The Guinness Book of Records lists 410 feature-length film and TV versions of William Shakespeare's plays, making Shakespeare the most filmed author ever in any language.[1][2][3]
As of November 2023[update], the Internet Movie Database lists Shakespeare as having writing credit on 1,800 films, including those under production but not yet released.[4] The earliest known production is King John from 1899.[5]
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All's Well That Ends Well | TV | 1968 |
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Originally a Royal Shakespeare Company stage production, this was the first Shakespeare play broadcast in color by the BBC.[a] The second, of two, reels is believed to be lost.[6] | |
| All's Well That Ends Well | Video | 1978 |
|
A video recording of a 1978 New York Shakespeare Festival performance at the Delacorte Theatre, made by Jaime Caro for Theatre on Film and Tape.[7] | ||
| "All's Well That Ends Well" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1981 |
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| All's Well That Ends Well (National Theatre Live) |
TV | 2009 |
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Live performance broadcast from the National Theatre in London's West End. |
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As You Like It | Silent | 1912 |
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The film brings stage star Rose Coghlan to the screen for her motion picture debut. At 61–62, Coghlan is an older Rosalind than usual. Filmed mainly outdoors. | |
| Love in a Wood | Silent | 1915 |
|
Asilent comedy film in a contemporary setting of the play.[8] | ||
| As You Like It | Film | 1936 |
|
Olivier's first performance of Shakespeare on screen. It was also the final film of stage actors Leon Quartermaine and Henry Ainley and featured an early screen role for Ainley's son Richard as Sylvius, as well as for John Laurie, who played Orlando's brother Oliver. Laurie would go on to co-star with Olivier in the three Shakespearean films that Olivier directed.[9] | ||
| As You Like It | TV | 1963 |
|
|
A recording of the Royal Shakespeare Company's 1961 performance for the BBC.[10] In a 2015 retrospective for The Guardian, theatre critic Michael Billington praised Redgrave as having "the ability to give a performance [as Rosalind] that becomes a gold-standard for future generations".[11] | |
| "As You Like It" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1978 |
|
Recorded at Glamis Castle in Scotland, this was one of only two productions shot on location, the other being The Famous History of the Life of Henry the Eight. However, the location shooting received a lukewarm response from both critics and the BBC's own people, with the general consensus being that the natural world in the episode overwhelmed the actors and the story. Director Basil Coleman initially felt that the play should be filmed over the course of a year, with the change in seasons from winter to summer marking the ideological change in the characters, but he was forced to shoot entirely in May, even though the play begins in winter. This, in turn, meant the harshness of the forest described in the text was replaced by lush greenery, which was distinctly unthreatening, with the characters' "time in the forest appear[ing] to be more an upscale camping expedition rather than exile."[12] | ||
| As You Like It | TV | 1983 |
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| As You Like It | Film | 1992 |
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Set in a modern, urban, environment. The film received mostly negative reviews. Time Out thought that the "… wonder is that they bothered to put film in the camera, for sadly this is Shakespeare sans teeth, eyes, taste, sans everything."[13] Derek ElleyinVariety characterised it as a "British low-budgeter, mostly shot on drab exteriors, [that] will be limited to literary students and the very dedicated, given careful nursing."[14] | ||
| "As You Like It" (Shakespeare: The Animated Tales) |
TV | 1994 |
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Animated with paint on glass using watercolors.[15] | |
| As You Like It | Film | 2006 |
|
Branagh moved the play's setting from medieval France to a late 19th century European colony in Japan after the Meiji Restoration. It is filmed at Shepperton Film Studios and at the never-before-filmed gardens of Wakehurst Place. | ||
| As You Like It | TV | 2010 |
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| As You Like It | Video | 2010 |
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Recording of a performance at Shakespeare's Globe. |
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Boys from Syracuse | Film | 1940 |
|
Amusical film based on a stage musicalbyRichard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, which in turn was based on the play.[16] It was nominated for two Academy Awards: one for Best Visual Effects (John P. Fulton, Bernard B. Brown, Joe Lapis) and one for Best Art Direction (Jack Otterson).[17] | ||
| Bhranti Bilas (Bengali: ভ্রান্তি বিলাস, lit. 'Illusion of illusion)' |
Film | 1963 |
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|
The film relocates the story to modern day India. The film tells the story of a Bengali merchant from Kolkata and his servant who visit a small town for a business appointment, but, whilst there, are mistaken for a pair of locals, leading to much confusion. It is based on an 1869 play by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, which is itself based on The Comedy of Errors. Bhranti Bilas was remade in 1968 as the musical comedy Do Dooni Char, which in turn was later remade as Angoor. | |
| "The Comedy of Errors" (Festival) |
TV | 1967 |
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| Do Dooni Char | Film | 1968 |
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A musical comedy Bollywood adaptation based on the 1963 film Bhranti Bilas, which in turn was based on an 1869 play by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, which is itself based on The Comedy of Errors. Do Dooni Char was later remade as Angoor. | |
| The Comedy of Errors | TV | 1978 |
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A TV adaptation of a musical based on the play, with a book and lyrics by Trevor Nunn and music by Guy Woolfenden. | |
| Angoor (Hindi: अंगूर, lit. 'Grape)' |
Film | 1982 |
|
ABollywood adaptation, based on the 1968 film Do Dooni Char, which was based on the 1963 film Bhranti Bilas, which in turn was based on an 1869 play by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, which is itself based on The Comedy of Errors. | ||
| "The Comedy of Errors" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1983 |
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| The Comedy of Errors | TV | 1987 |
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Videotaped as part of PBS's Great Performances series at Lincoln Center, New York City, this production starring The Flying Karamazov Brothers combined Shakespeare with slapstick, acrobatics and juggling on the basis that "in Ephesus, you juggle or die!" with Shakespeare himself taking part in the action. | ||
| The Comedy of Errors | TV | 1989 |
|
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Love's Labor Lost | Animation | 1920 | ||||
| "Love's Labour's Lost" (Play of the Month) |
TV | 1975 |
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| "Love's Labour's Lost" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1985 |
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| Love's Labour's Lost | Film | 2000 |
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Branagh's film turns Love's Labour's Lost into a romantic Hollywood musical. Set and costume design evoke the Europe of 1939; the music (classic Broadway songs of the 1930s) and newsreel-style footage are also chief period details. |
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Measure for Measure (Italian: Dente per dente, lit. 'A tooth for a tooth)' |
Film | 1943 |
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| "Measure For Measure" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1979 |
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| Measure for Measure | TV | 1994 |
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Modern dress version of Shakespeare's "problem comedy" emphasizing the darker elements of the play and eliminating most of the humor. | ||
| Measure for Measure | Film | 2006 |
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Contemporary re-working of Shakespeare's problem play set in the British army. | |
| M4M: Measure for Measure | Film | 2015 |
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|
All-male cast version | |
| Measure For Measure | Film | 2019 |
|
Adaptation set in modern-day Australia |
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Merchant of Venice | Silent | 1914 |
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An early film of the play, now assumed to be lost.[18] | |
| The Merchant of Venice | Silent | 1916 |
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The film was made by Broadwest. The company hired the complete stage cast of the play and filmed at Walthamstow Studios using largely natural light. The film marked the screen debut of Matheson Lang who went on to become one of the leading British actors of the 1920s.[19] | ||
| The Merchant of Venice | Film | 1922 |
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| Der Kaufmann von Venedig | Silent | Germany | 1923 | Peter Paul Felner | Werner Krauß (Shylock) Henny Porten (Portia) Harry Liedtke (Bassanio) Carl Ebert (Antonio) Max Schreck (Doge von Venedig) | A relatively late silent movie, making significant changes in the plot, nevertheless considered as a masterwork, mostly due to its stunning cast. |
| The Merchant of Venice | TV | 1947 |
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| "The Merchant of Venice" (Sunday Night Theatre) |
TV | 1955 |
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| "The Merchant of Venice" (Play of the Month) |
TV | 1972 |
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| The Merchant of Venice | TV | 1973 |
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An adaptation from Jonathan Miller's acclaimed 1970 Royal National Theatre staging.[20] | ||
| The Merchant of Venice | TV | 1976 |
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| "The Merchant of Venice" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1980 |
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| The Merchant of Venice | TV | 1996 |
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| The Merchant of Venice | TV | 2001 |
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| The Maori Merchant of Venice (Māori: Te Tangata Whai Rawa o Weniti) |
Film | 2002 |
|
