
- Writers
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Peter Greenaway
- Producers
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Kees Kasander
21
‘Big Business’ (1988)
Based on ‘The Comedy of Errors’
William Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors has been adapted large and wide for screen and stage, across the world, but this Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin-led comedy production is one of the most pitch-perfect ones. Big Business follows two sets of identical twins who are separated at birth, where one pair of the mismatched twins, the Sheltons, are raised in a wealthy, urban home and the other, the Ratfliffs, are raised in a poorer, rural environment. Forty years later, when the Sheltons try to shut down a factory and land a business deal, their plan goes haywire due to the sudden arrival of the Ratliffs.
Jim Abrahams of the Zucker, Abrahams, Zucker comedy trio, and the mind behind some of the classic 80s comedies like Hot Shots!, and The Naked Gun, takes a madcap contemporary spin on the Shakespearean farce. A consciously absurd film about mistaken identity, Big Business thrives with its impressive outfits, empowered characters, and bizarre mishaps. —Maddie P
Big Business
- Release Date
-
June 10, 1988
- Runtime
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97 minutes
- Director
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Jim Abrahams
- Writers
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Dori Pierson