10 Movies You May Not Realise Are Based On The Work Of Shakespeare
Shakespeare's the man when it comes to source material.
From Romeo and Juliet to Macbeth, William Shakespeare is without doubt, one of the most influential writers of all time. Since first entertaining the masses in the 16th century, his work has been adapted hundreds of times after his death. Though the stories are best known as the heartbeat of theatre, they now find themselves transformed and reused as the basis for some of the biggest films in Hollywood.
In a world of remakes, reboots and a seemingly never-ending stream of superhero blockbusters, it’s easy to forget just how much Shakespeare’s work has influenced cinema. From a pride of lions, to musicals, to a romance featuring a zombie, there really are no limits as to how far Hollywood will go to to reinvent his work.
His stories are universal, and still resinate with most in this day and age. There have been straightforward adaptations of his work over the years, but for those not accustomed to period pieces with complicated dialogue, these movies reinvented the classic tales with a modern day twist.
10. Zombies + Romeo And Juliet = Warm Bodies
What could possibly be more romantic than Romeo and Juliet? a tragic love story about two youngsters whose love and passion overrides the hate between their feuding families. How about chucking zombies in to the mix? Because nothing says romance quite like a zombie flick, and that is exactly what Warm Bodies did to great effect in 2013.
In this update, a zombie (Nicholas Hoult) falls for a human (Theresa Palmer), despite the fact, you know, he could eat her at any time… and they say romance is dead.
Yes, Warm Bodies manages to adapt one of Shakespeare’s most beloved plays, adding a fresh spin on the classic story, capitalising on the resurgent love for all things zombies, after the success of The Walking Dead.