The play was translated into Māori in 1945 by Pei Te Hurinui Jones, and his translation is used for the film. It is the first Māori-language film adaptation of any of Shakespeare's plays, and the first feature length Māori film.[21] The film was shot in Auckland, but "recreates 16th century Venice, with costumes and surroundings to fit the original setting".[22] | ||
| The Merchant of Venice | Film | 2004 |
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| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Merry Wives of Windsor (German: Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor) |
Film | 1950 |
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| "The Merry Wives of Windsor" (Sunday Night Theatre) |
TV | 1952 |
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| Chimes at Midnight | Film |  |
1966 |
|
Welles said that the core of the film's story was "the betrayal of friendship." The script contains text from five of Shakespeare's plays: primarily Henry IV, Part 1 and Henry IV, Part 2, but also Richard II and Henry V, as well as some dialogue from The Merry Wives of Windsor. Richardson's narration is taken from the works of chronicler Raphael Holinshed. Welles had previously produced a Broadway adaptation of nine Shakespeare plays called Five Kings in 1939. In 1960, he revived this project in IrelandasChimes at Midnight, which was his final on-stage performance. Neither of these plays was successful, but Welles considered portraying Falstaff to be his life's ambition and turned the project into a film. In order to get initial financing, Welles lied to producer Emiliano Piedra about adapting Treasure Island, and keeping the film funded during production was a constant struggle. Welles shot Chimes at Midnight throughout Spain between 1964 and 1965; it premiered at the 1966 Cannes Film Festival, winning two awards. | |
| The Merry Wives of Windsor | TV | 1970 |
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| "The Merry Wives of Windsor" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1982 |
|
Jones originally wanted to shoot the episode in Stratford-upon-Avon but was restricted to a studio setting. Determined that the production be as realistic as possible, he had designer Dom Homfray base the set on real Tudor houses associated with Shakespeare: Falstaff's room is based on the home of Mary Arden (Shakespeare's mother) in Wilmcote, and the wives' houses are based on the house of Shakespeare's daughter Susanna, and her husband, John Hall. For the background of exterior shots, he used a miniature Tudor village built of plasticine.[23] |
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | Silent | 1909 |
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The first film adaptation of the play. | |
| Wood Love (German: Ein Sommernachtstraum) |
Silent | 1925 |
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| A Midsummer Night's Dream | Film | 1935 |
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|
Austrian-born director Max Reinhardt did not speak English at the time of production. He gave orders to the actors and crew in German with William Dieterle acting as his interpreter. The film was banned in Nazi Germany because of the Jewish backgrounds of Reinhardt and composer Felix Mendelssohn. Filming had to be rearranged after Rooney broke his leg while skiing. According to Rooney's memoirs, Jack L. Warner was furious and threatened to kill him and then break his other leg. This was the film debut of Olivia de Havilland.[24] | |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream (Czech: Sen noci svatojánské) |
Film | 1959 | An animated puppet film directed by Jiří Trnka. It was an Official Selection as a Feature Film at the 1959 Cannes Film Festival, and won special distinction.[25] An English-language dubbed version was made with narration by Richard Burton.[26] | |||
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | Film | 1968 |
|
The film premiered in theatres in Europe in September 1968. In the U.S., it was sold directly to television rather than playing in theatres, and premiered as a Sunday evening special, on the night of 9 February 1969. It was shown on CBS (with commercials). | ||
| A Midsummer Night's Dream (French: Le Songe d'une nuit d'été) |
TV | 1969 |
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| "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1980 |
|
Released in the US as part of the Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare series. | ||
| Dream of a Summer Night (Italian: Sogno di una Notte d'Estate) |
Film | 1983 |
|
Based on a rock musical directed by Salvatores, it is a musical adaptation.[27][28] It was screened in the "De Sica" section at the 40th edition of the Venice International Film Festival.[29] | ||
| "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (Shakespeare: The Animated Tales) |
TV |  |
1992 |
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| A Midsummer Night's Dream | Film | 1996 |
|
Filmed adaptation of the Royal Shakespeare Company's 1996 version of A Midsummer Night's Dream | ||
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | Film |   |
1999 |
|
A Midsummer Night's Dream was filmed on location in Lazio and Tuscany, and at Cinecittà Studios, Rome, Italy. The action of the play was transported from Athens, Greece, to a fictional Monte Athena, located in the Tuscan region of Italy, although all textual mentions of Athens were retained. The film made use of Felix Mendelssohn's incidental music for an 1843 stage production (including the famous Wedding March), alongside operatic works from Giuseppe Verdi, Gaetano Donizetti, Vincenzo Bellini, Gioacchino Rossini and Pietro Mascagni.[30] | |
| The Children's Midsummer Night's Dream | Film | 2001 |
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In this version, a group of school children are attending a puppet performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream when they are drawn into the story and become the characters, dressed in Elizabethan costumes. | ||
| Get Over It | Film | 2001 |
|
A contemporary adaptation set at a high school which includes another version of the play performed as a show-within-a-show, much like the Pyramus and Thisbe subplay in the original Shakespeare. | ||
| A Midsummer Night's Rave | Film | 2002 |
|
A modern adaptation set at a warehouse party | ||
| Midsummer Dream (Spanish: El Sueño de una Noche de San Juan) |
Film |  |
2005 |
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An animated adaptation of the Cream story. |
| "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (ShakespeaRe-Told) |
TV | 2005 |
|
a modern adaptation | ||
| Were the World Mine | Film | 2008 |
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The film, inspired by the play, prominently features a modern, LGBT interpretation of the play put on in a private high school in a small town. Additionally, this musical's lyrics are largely based on Shakespeare's original text. For example, the title comes from a line in a song, drawn from a line in a play, "Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated / The rest I'd give to be to you translated." | |
| 10ml LOVE | Film | 2010 |
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A Hindi romantic comedy concerning the tribulations of a love quadrangle during a night of magic and madness and a contemporary adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream. | ||
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | Film | 2015 |
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Recording of a production at Polonsky Shakespeare Center, Brooklyn, New York. | ||
| Strange Magic | Film | 2015 |
|
An animated musical fantasy romantic comedy film with feature animation by Lucasfilm Animation and Industrial Light & Magic.[31] | ||
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | TV | 2016 |
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| A Midsummer Night's Dream | Film | 2018 |
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A modern-day version set against the backdrop of Hollywood, CA. |
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Much Ado About Nothing | TV | 1973 |
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ACBS television presentation of Joseph Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival production. | |
| Much Ado About Nothing (Russian: Много шума из ничего) | Film | 1973 |
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Soviet romantic comedy | |
| "Much Ado About Nothing" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1984 |
|
Released in the US as part of the Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare series. | ||
| Much Ado About Nothing | Film | 1993 |
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| "Much Ado About Nothing" (ShakespeaRe-Told) |
TV | 2005 |
|
A modern adaptation by David Nicholls. | ||
| Much Ado About Nothing | Film | 2012 |
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| Anyone But You | Film | 2023 |
|
A modern adaptation by Will Gluck and Ilana Wolpert.[32] |
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Taming of the Shrew | Silent | 1908 |
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| Daring Youth[33] | Silent | 1924 |
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| The Taming of the Shrew | Film | 1929 |
|
The first sound film adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew. | ||
| You Made Me Love You | Film | 1933 |
|
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| Kiss Me, Kate | Film | 1953 |
|
An adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name, it tells the tale of musical theater actors, Fred Graham and Lilli Vanessi, who were once married and are now performing opposite each other in the roles of Petruchio and Katherine in a Broadway-bound musical version of the play. Already on poor terms, the pair begin an all-out emotional war mid-performance that threatens the production's success. | ||
| The Taming of the Shrew | TV | 1962 |
|
The play was performed live but included some filmed sequences shot in Centennial Park.[34][35] | ||
| Arivaali (Tamil: அறிவாளி) |
Film | 1963 |
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| The Taming of the Shrew (Italian: La Bisbetica domata) |
Film |  |
1967 |
|
"A bawdy and boisterous production which reduces the play to the Katharina/Petruccio romance."[36] | |
| The Taming of the Shrew | TV | 1973 |
|
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| The Taming of the Shrew | TV | 1973 |
|
Videotaped broadcast of the San Francisco American Conservatory Theater presenting Shakespeare's classic take with a Commedia dell'arte flair, as if it were an inn yard performance by a traveling company. | ||
| The Taming of the Scoundrel (Italian: Il Bisbetico Domato) |
Film | 1980 |
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| "The Taming of the Shrew" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1980 |
|
Released in the US as part of the Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare series. | ||
| Kiss Me, Petruchio | TV | 1981 |
