Top 10 Movies You Didn't Know Were Inspired by Shakespeare

Eva is something of a busy body that can’t help but inject herself into the lives of her three sisters and their boyfriends. She’s so overbearing that her sister’s boyfriends pay an old friend to date her to keep her away. If these plot points sound familiar, you’ve probably read or seen The “Taming of the Shrew”. In the Shakespeare play, three men plot to get a man to marry the unruly Kat so that they are free to pursue her sister. “Deliver Us From Eva” definitely takes some big departures from its source material. However, the character archetypes and set up still make it feel like a literary classic.

Back in the golden days of DCOMs, this reconstruction of Twelfth Night graced us with its existence. In the original play, Viola disguises herself as a man after getting separated from her twin brother Sebastian. The Disney channel film mimics the plot by having Andie pretend to be her injured brother while competing in motocross events. But there’s a catch. In both stories, the heroine’s attempt to help her crush win over their love interest leads to a complex love triangle. The undercover characters have to try their best to keep everyone’s hearts from being broken while pursuing their own goals. We loved that Disney put an action packed spin on this twisty romance.

Instead of trying to recreate all the magical elements of “Midsummer Night’s Dream” directly, “Get Over It” takes a unique approach. A bulk of the plot revolves around the characters putting on the classic Shakespeare play itself. It just goes through a subtle name change to become “A Midsummer Night’s Rockin’ Eve.” What makes this choice even more meta was that the original story also features the characters putting on a performance. Outside of directly calling attention to the play, “Get Over It” also mimics the romantic beats of the original story. The layers of homages to the source material gave this teen comedy script a surprising layer of depth.

“O” reimagines one of Shakespeare’s most grim tragedies for a new audience. The original work essentially shows us how Iago’s building jealousy leads him to destroy Othello’s life. In the play, the villain tricks the title character into thinking that his love Desdemona is being unfaithful. The movie sees a man named Hugo convince his friend Odin that his girlfriend Desi is cheating on him. In both stories, the lives of all the characters are turned upside down by these false accusations. While other retellings of Shakespeare tragedies tend to opt for a happier ending, “O” definitely goes for a bleak conclusion.

While there have been many different versions of Romeo and Juliet over the years, few have as many zombies as “Warm Bodies”. We all know that the original star-crossed lovers came from feuding families, tried to defy expectations and tragically both ended up perishing by the end. R and Julie somehow had even more to overcome in “Warm Bodies”. Since R had turned into a zombie, he initially finds it impossible to even talk to Julie. But he eventually becomes able to express himself and his feelings for his living love. Both humans and the undead try to keep R and Julie apart. Fortunately, R and Julie defy the original story and get their happy ending.

Speaking of updated versions of Romeo and Juliet, the “Lion King” sequel heavily borrows elements from the Shakespeare classic to tell a lion love story (Xref) But we had to shout out the first animated movie in the Disney franchise for its comparison to Hamlet. The Shakespeare story introduces us to a prince who lost his father. After learning his uncle slayed his dad, the royal steps up to get revenge and take his rightful place as a ruler. “Lion King” shakes things up by fleshing out the relationship between prince Simba and his father Mufasa. It also shakes up the roles supporting characters play in the plot. But both stories feature ghost dads, showcase a climactic fight and are considered masterpieces in their mediums.

This rom-com immediately draws attention to its inspiration by letting its main characters share the same names as their Shakespearean counterparts. But that’s definitely not where the comparisons between the two works stop. While her twin brother Sebastian is away, Viola dresses up as him to play soccer at a school called Illyria. Not only is the plot similar, but the name of the school also mirrors the island the play takes place on. The film has fun adding teen movie cliches and thoughtful explorations of gender stereotypes to its version of the story. If you’re looking for a funny and contemporary take on “Twelfth Night”, this is the movie for you.

During “Kiss Me, Kate”, we once again are treated with a new version of a Shakespeare play within a narrative. Ex spouses Fred and Lilli produce and star in the musical production inspired by “The Taming of the Shrew”. While the movie’s plot and characters certainly carry some similarities to the source material, there’s also plenty of creative liberties. There’s backstage drama, modern gangsters and a different series of wacky romantic misunderstandings. But what doesn’t change is that the main couple always finds a way to make it work in the end. By the film’s conclusion, you feel as if “Kiss Me, Kate” perfectly captured the spirit of “The Taming of the Shrew.”

Arguably the most famous retelling of the “Romeo and Juliet” story has to be “West Side Story”. This time around, star-crossed lovers Tony and Maria each have deep ties to rival gangs. They also must sneak around stand-ins that mirror classic characters like Mercutio and Tybalt in New York City. The new setting and diverse cast allows “West Side Story” to discuss issues about race and class in between the ups and downs of the central romance. At the same time, it adds a series of legendary songs. Unfortunately for Tony and Maria, this is another Shakespeare adaptation that is faithful to the source material and ends in tragedy. The striking final scene measures up to the classic story in every adaptation.

Many rom-com fans would champion this film as the best contemporary retelling of The Taming of the Shrew. As we mentioned before, the play features a woman who can’t marry until her less idealistic older sister Katherine ties the knot. In the movie, a father declares his daughter Bianca can’t date until her antisocial sister does. Both plots see a suitor get recruited to help resolve the issue. What starts out as a business transaction for him turns into true love. While the film’s faithfulness to Shakespare is a big strength, we also adored the sharp writing and memorable characters. We absolutely love “10 Things I Hate About You” for being an extremely rewatchable version of a classic tale.