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The ''
Guinness Book of Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...
'' lists 410 feature-length film and TV versions of
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
s plays, making Shakespeare the most filmed author ever in any language. , the
Internet Movie Database IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...
lists Shakespeare as having writing credit on 1,800 films, including those under production but not yet released. The earliest known production is '' King John'' from 1899.


Comedies


''All's Well That Ends Well''


''As You Like It''


''The Comedy of Errors''


''Love's Labour's Lost''


''Measure for Measure''


''The Merchant of Venice''


''The Merry Wives of Windsor''


''A Midsummer Night's Dream''


''Much Ado About Nothing''


''The Taming of the Shrew''


''Twelfth Night''


''The Two Gentlemen of Verona''

} ,
Silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...
, , 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. , - ! scope="row" style="white-space: nowrap" , "
The Two Gentlemen of Verona ''The Two Gentlemen of Verona'' is a Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1589 and 1593. It is considered by some to be Shakespeare's first play, and is often seen as showing his first ten ...
"
(''
BBC Television Shakespeare The ''BBC Television Shakespeare'' is a series of British television adaptations of Shakespeare's plays, the plays of William Shakespeare, created by Cedric Messina and broadcast by BBC Television. Transmitted in the UK from 3 December 1978 to ...
'') , TV , , 1983 , , , Released in the US as part of the ''Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare'' series.


Tragedies


''Antony and Cleopatra''


''Coriolanus''


''Hamlet''

} , Film , , 2006 , , , A loose adaptation of ''Hamlet'' and
Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...
's ''
Ghosts In folklore, a ghost is the soul or Spirit (supernatural entity), spirit of a dead Human, person or non-human animal that is believed by some people to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely, from a ...
'', set in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in 10th century China. , - ! scope="row" style="white-space: nowrap" , ''
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
'' , TV , , 2009 , , , An adaptation of the
Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...
's 2008 modern-dress stage production. , - ! scope="row" style="white-space: nowrap" , '' Tardid''
( , Film , , 2009 , , , , - ! scope="row" style="white-space: nowrap" , ''
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
'' , Film , , 2011 , , , A condensed retelling of the play set in 1940s England. , - ! scope="row" style="white-space: nowrap" , '' Karmayogi'' , Film , , 2012 , , , , - ! scope="row" style="white-space: nowrap" , '' Haider'' , Film , , 2014 , , , , - ! scope="row" style="white-space: nowrap" , ''
The Lion King ''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical coming-of-age drama film directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, produced by Don Hahn, and written by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton. Produced by Walt Disney ...
'' , Film , , 2019 , , , A
musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...
drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...
, produced and released by
Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Pictures is an American film Film production company, production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios (division), the Walt Disney Studios, a division of Disney Entertainment, which is owned by the Walt Disney Company. The st ...
. It is a photorealistic animated remake of Disney's traditionally animated 1994 film of the same name. The story takes place within a
pride Pride is a human Emotion, secondary emotion characterized by a sense of satisfaction with one's Identity (philosophy), identity, performance, or accomplishments. It is often considered the opposite of shame or of humility and, depending on conte ...
of lions in
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
.


''Julius Caesar''


''King Lear''


''Macbeth''


''Othello''


''Romeo and Juliet''


''Timon of Athens''


''Titus Andronicus''


''Troilus and Cressida''


Histories


''Henry IV, Part 1''


''Henry IV, Part 2''


''Henry V''


''Henry VI, Part 1''


''Henry VI, Part 2''


''Henry VI, Part 3''


''Henry VIII''


''King John''


''Richard II''


''Richard III''


Romances


''Pericles''


''Cymbeline''


''The Winter's Tale''


''The Tempest''