|
Documentary following actress Streep and actor Julia as they prepare to perform and actually perform Shakespeare's comedy The Taming of the Shrew for the "Shakespeare in the Park" theater festival in Central Park, New York. | ||
| The Taming of the Shrew (The Shakespeare Collection) |
Video | 1983 |
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| "Atomic Shakespeare" (Moonlighting) |
TV | 1986 |
|
First aired on 25 November 1986, the episode presented the play through multiple fourth-wall layers with a self-referential frame tale, in which a young fan of the TV show has a Shakespeare reading assignment and imagines it as presented by the show's regular cast. | ||
| Nanjundi Kalyana (Kannada: ನಂಜುಂಡಿ ಕಲ್ಯಾಣ, lit. 'Nanjundi's marriage)' |
Film | 1989 |
|
An adaptation based on Parvathavani's Kannada drama which was a translation of the play. The film was among the biggest grossing Kannada films of 1989, and was remade in TeluguasMahajananiki Maradalu Pilla (1990). | ||
| Mahajananiki Maradalu Pilla (Telugu: మహాజనానికి మరదలు పిల్ల, lit. 'A child of neglect)' |
Film | 1990 |
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A remake of the Kannada film Nanjundi Kalyana (1989). | |
| "The Taming of the Shrew" (Shakespeare: The Animated Tales) |
TV | |
1994 |
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| 10 Things I Hate About You | Film | 1999 |
|
A modernization of the play, retold in a late-1990s American high school setting. New student Cameron is smitten with Bianca and, in order to get around her father's strict rules on dating, attempts to get bad boy Patrick to date Bianca's ill-tempered sister, Kat. | ||
| The Carnation and the Rose (Portuguese: O Cravo e a Rosa) |
Telenovela | 2000–1 |
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| Deliver Us from Eva | Film | 2003 |
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| "The Taming of The Shrew" (ShakespeaRe-Told) |
TV | 2005 |
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A modern adaptation by Sally Wainwright. | |
| Frivolous Wife (Korean: 날나리 종부전)[37] |
Film | 2008 |
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| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twelfth Night | Film | 1910 |
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| Twelfth Night | Film | 1933 |
|
Notable as the earliest surviving film directed by Welles, then aged 17. It is a recording of the dress rehearsal of Welles's own abridged production at his alma mater, the Todd School for Boys, where he had returned to direct this adaptation for the Chicago Drama Festival in 1933.[38] | ||
| Twelfth Night (Russian: Двенадцатая ночь) |
Film | 1955 |
|
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| Twelfth Night[39] | TV | 1966 |
|
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| Twelfth Night | TV | 1970 |
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| "Twelfth Night" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1980 |
|
Released in the US as part of the Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare series. | ||
| Twelfth Night[40] | Film | 1986 |
|
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| Twelfth Night | TV | 1988 |
|
Music by Patrick Doyle and Paul McCartney | ||
| "Twelfth Night" (Shakespeare: The Animated Tales) |
TV | |
1992 |
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| Twelfth Night | Film | 1996 |
|
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| Twelfth Night, or What You Will | TV | 2003 |
|
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| She's the Man | Film | 2006 |
|
Adapts the story to a high-school setting. | ||
| Twelfth Night | Film | 2013 |
|
"Globe on Screen": All-male cast in an "original practice" production. |
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Spray of Plum Blossoms (Chinese: 一剪梅; pinyin: Yī jiǎn méi) |
Silent film | 1931 |
|
The film is noted for its attempted "Westernized stylings" including its surreal use of decor, women-soldiers with long hair, etc. The film also had English-subtitles, but as some scholars have noted, since few foreigners watched these films, the subtitles were more to give off an air of the West rather than to serve any real purpose.[41][42] | ||
| "The Two Gentlemen of Verona" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1983 |
|
Released in the US as part of the Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare series. |
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antony and Cleopatra | Film | 1908 |
|
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| Antony and Cleopatra (Italian: Marcantonio e Cleopatra)[43] |
Silent film | 1913 |
|
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| Antony and Cleopatra | TV | 1959 |
|
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| Antony and Cleopatra[44] | Film |  |
1972 |
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| Antony and Cleopatra | TV | 1974 |
|
|
An adaptation of Trevor Nunn's Royal Shakespeare Company production. | |
| "Antony & Cleopatra" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1981 |
|
Released in the US as part of the Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare series. | ||
| Kannaki | Film | 2002 |
|
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Tragedy of Coriolanus" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1984 |
|
Released in the US as part of the Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare series. | ||
| Coriolanus | Film | 2012 |
|
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamlet (French: Le Duel d'Hamlet) |
Film | 1900 |
|
Believed to have been the earliest film adaptation of the play. The film is two minutes in length. It also was one of the first films to employ the newly discovered art of pre-recording the actors' voices, then playing the recording simultaneous to the playing of the film. So, while produced during the silent film era, the film is technically not a silent film.[45] | ||
| Hamlet | Silent | 1907 |
|
The first multi-scene cinematic adaptation of any work by Shakespeare.[46] | ||
| Hamlet | Silent | 1908 |
|
One of twelve renditions of the play produced during the silent film era. | ||
| Hamlet | Silent | 1912 |
|
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| Hamlet | Silent | 1913 |
|
Made by the Hepworth Company and based on the Drury Lane Theatre's 1913 staging of the work. | ||
| Hamlet (Italian: Amleto)[47] |
Silent | 1917 |
|
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| Hamlet | Silent | 1921 |
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| Blood for Blood (Urdu: Khoon Ka Khoon) |
Film | 1935 |
|
Cited as one of the earliest talkie adaptations.[48] Credited as "the man who brought Shakespeare to the Indian screen",[49] it was Modi's debut feature film as a director.[49] The story and script were by Mehdi Hassan Ahsan from his Urdu adaptation of Hamlet. Khoon Ka Khoon was the debut in films of Naseem Banu.[50] Khoon Ka Khoon was a "filmed version of a stage performance of the play".[51] The film has been cited by National Film Archive of India founder P K. Nair, as one of "most wanted" missing Indian cinema treasures.[52] | ||
| Hamlet | Film | 1948 |
|
Olivier's second film as director, and also the second of the three Shakespeare films that he directed. Hamlet was the first British film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.[53] It is also the first sound film of the play in English. Olivier's Hamlet is the Shakespeare film that has received the most prestigious accolades, winning the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor and the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. | ||
| I, Hamlet (Italian: Io, Amleto) |
Film | 1952 |
|
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| Hamlet (Urdu: हेमलेट) |
Film | 1954 |
|
Sahu was influenced by "classic European sources".[54] Though termed a "free adaptation" in the credit roll of the film, Sahu stayed true to the title, its setting, and the original names in the play, remaining as close as possible to Olivier's 1948 film.[55] | ||
| Hamlet | TV | 1959 |
|
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| The Bad Sleep Well (Japanese: 悪い奴ほどよく眠る, romanized: Warui yatsu hodo yoku nemuru) |
Film | 1960 |
|
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| Hamlet (German: Hamlet, Prinz von Dänemark) |
TV | 1961 |
|
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| Ophelia | Film | 1963 |
|
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| Hamlet (Russian: Гамлет, romanized: Gamlet) |
Film | 1964 |
|
|
Based on a translation by Boris Pasternak, and with a score by Dmitri Shostakovich. Both Kozintsev and the film itself gained prominence among adaptations of the play, and Smoktunovsky is considered one of the great cinematic Hamlets. | |
| Hamlet | Film | 1964 |
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| Hamlet at Elsinore | TV | |
1964 |
|
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| Johnny Hamlet (Italian: Quella sporca storia nel West, lit. 'That Dirty Story in the West)' |
Film | 1968 |
|
ASpaghetti Western version.[56] | ||
| Hamlet | Film | 1969 |
|
|||
| One Hamlet Less (Italian: Un Amleto di meno) |
Film | 1973 |
|
|||
| Hamlet | TV | 1974 |
|
|
||
| The Angel of Vengeance – The Female Hamlet (Turkish: İntikam Meleği – Kadın Hamlet) |
Film | 1977 |
|
|||
| "Hamlet, Prince of Denmark" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1980 |
|
|||
| Strange Brew | Film | 1983 |
|
|
||
| Hamlet Goes Business (Finnish: Hamlet liikemaailmassa) |
Film | 1987 |
|
|||
| Hamlet | Film |  |
1990 |
|
The movie received two Academy Award nominations, for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design (Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo).[57] Bates received a BAFTA nomination as Best Supporting Actor for playing Claudius.[58] | |
| Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead | Film | |
1990 |
|
Based on Stoppard's play of the same name, the film depicts two minor characters from Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who find themselves on the road to Elsinore Castle at the behest of the King of Denmark. They encounter a band of players before arriving to find that they are needed to try to discern what troubles the prince Hamlet. Meanwhile, they ponder the meaning of their existence. The movie won the Golden Lion at the 47th Venice International Film Festival. | |
| "Hamlet" (Shakespeare: The Animated Tales) |
TV | |
1992 |
|
|
|
| Renaissance Man | Film | 1994 |
|
|||
| The Lion King | Film | 1994 |
|
|
An animated epic musical drama film, produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The story takes place within a pride of lions in Africa. | |
| In the Bleak Midwinter | Film | 1995 |
|
|||
| Hamlet | Film | |
1996 |
|
