Did You Know These 7 Movies Were Inspired by Shakespeare?
Adaptations come in many shapes and forms!
Movies Inspired by Shakespeare Plays
Given just how prolific of a writer her was, William Shakespeare has provided inspiration for everything from books to TV shows to fashion ever since the height of his career. It shouldn't come as a surprise that there are dozens of movies inspired by Shakespeare.
Though we'd like to, we couldn't focus on all of the movies ever made that have drawn inspiration from Shakespeare's plays. There are just too many of them, so we had to narrow it down to seven of our favorite movies a little.
The seven included on this list are some of the ones that are the most fun or have stuck with us the most over the years, the movies we hold dear. We hope you love them too because you can never go wrong when you've watching a movie inspired by the Bard.
1. Motocrossed
At first glance, the Disney Channel Special, Motocrossed, doesn't seem like it's based on a Shakespearean work, but if you look a little closer, it totally is! It's actually based on on of his comedies, Twelfth Night (which is based on something that's based on something else), about a pair of twins who are separated during a shipwreck. Viola disguises herself as a man and shenanigans ensue. In Motocrossed, Andi (Alana Austin) disguises herself as her twin brother Andrew (Trevor O'Brien) to take his place during the motocross season after he breaks his leg. Similarly, chaos and romantic entanglements follow in fun Disney movie fashion!
2. Deliver Us From Eva
The 2003 Deliver Us From Eva is a movie about a woman (Gabrielle Union) with three sisters who their sisters' significant others feel is always butting in. They decide to hire a playboy (LL Cool J) to keep her distracted, but he falls for her instead. Deliver Us From Eva is a modern adaptation of the comedy, The Taming of the Shrew, and considerably more feminist. In the play, they manage to mold Katherina into the perfect obedient bride, unlike the "shrew" she was before.
3. Warm Bodies
If you didn't have to read Romeo and Juliet in high school, you're likely familiar with the plot. Boy and girl are from warring families yet fall in love, but when they can't be together, they take their lives. Warm Bodies is Romeo and Juliet set during the zombie apocalypse, but instead of their families keeping them apart, it's her humanity and his lack of. Even some of the names are very close. The heroine is named Julie (Teresa Palmer), the hero is R (Nicholas Hoult) after Romeo, and his best is M (Rob Corddry) after Mercutio.
4. The Lion King
Because it's an animated children's movie, The Lion King is another movie that doesn't immediately seem like it's based on a Shakespeare play. Dig a little deeper and you'll find the creators of The Lion King definitely drew inspiration from the infamous Hamlet. In the play, Hamlet's uncle murders Hamlet's father to seize the throne, and the ghost of Hamlet's father appears to his son, asking him to avenge his death. Sound pretty similar to The Lion King, right?
5. 10 Things I Hate About You
Another contemporary Shakespearean adaptation, 10 Things I Hate About You is the teen version of The Taming of the Shrew. In the movie, Kat (Julia Stiles) and Bianca's (Larisa Oleynik) father won't allow Bianca to date unless Kat gets a date. When the boy (Joseph Gordon-Levitt ) that likes Bianca finds out, he hires Patrick (Heath Ledger) into helping him by getting Kat to date him.
6. O
Othello is one of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies about what the effects of racism can do to a person, especially when pushed by a person who means them harm. While O is a modern, teen adaptation of the play, it's pretty true to the source. In the movie, Odin (Mekhi Phifer ) is dating and in love with Desi (Julia Stiles). But because of jealousy, Odin's friend Hugo (Josh Hartnett) begins planting the seeds in Odin's head that Desi is cheating on him. The entire movie, unsurprisingly, ends in tragedy.
7. She's the Man
The second movie based on Twelfth Night to make our list, She's the Man is that tale, Viola (Amanda Bynes), whose girls' soccer team gets cut. Because her brother (James Kirk) is heading to a new school but decides to ditch for a few weeks, Viola disguises herself as him to play on his soccer team. Along the way, she falls for her new roommate and ends up entangled in a love triangle rife with mistaken identity.
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