The film is notable as the first unabridged theatrical film adaptation, running just over four hours. The play's setting is updated to the 19th century, but its Elizabethan English remains the same. Hamlet was also the last major dramatic motion picture to be filmed entirely on 70 mm film until the release of The Master (2012). Hamlet was highly acclaimed by the majority of critics and has been regarded as one of the best Shakespeare film adaptations ever made.[59][60][61] | |
| Let the Devil Wear Black | Film | 1999 |
|
A modern-day version set in Los Angeles. All of the language is modern.[62] | ||
| Hamlet | Film | 2000 |
|
In this version, Claudius becomes King and CEO of "Denmark Corporation", having taken over the firm by killing his brother, Hamlet's father. This adaptation keeps the Shakespearean dialogue but presents a modern setting, with technology such as video cameras, Polaroid cameras, and surveillance bugs. For example, the ghost of Hamlet's murdered father first appears on closed-circuit TV. | ||
| The Tragedy of Hamlet | Film | 2002 |
|
Film of the stage production mounted at Theatre des Bouffes du Nord in Paris. Director Brook cut about one-third of the text, bringing it down to two hours and 20 minutes without an intermission and rearranging the order of some scenes. | ||
| The Banquet (Chinese: 夜宴; pinyin: Yè Yàn) |
Film | 2006 |
|
A loose adaptation of Hamlet and Ibsen's Ghosts, set in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in 10th century China. | ||
| Hamlet | TV | 2009 |
|
An adaptation of the Royal Shakespeare Company's 2008 modern-dress stage production. | ||
| Tardid (Persian: تردید, lit. 'Doubt)' |
Film | 2009 |
|
|
||
| Hamlet | Film | 2011 |
|
A condensed retelling of the play set in 1940s England. | ||
| Karmayogi | Film | 2012 |
|
|||
| Haider | Film | 2014 |
|
|||
| The Lion King | Film | 2019 |
|
Amusical drama film, produced and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is a photorealistic animated remake of Disney's traditionally animated 1994 film of the same name. The story takes place within a pride of lions in Africa. |
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julius Caesar | Film | 1950 |
|
The first film version of the play with sound. It was produced using actors from the Chicago area. Heston, who had known Bradley since his youth, was the only paid cast member. Bradley recruited drama students from his alma mater Northwestern University for bit parts and extras, one of whom was future star Jeffrey Hunter, who studied alongside Heston at Northwestern. The 16 mm film was shot in 1949 on locations in the Chicago area, including Soldier Field, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Elks National Veterans Memorial, and the Field Museum. The Indiana sand dunes on Lake Michigan were used for the Battle of Philippi. One indoor set was built in the Chicago suburb of Evanston. To save money, about 80% of the film was shot silently, with the dialogue dubbed in later by the actors. | ||
| Julius Caesar | Film | 1953 |
|
Brando's casting was met with some skepticism when it was announced, as he had acquired the nickname of "The Mumbler" following his performance in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951).[63] Mankiewicz even considered Paul Scofield for the role of Mark Antony if Brando's screen test was unsuccessful.[64] Brando asked John Gielgud for advice in declaiming Shakespeare, and adopted all of Gielgud's recommendations.[65] Brando's performance turned out so well that the New York Times stated in its review of the film: "Happily, Mr. Brando's diction, which has been guttural and slurred in previous films, is clear and precise in this instance. In him a major talent has emerged."[66] Brando was so dedicated in his performance during shooting that Gielgud offered to direct him in a stage production of Hamlet, a proposition that Brando seriously considered but ultimately turned down.[67] | ||
| Julius Caesar | TV | 1969 |
|
|
filmed for BBC Television. | |
| Julius Caesar | Film | 1970 |
|
The first film version of the play made in colour.[68] | ||
| "Julius Caesar" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1979 |
|
Released in the US as part of the Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare series. | ||
| "Julius Caesar" (Shakespeare: The Animated Tales) |
TV | |
1994 |
|
|
Cel animation |
| Julius Caesar | TV | 2012 |
|
Royal Shakespeare Company stage production, filmed for BBC Television. | ||
| Julius Caesar | TV | 2018 |
|
|
Royal Shakespeare Company stage production, filmed for BBC Television. | |
| Julius Caesar | TV | 2018 |
|
Donmar Warehouse all-female stage production, filmed for Television. |
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King Lear (Italian: Re Lear) |
Silent | 1910 |
|
|
||
| King Lear | Silent | 1916 |
|
|||
| Gunasundari Katha (Telugu: గుణసుందరి కథ) |
Film | 1949 |
|
|||
| King Lear | TV | 1953 |
|
|
Originally presented live, now survives on kinescope. | |
| King Lear[69][70] | Film | 1971 |
|
|||
| King Lear (Russian: Король Лир, romanized: Korol Lir) |
Film | 1971 |
|
The Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich composed the score. | ||
| "King Lear" (Great Performances) |
TV | 1974 |
|
Recording of a New York Shakespeare Festival production. | ||
| King Lear | TV | 1974 |
|
|
||
| "King Lear" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1982 |
|
Released in the US as part of the Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare series. | ||
| King Lear | TV | 1983 |
|
Elliott set his Lear in an environment resembling Stonehenge, although the production was entirely shot in a studio. In keeping with the primitive backdrop, this production emphasizes the primitive over the sophisticated. Shakespeare's characters use the clothing, weapons, and technology of the early Bronze Age rather than the Elizabethan era. Olivier's Lear in this production garnered great acclaim, winning him an Emmy for the performance. It was the last of Olivier's appearances in a Shakespeare play. At 75, he was one of the oldest actors to take on this enormously demanding role. (He had previously played it in 1946 at the Old Vic, without much success.) | ||
| Ran (Japanese: 乱, lit. 'Chaos)' |
Film | |
1985 |
|
|
An adaptation of the story in a Japanese setting, Ran was Kurosawa's last epic, and has often been cited as amongst his finest achievements. With a budget of $11 million, it was the most expensive Japanese film ever produced up to that time.[71] |
| King Lear | Film | 1987 |
|
Adapted as post-Chernobyl disaster science fiction. Rather than reproducing a performance of Shakespeare's play, the film is more concerned with the issues raised by the text, and symbolically explores the relationships between power and virtue, between fathers and daughters, words and images. The film deliberately does not use conventional Hollywood film-making techniques which make a film 'watchable', but instead seeks to alienate and baffle its audience in the manner of Berthold Brecht.[72] | ||
| Gypsy Lore (Hungarian: Romani kris - Cigánytörvény)[73] |
Film | 1997 |
|
|||
| A Thousand Acres | Film | 1997 |
|
A modern retelling of the Lear story, from the perspective of the Goneril character (Ginny). | ||
| King Lear | TV | 1997 |
|
BBC film of the Royal National Theatre's stage version. It was televised with an accompanying documentary, including interviews with the director and cast. | ||
| King Lear | Film | 1999 |
|
Apart from Peter Brook's 1971 adaptation, Blessed's is the only other feature-length film adaptation to preserve Shakespeare's verse. Yvonne Griggs, in Shakespeare's King Lear: A close study of the relationship between text and film (2009), characterised it as "a very stilted costume drama".[74] | ||
| The Tragedy of King Lear | Screenplay | 2000 | An unfilmed screenplay written by Harold Pinter on a commission from Tim Roth.[75] | |||
| King of Texas | TV | 2002 |
|
A Western adaptation of King Lear, the film takes the plot of the play and places it in the Republic of Texas during the 19th century.[76] | ||
| King Lear | TV | 2008 |
|
It features the same cast and director as the 2007 RSC production, and started filming only a few days after the final performance at the New London Theatre, at Pinewood StudiosinBuckinghamshire. | ||
| King Lear | TV | |
2018 |
|
Set in an alternative universe, 21st-century, highly militarised London. |
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macbeth | Silent | 1908 |
|
The earliest known film version of that play. It was a black and white silent film with English intertitles. It is currently unknown if any print of the film still exists.[77] | ||
| Macbeth | Silent | 1909 |
|
A silent black-and-white film with French intertitles. | ||
| Macbeth | Silent | 1909 |
|
The second adaptation that year, and is the third film version. In black-and-white, the runtime is 16 minutes. | ||
| Macbeth | Silent | 1911 |
|
Like all films of the time, it is silent with English intertitles, black-and-white, and ran for 14 minutes. No prints are known to exist.[78] | ||
| Macbeth | Silent | 1913 |
|
47-minute silent adaptation.[79] It is considered to be lost, but according to Carl Bennett in The Progressive Silent Film List, a print may exist at the George Eastman Museum's International Museum of Photography and Film.[80] | ||
| Macbeth | Silent | 1915 |
|
A silent black-and-white film with French intertitles. | ||
| Macbeth | Silent | 1916 |
|
The film stars Herbert Beerbohm Tree and Constance Collier, both famous from the stage and for playing Shakespearean parts. Although released during the first decade of feature filmmaking, it was already the seventh version of Macbeth to be produced, one of eight of the silent film era. It is considered to be a lost film. The running time is 80 minutes.[81] In the companion book to his Hollywood television series, Kevin Brownlow states that Sir Herbert Tree failed to understand that the production was a silent film and that speech was not needed so much as pantomime. Tree, who had performed the play numerous times on the stage, kept spouting reams of dialogue. So Emerson and Fleming simply removed the film and cranked an empty camera so as not to waste film when he did so.[82] | ||
| The Real Thing at Last | Silent | 1916 |
|
|
Asatirical silent adaptation. It was written in 1916 by Peter Pan creator and playwright J. M. Barrie as a parody of the American entertainment industry. The film was made by the newly created British Actors Film Company in response to news that American filmmaker D. W. Griffith intended to honor the 300th anniversary of Shakespeare's death with the production of a film version. No copies of The Real Thing at Last are known to survive.[83] It parodies the sensationalism of the American entertainment of the day, contrasting it with more reserved British sensibilities. It loosely follows the plot of the play, but two versions of each depicted scene are shown:
| |
| Macbeth | Silent | 1922 |
|
The last silent version, and the eighth film adaptation of the play. | ||
| Macbeth | Film | 1948 |
|
|||
| Macbeth | Film | 1950s | An unsuccessful mid-1950s attempt by Olivier to finance a new film version. | |||
| Marmayogi (Tamil: மர்மயோகி, lit. 'The Mysterious Sage, Hindi: एक था राजा, romanized: Ek Tha Raja, lit. 'Once There Was A King')' |
Film | 1951 |
|
A film adaptation of the novel VengeancebyMarie Corelli and Macbeth. The film was shot simultaneously in Tamil and Hindi. | ||
| "Macbeth" (Hallmark Hall of Fame) |
TV | 1954 |
|
Alive television adaptation telecast in color, but has only been preserved on black-and-white kinescope.[84][85] | ||
| Joe MacBeth | Film | 1955 |
|
A modern retelling set in a 1930s American criminal underworld. The film's plot closely follows the original.[86] | ||
| Throne of Blood (Japanese: 蜘蛛巣城, romanized: Kumonosu-jō, lit. 'Spider Web Castle)' |
Film | 1957 |
|
The film transposes the plot from Medieval Scotland to feudal Japan, with stylistic elements drawn from Noh drama. As with the play, the film tells the story of a warrior who assassinates his sovereign at the urging of his ambitious wife. Despite the change in setting and language and numerous creative liberties, in the West Throne of Blood is often considered one of the best film adaptations of the play. | ||
| Macbeth | TV | 1960 |
|
A filmed-on-location adaptation with the same two stars and director as the 1954 production. Shown on TV in the US and in theatres in Europe.[87] | ||
| Macbeth | TV | 1960 |
|
The Sydney Morning Herald wrote that the production as "visually efficient" but also "a dreadful warning of what can happen when a producer becomes frightened of a great text... a torrent of gabble and shouting. Some of the most concise dramatic poetry in all Shakespeare received treatment worthy of the race results."[88] | ||
| Macbeth | TV | 1961 |
|
|||
| Macbeth | TV | 1965 |
|
|||
| "Macbeth" (Play of the Month) |
TV | 1970 |
|
|||
| Macbeth[89] | Film | |
1971 |
|
||
| Macbeth | TV | 1978 |
|
|
Videotaped version of Nunn's Royal Shakespeare Company production produced by Thames Television. The original stage production was performed at The Other Place, the RSC's small studio theatreinStratford-upon-Avon. It had been performed in the round before small audiences, with a bare stage and simple costuming. The recording preserves this style: the actors perform on a circular set and with a mostly black background; changes of setting are indicated only by lighting changes. | |
| Macbeth (The Shakespeare Collection) |
Video | 1981 |
|
|||
| Macbeth | TV | 1982 |
|
The film is composed of only two shots: The first shot (before the main title) is five minutes long, the second 57 minutes long.[90] | ||
| "Macbeth" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1983 |
|
|||
| Macbeth | Film | 1987 |
|
A film adaptation of Verdi's opera Macbeth (librettobyFrancesco Maria Piave based on Shakespeare's play) It was screened out of competition at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival.[91] | ||
| Men of Respect | Film | 1990 |
|
|
||
| "Macbeth" (Shakespeare: The Animated Tales) |
TV | |
1992 |
|
|
|
| Macbeth | TV | 1997 |
|
|
||
| Macbeth on the Estate | TV | 1997 |
|
Modern-setting version in a world of drugs and drug kingpins. | ||
| Macbeth | TV | 1998 |
|
|||
| Makibefo | Film | 1999 |
|
|
Filming took place near the town of Faux Cap, Madagascar, with a single technical assistant. With the exception of an English-speaking narrator, all the roles are played by indigenous Antandroy people (few of whom had ever seen a movie before) who performed a largely improvised story based on Macbeth set in a remote fishing village.[92] | |
| Macbeth | TV | 2001 |
|
Royal Shakespeare Company | ||
| Rave Macbeth | Film | 2001 |
|
A loose adaptation set in rave culture. | ||
| Scotland, PA | Film | 2001 |
|
|
||
| Maqbool (Hindi: मक़बूल Urdu: مقبُول) |
Film | 2003 |
|
|||
| "Macbeth" (ShakespeaRe-Told) |
TV | 2005 |
|
|
Set in a three Michelin star restaurant owned by celebrity chef Duncan Docherty, with Joe Macbeth as the sous chef and his wife Ella as the Maître d'. Joe and his fellow chef Billy Banquo are annoyed that Duncan takes the credit for Joe's work, and that Duncan's son Malcolm has no real flair for the business. Then they encounter three supernatural binmen who predict that Macbeth will get ownership of the restaurant, as will Billy's children. Joe and Ella are inspired to kill Duncan, but the binmen subsequently warn that Macbeth should be wary of Peter Macduff, the head waiter. | |
| Macbeth | Film | 2006 |
|
Sets the story in a modern-day Melbourne gangster setting, and the actors deliver the dialogue in Australian accents, largely maintains the language of the original play.[93] | ||
| Macbeth | TV | 2009 | An episode of South African miniseries Death of a Queen. | |||
| Macbeth | TV | 2010 |
|
Based on Goold's stage adaptation for the Chichester Festival Theatre in 2007. The film specifically evokes the atmosphere of the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin, with subtle parallels between Stalin and Macbeth in their equally brutal quests for power. The Three Witches likewise receive an update in keeping with the 20th century aesthetics, appearing as hospital nurses. Their presence is pervasive throughout the film, punctuating the horror of Macbeth's murderous reign. The film was filmed entirely on location at Welbeck Abbey. | ||
| Shakespeare Must Die (Thai: เชคสเปียร์ต้องตาย) |
Film | 2012 |
|
|
Thai-language film that tells the story of a theatre group in a fictional country resembling Thailand, that is staging a production of Macbeth. One of the film's main characters is a dictator named Dear Leader, who bears a resemblance to former Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup which sparked years of political turmoil between his supporters and critics. The Thai government banned the film fearing it would cause societal disunity.[94][95][96] | |
| Macbeth | Film | |
2015 |
|
||
| Thane of East County | Film | 2015 | Jesse Keller |
|
Things go awry as actors on a production of Macbeth begin to carry out the actions of characters they portray. | |
| Veeram (Malayalam: വീരം, lit. 'Valour)' |
Film | 2016 |
|
The film, which also takes inspirations from the Vadakkan Pattukal (Northern Ballads) of the North Malabar region in Kerala, tells the story of Chandu Chekavar, an infamous 13th century warrior. Veeram is simultaneously made in Malayalam, Hindi, and in English with the same title. | ||
| Joji | Film | 2021 |
|
|||
| Mandaar | TV | 2021 |
|
A Bengali adaptation of the play, the series revolves around Mandaar, a young gangster, who kills his master, Dablu Bhai, to rise to the powerful seat of the fishing industry in the village of Geilpur. | ||
| The Tragedy of Macbeth | Film | 2021 |
|
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otello | Silent | 1906 |
|
|
Asilent film adaptation based on Giuseppe Verdi's 1887 opera of the same name (which in turn is based on Othello). It is believed to be the earliest film adaptation of the play. | |
| Othello | Silent | 1922 |
|
The first of six major film productions of the work.[97] | ||
| Othello | Film | 1946 |
|
|
||
| A Double Life | Film | 1947 |
|
Anoir adaptation in which an actor playing the moor takes on frightening aspects of his character's personality. Celebrated stage actor Anthony John has driven away his actress wife Brita with his erratic temper. However, they star together in a staging of Othello. Gradually, his portrayal of a jealous murderer undermines his sanity, and he kills his mistress, Pat Kroll. Colman won the Academy Award as best actor for his performance in this film. | ||
| Othello | Film | |
1951 |
|
Welles trimmed the source material, which is generally around three hours when performed, down to a little over 90 minutes for the film.[98] One of Welles's more complicated shoots, Othello was filmed erratically over three years. Shooting began in 1949, but was forced to shut down when the film's original Italian producer announced on one of the first days of shooting that he was bankrupt. Instead of abandoning filming altogether, Welles as director began pouring his own money into the project. When he ran out of money as well, he needed to stop filming for months at a time to raise money, mostly by taking part in other productions.[99][100] | |
| Othello (Russian: Отелло) |
Film | 1956 |
|
|||
| Jubal | Film | 1956 |
|
AWestern based on a 1939 novel by Paul Wellman, it was filmed in Technicolor and CinemaScope on location in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The film is notable as a western reworking of Othello.[101] | ||
| All Night Long | Film | 1962 |
|
An adaptation set in the contemporary London jazz scene. | ||
| Othello | Film | 1965 |
|
A film of the Royal National Theatre's stage production. Olivier, Smith, Redman, and Finlay all received Academy Award nominations, and it was the film debuts for both Derek Jacobi and Michael Gambon. | ||
| Othello | TV | 1965 |
|
An Australian TV play, it was broadcast on the ABC as part of Wednesday Theatre and filmed in the ABC's Melbourne studios.[102] | ||
| Othello-67 | Film | 1967 | A 50-second animated parody made for Montreal's Expo 67.[103][104] | |||
| Catch My Soul | Film | 1974 |
|
Adapted from the rock musical based on the play. | ||
| "Othello" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1981 |
|
Released in the US as part of the Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare series. | ||
| Othello | TV | 1990 |
|
Based on a stage production directed by Trevor Nunn for the Royal Shakespeare Company, and later adapted for TV.[105] It was shot in a studio with minimal props and scenery, and aired as en episode of Theatre Night.[106] The sets, costumes, and props are from the American Civil War, but the dialogue remains tied to Venice and Cyprus. In contrast with Antony and Cleopatra (1974) and Macbeth (1979), Nunn preferred "contemplative"[106] medium shots over extreme closeups. The film makes little attempt to hide that it is a filmed stage production, and Michael Brooke, writing about the film for BFI Screenonline, thinks this is because Nunn's state purpose was to preserve the stage production for posterity. The film presents almost the complete text of the play, leaving out just one scene with Cassio and the clown.[106] | ||
| "Othello" (Shakespeare: The Animated Tales) |
TV | |
1994 |
|
|
|
| Othello | Film | 1995 |
|
The first cinematic reproduction of the play released by a major studio with an African American in the role of Othello, although low-budget independent films of the play starring Ted Lange and Yaphet Kotto predated it. | ||
| Kaliyattam (Malayalam: കളിയാട്ടം, lit. 'The Play of God)' |
Film | 1997 |
|
An adaptation of the play against the backdrop of the Hindu Theyyam performance.[107] Gopi received the National Film Award for Best Actor, and Jayaraaj the award for Best Director for their work on the film.[108] | ||
| O | Film | 2001 |
|
A loose adaptation set in an American high school. | ||
| Othello | TV | 2001 |
|
An adaptation by Andrew Davies set in the police force in modern London. | ||
| Souli | Film |  |
2004 |
|
|
Apost-colonial take on the play, set in a remote fishing village.[109] |
| Omkara (Hindi: ओमकारा, Urdu: امکارا) |
Film | 2006 |
|
|||
| Jarum Halus (Malay: Jarum Halus, lit. 'Fine Needle') |
Film | 2008 |
|
|
||
| Iago | Film | 2009 |
|
Iago is an architecture school student about to graduate who falls in love with his fellow student Desdemona, the noble and beautiful daughter of the academic dean, professor Brabanzio. | ||
| Hrid Majharey (Bengali: হৃদ্ মাঝারে, lit. 'Live in my Heart)' |
Film | 2014 |
|
A tragic love story loosely inspired by Othello, the film is a tribute to the Bard on his 450th Birth Anniversary. Elements of Shakespeare's Macbeth and Julius Caesar are also found in this love tragedy. | ||
| Chocolat | Film | 2016 | A loose biopic about the first black clown in France. Chocolat tries to branch into Shakespearean tragedy and plays Othello as the first black actor in this role in France. After the premiere, part of the audience boos the "clown". Chocolat leaves the theater in costume and is beaten by debt collectors. |
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Romeo and Juliet (French: Roméo et Juliette) |
Film | 1900 |
|
Features Cossira singing a tenor aria from Charles Gounod's Roméo et Juliette. It is believed to be the earliest film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet.[110] The film was produced by "Phono-Cinéma-Théâtre", which premiered one of the first synchronized sound film systems at the Paris exhibition of 1900, with this film being one of the earliest to use the sound technique. The sound was recorded first using a Lioretograph onto a cellophane cylinder. This was then played back, and the actors filmed lip-syncing to the recording. To view the film, the sound was played back and the projectionist altered the speed of the hand-cranked projector to try to match the playback.[111] | ||
| Romeo and Juliet | Silent | 1908 |
|
Now considered lost, this was the first American film version of Romeo and Juliet. It was a short made by Vitagraph Studios, and was filmed at Bethesda TerraceinManhattan, New York. | ||
| Romeo and Juliet | Silent | 1916 |
|
|
This film was produced for the 300th anniversary of Shakespeare's death, and was released amongst many other commemorations of the "Bard". It was released in direct competition with another adaptation, produced by William Fox, starring Theda Bara, and released three days later. Bushman later claimed, in an interview, that he went to see the Theda Bara version and was shocked to see that Fox had added some intertitles from the Metro version.[112] | |
| Romeo and Juliet | Silent | 1916 |
|
The film was produced by the Fox Film Corporation,[113] and was shot at the Fox Studio in Fort Lee, New Jersey.[114] It was released in direct competition with another feature-length Romeo and Juliet film from Metro Pictures. In a recorded interview, Francis Bushman, who directed the competing film, claimed that William Fox had spies working for Metro, and stole some of the intertitles from the Metro version. Fox rushed his version into the theatres in order to capitalize on exhibiting his film first. Bushman recalled going to see Fox's Romeo and Juliet and was startled to see the intertitles from his film flash on the screen.[115] | ||
| Romeo and Juliet | Film | 1936 |
|
One of the three major film adaptations (along with Franco Zeffirelli in 1968 and Baz Luhrmann in 1996) of Romeo and Juliet. The New York Times selected the film as one of the "Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made", calling it "a lavish production" and "extremely well-produced and acted."[116] | ||
| Romeo and Juliet (Spanish: Julieta y Romeo) |
Film | 1940 |
|
|||
| The Lovers of Verona (French: Les amants de Vérone) |
Film | 1949 |
|
|||
| Romeo and Juliet (Spanish: Romeo y Julita) |
Film | 1953 |
|
|||
| Romeo and Juliet[117] | Film | |
1954 |
|
||
| Romeo and Juliet (Russian: Ромео и Джульетта, romanized: Romeo i Dzhulyetta) |
Film | 1955 |
|
|||
| Romeo, Juliet and Darkness (Czech: Romeo, Julie a tma) |
Film | 1960 |
|
|||
| West Side Story | Film | 1961 |
|
|
An adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical, which in turn was inspired by Romeo and Juliet. The film received high praise from critics and the public, and became the second highest grossing film of the year in the United States. The film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won 10, including Best Picture (as well as a special award for Robbins), becoming the record holder for the most wins for a movie musical. | |
| Romanoff and Juliet | Film | 1961 |
|
An adaptation by way of Ustinov's play that sets the love story amids the ideologically warring communist USSR and the capitalist USA, competing for influence in a fictional European country.. | ||
| Fury of Johnny Kid (Italian: Dove si spara di più, Spanish: La furia de Johnny Kidd) |
Film | |
1967 |
|
||
| Romeo and Juliet[118] | Film | |
1968 |
|
||
| Ma che musica maestro (Italian: Ma che musica maestro) |
Film | 1971 |
|
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| "Romeo and Juliet" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1978 |
|
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| Another History (Telugu: మరో చరిత్ర, romanized: Maro Charitra) |
Film | 1978 |
|
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| Romie-0 and Julie-8 | TV | 1979 |
|
An animated adaptation; set in the future, the two romantic leads in this version are androids who fall in love. | ||
| Monica and Jimmy Five: In the World of Romeo & Juliet (Portuguese: Mônica e Cebolinha: No Mundo de Romeu e Julieta) |
TV | 1979 |
|
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| Made For Each Other (Hindi: एक दूजे के लिये, romanized: Ek Duuje Ke Liye) |
Film | 1981 |
|
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| The Sea Prince and the Fire Child (Japanese: シリウスの伝説, romanized: Shiriusu no Densetsu) |
Film |   |
1981 |
|
|
|
| The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet | Film | 1982 |
|
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||
| China Girl | Film | 1987 |
|
A contemporary take on Romeo and Juliet set in 1980s Manhattan. The plot revolves around the intimate relationship developing between Tony, a teenage boy from Little Italy, and Tye, a teenage girl from Chinatown, while their older brothers are engaged in a heated gang war against each other. | ||
| From Doom to Doom (Hindi: क़यामत से क़यामत तक, romanized: Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak) |
Film | 1988 |
|
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| Romeo.Juliet | Film | 1990 |
|
Adapted using the feral catsofVenice, New York City, and Ghent as actors, with the voices dubbed by some of the greats of the English theatre. The score of the film features music from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet as performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, André Previn conducting, and an original theme composed by Armando Acosta and Emanuel Vardi, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Barry Wordsworth. | ||
| "Romeo and Juliet" (Shakespeare: The Animated Tales) |
TV | |
1992 |
|
||
| November 30 (Swedish: 30:e november) |
Film | 1995 |
| |||
| Romeo + Juliet | Film | 1996 |
|
A modern adaption set in the fictional city, Verona Beach California. Capulet and Montague are CEOs of businesses in a corporate war. The dialogue is kept the same, but swords are replaced with guns, with "Sword" being the brand/make (i.e., Glock). Friar Lawrence is now Father Lawrence, a local priest who distills medicine from plants he cultivates in his private greenhouse. | ||
| Tromeo and Juliet | Film | 1996 |
|
A more or less faithful adaptation of the play except with the addition of extreme amounts of Troma-esque sexuality and violence, as well as a revised ending. | ||
| Love Is All There Is | Film | 1996 |
|
A modern retelling of the story set in the Bronx during the 1990s. | ||
| The Lion King II: Simba's Pride | Film | 1998 |
|
An American animated direct-to-video romantic musical drama film. It is the sequeltoWalt Disney Animation Studios's 1994 animated feature film, The Lion King, with its plot influenced by Romeo and Juliet. | ||
| Romeo Must Die | Film | 2000 |
|
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| Loving Hurts You (Spanish: Amar te duele) |
Film | 2002 |
|
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||
| Bollywood Queen | Film | 2003 |
|
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| Romeo and Juliet Get Married (Portuguese: O Casamento de Romeu e Julieta) |
Film | 2005 |
|
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| Romeo and Juliet (French: Roméo et Juliette) |
Film | 2006 |
|
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||
| Romeo & Juliet: Sealed with a Kiss | Animation | 2006 |
|
An animated adaptation featuring seals and other marine life. | ||
| Rome & Jewel | Film | 2006 |
|
|
Ahip-hop musical adaptation set in Los Angeles that deals with interracial love. | |
| Romeo × Juliet (Japanese: ロミオ×ジュリエット, romanized: Romio to Jurietto) |
Anime | 2007 | ||||
| Romeo and Juliet (Japanese: ロミオとジュリエット) |
TV | 2007 |
|
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| Romeo and Juliet (Spanish: Romeo y Julieta) |
TV | 2007 |
|
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| David & Fatima | Film | 2008 |
|
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||
| Another History (Telugu: మరో చరిత్ర, romanized: Maro Charitra) |
Film | 2010 |
|
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| Gnomeo & Juliet | Animated film | |
2011 |
|
An animated adaptation set in the gardens of two feuding elderly neighbors in modern-day Stratford-upon-Avon. The story features garden gnomes representing the characters from the original story, with red gnomes representing the Capulet family, and blue gnomes representing the Montague family. The film differs from the original story in many ways, notably keeping both Gnomeo and Juliet alive at the end of the film. | |
| Private Romeo | Film | 2011 |
|
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| Romeo & Juliet | Film | |
2013 |
|
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| Issaq (Hindi: इसक) |
Film | 2013 |
|
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| Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (Hindi: गोलियों की रासलीला रामलीला, lit. 'A Play of Bullets Ram-Leela)' |
Film | 2013 |
|
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| Arshinagar (Bengali: আরশিনগর) |
Film | 2015 |
|
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| West Side Story | Film | 2021 |
|
AremakeofRobert Wise and Jerome Robbins' 1961 adaptationofLeonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim's Broadway musical of the same name, itself based on Romeo and Juliet. |
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timon | Film | 1973 |
|
|||
| "Timon of Athens" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1981 |
|
Released in the US as part of the Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare series. |
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Titus Andronicus" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1985 |
|
Released in the US as part of the Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare series. | ||
| Titus | Film | |
1999 |
|
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Face of Love | TV | 1954 |
|
A modern-language and modern-dress adaptation of the play.[119] | ||
| "Troilus & Cressida" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1981 |
|
Released in the US as part of the Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare series. |
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Henry IV: Rebellion from the North" (An Age of Kings) |
TV | 1960 |
|
Covers 1 Henry IV Acts 1 and 2 (up to Prince Hal expressing his disdain for the war). | ||
| "Henry IV: The Road to Shrewsbury" (An Age of Kings) |
TV | 1960 |
|
Covers 1 Henry IV from Act 3, Scene 1 onwards (beginning with the strategy meeting between Hotspur, Mortimer and Glendower). | ||
| Chimes at Midnight | Film | |
1966 |
|
An amalgamation of scenes from Richard II, Henry IV part 1, Henry IV Part 2, Henry V and The Merry Wives of Windsor. | |
| "The First Part of King Henry the Fourth, with the life and death of Henry surnamed Hotspur" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1979 |
|
Released in the US as part of the Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare series. | ||
| "Henry IV Part 1" (The War of the Roses) |
Direct-to-video | 1990 |
|
|
A direct filming of the stage performance of Michael Bogdanov and Michael Pennington's 7-play sequence for the English Shakespeare Company based on Shakespeare's history plays. | |
| My Own Private Idaho | Film | 1991 |
|
Loosely based on Henry IV, Part 1, with elements from the other plays. | ||
| "Henry IV, Part 1" (The Hollow Crown) |
TV | 2012 |
|
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Henry IV: The New Conspiracy" (An Age of Kings) |
TV | 1960 |
|
|||
| "Henry IV: Uneasy Lies the Head" (An Age of Kings) |
TV | 1960 |
|
|||
| Chimes at Midnight | Film | |
1966 |
|
An amalgamation of scenes from Richard II, Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2, Henry V and The Merry Wives of Windsor. | |
| "The Second Part of King Henry the Fourth containing his Death: and the Coronation of King Henry the Fift" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1979 |
|
Released in the US as part of the Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare series. | ||
| "Henry IV Part 2" (The War of the Roses) |
Direct-to-video | 1990 |
|
|
A direct filming of the stage performance of Bogdanov and Pennington's 7-play sequence for the English Shakespeare Company based on Shakespeare's history plays. | |
| "Henry IV, Part 2" (The Hollow Crown) |
TV | 2012 |
|
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry V | Film | 1944 |
|
|||
| "Henry V: Signs of War" (An Age of Kings) |
TV | 1960 |
|
Henry V Acts 1, 2 and 3 (up to the French yearning for what they feel will be an easy victory at Agincourt). | ||
| "Henry V: The Band of Brothers" (An Age of Kings) |
TV | 1960 |
|
Henry V from Act 4, Scene 0 onwards (beginning with the Chorus describing Henry's undercover surveillance of his camp). | ||
| Chimes at Midnight | Film | |
1966 |
|
An amalgamation of scenes from Richard II, Henry IV part 1, Henry IV part 2, Henry V and The Merry Wives of Windsor. | |
| "The Life of Henry the Fift" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1979 |
|
Released in the US as part of the Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare series. | ||
| Henry V | Film | 1989 |
|
|||
| "Henry V" (The War of the Roses) |
Video | 1990 |
|
|
A direct filming of the stage performance of Bogdanov and Pennington's 7-play sequence for the English Shakespeare Company based on Shakespeare's history plays. | |
| "Henry V" (The Hollow Crown) |
TV | 2012 |
|
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Henry VI: The Red Rose and the White" (An Age of Kings) |
TV | 1960 |
|
|||
| "Henry VI" (The Wars of the Roses) |
TV | 1965 |
|
|
Abridged versions of 1 Henry VI and 2 Henry VI up to Act 3, Scene 2 (Winchester's death). | |
| "The First Part of Henry the Sixt" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1983 |
|
Released in the US as part of the Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare series. | ||
| "Henry VI – House of Lancaster" (The War of the Roses) |
Video | 1990 |
|
|
A direct filming of the stage performance of Bogdanov and Pennington's 7-play sequence for the English Shakespeare Company based on Shakespeare's history plays. This play is formed from Part 1 and from the earlier scenes of Part 2. | |
| "Henry VI, Part I" (The Hollow Crown) |
TV | 2016 |
|
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Henry VI: The Fall of a Protector" (An Age of Kings) |
TV | 1960 |
|
2 Henry VI Acts 1, 2 and Act 3, Scene 1 (up to York's soliloquy regarding the fact that he now has troops at his disposal and his revelation of his plans to use Jack Cade to instigate a popular rebellion). | ||
| "Henry VI: The Rabble from Kent" (An Age of Kings) |
TV | 1960 |
|
2 Henry VI from Act 3, Scene 2 onwards (beginning with the murder of the Duke of Gloucester). | ||
| "Henry VI" (The Wars of the Roses) |
TV | 1965 |
|
|
Abridged versions of 1 Henry VI and 2 Henry VI up to Act 3, Scene 2 (Winchester's death). | |
| "Edward IV" (The Wars of the Roses) |
TV | 1965 |
|
|
A newly written scene followed by 2 Henry VI from Act 4, Scene 1 (the introduction of Jack Cade) onwards, and an abridged version of 3 Henry VI. | |
| "The Second Part of Henry the Sixt" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1983 |
|
Released in the US as part of the Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare series. | ||
| "Henry VI: House of Lancaster" (The War of the Roses) |
Video | 1990 |
|
|
A direct filming of the stage performance of Bogdanov and Pennington's 7-play sequence for the English Shakespeare Company based on Shakespeare's history plays. This play is formed from Part 1 and the early scenes of Part 2. | |
| "Henry VI: House of York" (The War of the Roses) |
Video | 1990 |
|
|
A direct filming of the stage performance of Bogdanov and Pennington's 7-play sequence for the English Shakespeare Company based on Shakespeare's history plays. This play is formed from the remaining scenes of Part 2 and Part 3 | |
| "Henry VI, Part II" (The Hollow Crown) |
TV | 2016 |
|
Made up of scenes from Henry VI, Part 2 and an abridged version of Henry VI, Part 3. |
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Henry VI: The Morning's War" (An Age of Kings) |
TV | 1960 |
|
Henry VI, Part 3 Acts 1, 2 and Act 3, Scenes 1 and 2 (up to Richard's soliloquy wherein he vows to attain the crown). | ||
| "Henry VI: The Sun in Splendour" (An Age of Kings) |
TV | 1960 |
|
Henry VI, Part 3 from Act 3, Scene 3 onwards (beginning with Margaret's visit to Louis XI of France). | ||
| "Edward IV" (The Wars of the Roses) |
TV | 1965 |
|
|
A newly written scene followed by 2 Henry VI from Act 4, Scene 1 (the introduction of Jack Cade) onwards, and an abridged version of 3 Henry VI. | |
| "The Third Part of Henry the Sixt" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1983 |
|
Released in the US as part of the Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare series. | ||
| "Henry VI: House of York" (The War of the Roses) |
Video | 1990 |
|
|
A direct filming of the stage performance of Bogdanov and Pennington's 7-play sequence for the English Shakespeare Company based on Shakespeare's history plays. This play is formed from the later scenes of Part 2 and from Part 3. | |
| "Henry VI, Part II" (The Hollow Crown) |
TV | 2016 |
|
Made up of scenes from Part 2 and an abridged version of Part 3. |
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry VIII | Silent film | 1911 |
|
|||
| "The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1979 |
|
Released in the US as part of the Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare series. |
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King John | Silent film | 1899 |
|
|
The earliest known film based on a play by Shakespeare. It consists of four scenes and is based on Herbert Beerbohm Tree's contemporary stage production, and was made to promote the stage version.[120][121] | |
| Said-e-Havas (Hindi: सैदे-हवस, lit. 'Prey to Desire)' |
Film | 1936 |
|
Produced by Modi's Stage Film Company, the film was a "stage recording" of the play, similar to Modi's first stage adaptation to screen of Khoon Ka Khoon.[122][123] It was written by Agha Hashr, based on an adaptation of King John and Richard III.[124][125] The film incorporates scenes and acts from King John, mainly Act 2 Scene 5, and made use of Richard III as general reference. Modi played the role of the "ethnically black" Kazal Beg (Hubert).[126] Hashr had written the play in 1907 and according to Rajiva Verma there is very little similarity between King John and Hashr's adaptation, except for those mentioned earlier.[127] | ||
| "The Life and Death of King John" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1984 |
|
Released in the US as part of the Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare series. | ||
| "King John" (CBC Presents the Stratford Festival) |
Video | 2015 |
|
Filmed version of the Stratford Festival's 2014 stage production. |
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Richard II: The Hollow Crown" (An Age of Kings) |
TV | 1960 |
|
Richard II Acts 1, 2 and 3, Scenes 1 and 2 (up to Richard conceding defeat despite the protests of Carlisle, Scroop and Aumerle). | ||
| "Richard II: The Deposing of a King" (An Age of Kings) |
TV | 1960 |
|
Richard II from Act 3, Scene 3 onwards (beginning with York chiding Northumberland for not referring to Richard as "King"). | ||
| The Life and Death of King Richard II | TV | 1960 |
|
A live TV production that aired on 5 October 1960 and was one of the most elaborate productions made for Australian TV at that time.[128] The ABC decided to suspend peak-hour programs to transmit the show live using all three of the ABC's Gore Hill TV studios. An obituary of Menmuir called this "a concept of such complexity and audacity that it was never repeated."[129] | ||
| Chimes at Midnight | Film | |
1966 |
|
An amalgamation of scenes from Richard II, Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2, Henry V and The Merry Wives of Windsor. | |
| "King Richard the Second" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1978 |
|
Released in the US as part of the Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare series. | ||
| Richard II (The War of the Roses) |
Video | 1990 |
|
|
A direct filming of the stage performance of Bogdanov and Pennington's 7-play sequence for the English Shakespeare Company based on Shakespeare's history plays. | |
| Richard II | TV | 1997 |
|
|||
| Richard the Second | Video | 2001 |
|
|
||
| Richard II (The Hollow Crown) |
TV | 2012 |
|
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard III | Film | |
1912 |
|
|
The oldest surviving American feature-length film, and is also thought to be the first feature-length Shakespearean adaptation ever made. |
| Tower of London | Film | 1939 |
|
|||
| Richard III | Film | 1955 |
|
|||
| "Richard III: The Dangerous Brother" (An Age of Kings) |
TV | 1960 |
|
Richard III Acts 1, 2 and Act 3, Scene 1 (up to Richard promising Buckingham the Dukedom of Hereford). | ||
| "Richard III: The Boar Hunt" (An Age of Kings) |
TV | 1960 |
|
Richard III from Act 3, Scene 1 onwards (beginning with Stanley's messenger arriving at Hasting's house). | ||
| Tower of London | Film | 1962 |
|
|||
| Richard III (The Wars of the Roses) |
TV | 1965 |
|
|
An abridged version of Richard III. | |
| The Goodbye Girl | Film | 1977 |
|
Contains scenes in which the Richard Dreyfuss character rehearses and performs Shakespeare's play. | ||
| "The Tragedy of Richard III" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1983 |
|
Released in the US as part of the Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare series. | ||
| The Black Adder | TV | 1983 |
|
|
The first series, written by Atkinson and Richard Curtis, is a parody of Shakespeare's plays, particularly Macbeth, Richard III and Henry V. | |
| Richard III (The War of the Roses) |
Video | 1990 |
|
|
A direct filming of the stage performance of Bogdanov and Pennington's 7-play sequence for the English Shakespeare Company based on Shakespeare's history plays. | |
| "King Richard III" (Shakespeare: The Animated Tales) |
TV | |
1994 |
|
|
Paint-on-glass animation |
| Richard III | Film | 1995 |
|
The film sets the play in 1930s Britain with Richard as a fascist sympathizer plotting to usurp the throne. | ||
| Looking for Richard | Film | 1996 |
|
A documentary account of Pacino's quest to perform Shakespeare's play, featuring substantial excerpts. | ||
| Richard III | Film | 2008 |
|
|
||
| "Richard III" (The Hollow Crown) |
TV | 2016 |
|
|||
| The Lost King | Film | 2022 |
|
After attending the play, Philippa follows her hunch of where she believes the lost King Richard III is buried. |
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Pericles, Prince of Tyre" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1984 |
|
Released in the US as part of the Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare series. |
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cymbeline | Silent | 1913 |
|
|||
| "Cymbeline" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1982 |
|
Released in the US as part of the Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare series. | ||
| Cymbeline | Film | 2014 |
|
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Winter's Tale | Silent | 1910 |
|
|
||
| "The Winter's Tale" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1981 |
|
Released in the US as part of the Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare series. | ||
| "The Winter's Tale" (Shakespeare: The Animated Tales) |
TV | |
1994 |
|
Stop motion puppet animation | |
| The Winter's Tale | Video | 1999 |
|
|
A straight-to-video filming of the 1999 RSC Barbican production. |
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Tempest | Silent | 1911 |
|
|||
| Yellow Sky | Film | 1948 |
|
Awestern film where a band of reprobate outlaws flee after a bank robbery and encounter an old man and his granddaughter in a ghost town. The story is believed to be loosely adapted from The Tempest.[130] | ||
| Forbidden Planet | Film | 1956 |
|
Ascience fiction classic in which a starship crew meets the scientist Dr Morbius, his daughter Altaira, their custom-built robot Robby, and a mysterious, threatening force, all on the titular fourth planet of Altair. Each of these elements corresponds to the play's sailing vessel and its crew, the sorcerer Prospero, his daughter Miranda, Ariel the sprite, and the enchantments of the island. | ||
| "The Tempest" (Hallmark Hall of Fame) |
TV | 1960 |
|
|||
| Planet of Evil (Doctor Who) |
TV | 1975 |
|
A loose adaptation of The Tempest based on the prior adaptation Forbidden Planet, in which the Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith meet the members of a geological expedition who are being menaced by a being made of antimatter on the planet Zeta Minor. | ||
| The Tempest | Film | 1979 |
|
|||
| "The Tempest" (BBC Television Shakespeare) |
TV | 1980 |
|
Released in the US as part of the Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare series. | ||
| Tempest | Film | 1982 |
|
|||
| The Tempest (The Shakespeare Collection) |
TV | 1983 |
|
|
||
| The Journey to Melonia (Swedish: Resan till Melonia) |
Film |  |
1989 |
|
||
| Prospero's Books | Film | 1991 |
|
A partial adaptation.[131] | ||
| "The Tempest" (Shakespeare: The Animated Tales) |
TV | |
1992 |
|
Stop motion puppet animation | |
| The Tempest | TV | 1998 |
|
|||
| The Tempest | Film | 2010 |
|
The gender of main character Prospero was changed to Prospera so Mirren could take the role.[132] | ||
| The Tempest | Video | 2010 |
|
A filmed Stratford Shakespeare Festival production. | ||
| The Tempest | Video | 2014 |
|
A filmed version of the live production at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London, 2013. | ||
| Shakespeare's Shitstorm | Film | 2020 |
|
A more or less a faithful adaptation of the play except with the addition of extreme amounts of Troma-esque sexuality and violence. |
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shakespeare Writing Julius Caesar | Silent | 1907 | The probable first appearance of Shakespeare as a character.[133] | |||
| Master Will Shakespeare | Film | 1936 |
|
Short film. | ||
| Time Flies | Film | 1944 | Tommy meets Shakespeare in 16th century England. | |||
| The Story of Mankind | Film | 1957 | Shakespeare appears in Heaven. | |||
| "The Twilight Zone" (The Bard) |
TV | 1963 | A bumbling screenwriter summons Shakespeare's ghost to become his ghostwriter. | |||
| "The Executioners" (Doctor Who - "The Chase") |
TV | 1965 |
|
An episode of the classic BBC science fiction series, first screened on 22 May 1965. | ||
| William Shakespeare: His Life & Times | TV | 1978 |
|
|
A 6-part serial produced by Cecil Clarke and written by John Mortimer, that recounts Shakespeare's life in London. | |
| "The Twilight Zone" (Act Break) |
TV | 1985 |
|
|
A struggling playwright accidentally goes back in time and meets Shakespeare. | |
| Shakespeare in Love | Film | 1998 |
|
A fictional love story about Shakespeare's romance with a noblewoman, at the time of writing Romeo and Juliet. Won the Academy Award for Best Picture. | ||
| "The Drew Carey Show" (Drew's In a Coma) |
TV | 2001 |
|
Drew meets Shakespeare in Heaven. | ||
| Elizabeth Rex | TV | 2004 |
|
|
Based on the play of that name by Timothy Findley, stars Shakespeare as a main character, recording interactions between Elizabeth I and members of his cast on the night her lover is to be executed by her own order.[134] | |
| A Waste of Shame | TV | 2005 |
|
A dramatisation of Shakespeare's life at the time of writing the Sonnets. | ||
| "The Shakespeare Code" (Doctor Who) |
TV | 2007 |
|
An episode of the BBC science fiction series, first screened on 7 April 2007, set in 1599. | ||
| Romeo x Juliet | TV | 2007 |
|
An anime fantasy retelling of the play. Juliet's family were rulers of a floating island nation called Neo Verona before being killed by the Montagues, forcing her to hide in a theater troupe owned by a fictional version of William Shakespeare. | ||
| Anonymous | Film | |
2011 |
|
A fictional drama about the alleged authorship of Shakespeare's work. | |
| The Lego Movie | Film | 2014 | Phil Lord & Chris Miller | Jorma Taccone(William Shakespeare) | One of the many cameo characters | |
| Bill | Film | 2015 |
|
A family comedy focusing on the young adult Shakespeare's rise to fame. Many of the cast feature in the children's TV series Horrible Histories. | ||
| Upstart Crow | TV | 2016 |
|
A BBC sitcom. | ||
| Will | TV | 2017 |
|
ATNT series telling the wild story of young William Shakespeare's arrival onto the punk-rock theater scene in 16th century London - the seductive, violent world where his raw talent faced rioting audiences, religious fanatics and raucous side-shows; a contemporary version of Shakespeare's life, played to a modern soundtrack that exposes all his recklessness, lustful temptations and brilliance. It was cancelled after only one season. | ||
| All Is True | Film | 2018 |
|
Set in the 1610s, the film chronicles Shakespeare's final years as he retires and returns home to Stratford-upon-Avon. | ||
| "Good Omens" | TV | 2019 |
|
An Amazon Prime miniseries. | ||
| "Romeo v Juliet: Dawn of Justness" | TV | 2020 | Alexandra La Roche | Rowan Schlosberg(William Shakespeare) | An episode of Legends of Tomorrow which the legends have to help Shakespeare write his masterpiece. |
| Title | M | C | Y | Directors | Starring | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| To Be or Not To Be | 1942 | The story of an acting company in 1939 Poland. | ||||
| Prince of Players | 1955 | Edwin Booth. | ||||
| Shakespeare Wallah | |
1965 |
|
The story of an acting company in India.[135] | ||
| The Goodbye Girl | 1977 | Contains scenes in which the Richard Dreyfuss character rehearses and performs Richard III. | ||||
| To Be or Not To Be | 1983 | A remake of the Ernst Lubitsch film. | ||||
| Dead Poets Society | Film | 1989 | Portrays a student (played by Robert Sean Leonard) who performs the role of Puck in a school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream against his father's wishes. | |||
| The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story | 1990 | Includes a badly-performed rendition of Hamlet's graveyard speech (not by L. Frank Baum, who plays a watchman, though he did play Hamlet over 200 times in real life). | ||||
| A Midwinter's Tale | 1996 |
|
Tells the story of a group of actors performing Hamlet. | |||
| Looking for Richard | 1996 | A documentary account of Al Pacino's quest to perform Richard III, featuring substantial excerpts from the play. It includes the talents of Winona Ryder, Alec Baldwin and Kevin Spacey. | ||||
| RSC Production Casebook – The Winter's Tale | Video | A documentary of the RSC production listed separately above, including interviews with Antony Sher, Greg Doran, Cicely Berry (the RSC's voice coach) and other members of the cast and crew, together with lengthy excerpts from the show itself. |
NOTE: "ShakespeaRe-Told", "The Animated Shakespeare" and "BBC Television Shakespeare" series have been covered above, under the respective play performed in each episode.
Three further episodes were filmed but never edited or screened. They were to be called "Using the Prose", "Using the Sonnets" and "Contemporary Shakespeare". Their text can be read in the book "Playing Shakespeare" by John Barton.