Other


Shakespeare as a character


Acting Shakespeare


Television series

''NOTE: "ShakespeaRe-Told", "The Animated Shakespeare" and "BBC Television Shakespeare" series have been covered above, under the respective play performed in each episode.'' * ''Playing Shakespeare'' (TV, UK, 1979–1984) began as two consecutive episodes of the UK arts series ''
The South Bank Show ''The South Bank Show'' is a British television arts magazine series originally produced by London Weekend Television and broadcast on ITV between 1978 and 2010. A new version of the series began 27 May 2012 on Sky Arts. Conceived, written, a ...
'', and developed into a nine-part series of its own. It features director John Barton, then a leading light of the Royal Shakespeare Company, putting a host of actors through their paces. Many of those actors are now household names, including
Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Widely considered one of Britain's greatest actors, she is noted for her versatility, having appeared in films and television, as well as for her numerous roles on the stage ...
, Michael Pennington,
Patrick Stewart Sir Patrick Stewart (born 13 July 1940) is an English actor. With a career spanning over seven decades of Patrick Stewart on stage and screen, stage and screen, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Patrick Stewart, variou ...
,
Ben Kingsley Sir Ben Kingsley (born Krishna Pandit Bhanji; 31 December 1943) is an English actor. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Ben Kingsley, various accolades throughout Ben Kingsley on screen and stage, his career spanning fi ...
,
David Suchet Sir David Courtney Suchet ( ; born 2 May 1946) is an English actor. He is known for his work on stage and in television. He portrayed Edward Teller in the television serial '' Oppenheimer'' (1980) and received the RTS and BPG awards for his pe ...
and
Ian McKellen Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. He has played roles on the screen and stage in genres ranging from Shakespearean dramas and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. He is regarded as a British cu ...
. The episodes were: **''
The South Bank Show ''The South Bank Show'' is a British television arts magazine series originally produced by London Weekend Television and broadcast on ITV between 1978 and 2010. A new version of the series began 27 May 2012 on Sky Arts. Conceived, written, a ...
'': "Speaking Shakespearean Verse" **''The South Bank Show'': "Preparing to Perform Shakespeare" **1. "The Two Traditions" **2. "Using the Verse" **3. "Language and Character" **4. "Set Speeches and Soliloquies" **5. "Irony and Ambiguity" **6. "Passion and Coolness" **7. "Rehearsing the Text" **8. "Exploring a Character" **9. "Poetry and Hidden Poetry" 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. * ''The Shakespeare Sessions'' (USA 2003): An American spin-off from Playing Shakespeare (above) in which John Barton directs notable American actors in Shakespeare scenes. * ''Conjuring Shakespeare'' (TV, UK, 199?): A series of half-hour documentaries hosted by
Fiona Shaw Fiona Shaw (born Fiona Mary Wilson; 10 July 1958) is an Irish film and theatre actress. She did extensive work with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre, as well as in film and television. In 2020, she was listed at No. 29 o ...
, each episode dealing with scenes from a particular play. * ''In Search of Shakespeare'' (TV, UK, 2003): A BBC documentary series of four 1-hour episodes, chronicling the life of William Shakespeare, written and presented by Michael Wood. * '' Slings & Arrows'' (TV, Canada, 2003–2006): A Canadian comedy drama set in the New Burbage Shakespeare Festival, a fictional Shakespearean festival in a small town in Canada comparable to the real-life
Stratford Shakespeare Festival The Stratford Festival is a Repertory theatre, repertory theatre organization that operates from April to October in the city of Stratford, Ontario, Canada. Founded by local journalist Tom Patterson (theatre producer), Tom Patterson in 1952, th ...
. With its entire run written by Susan Coyne, Bob Martin and Mark McKinney, directed by
Peter Wellington Peter William Wellington (born 21 August 1957) is an Australian politician. He was the independent member for Nicklin in the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 1998 to 2017, and served as Speaker from 2015 to 2017. Wellington has held the ...
, and starring
Paul Gross Paul Michael Gross (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian actor, film and television director, screenwriter, playwright, and producer. He rose to fame for his lead role as RCMP Constable Benton Fraser on the popular Canadian television series '' ...
, Martha Burns and Stephen Ouimette, it aired in three seasons of six 1-hour episodes each. * ''Som & Fúria'' (TV, Brazil, 2009): A Brazilian adaptation of ''Slings and Arrows''.


Academic

* The "Themes of Shakespeare" series contains straight-to-video short documentaries, each considering the theme of a particular play. The contributors are Professor
Stanley Wells Sir Stanley William Wells, (born 21 May 1930) is an English Shakespearean scholar, writer, professor and editor who has been honorary president of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, professor emeritus at Birmingham University, and author of many ...
, and Dr. Robert Smallwood of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. * Two lecture series given by professor Peter Saccio were filmed and are commercially available on DVD.


Miscellaneous

*'' Theatre of Blood'' (UK, 1973). Vincent Price plays a Shakespearean actor who takes poetic revenge on the critics who denied him recognition. He kills his critics using methods inspired by several of Shakespeare's plays: ''Julius Caesar'', ''Troilus and Cressida'', ''The Merchant of Venice'', ''Richard III'', ''Othello'', ''Cymbeline'', ''Romeo and Juliet'', ''Henry VI Part One'', ''Titus Andronicus'', and ''King Lear''. : Douglas Hickox director :
Vincent Price Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor. He was known for his work in the horror film genre, mostly portraying villains. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price ...
as Edward Lionheart :
Diana Rigg Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg (20 July 1938 – 10 September 2020) was an English actress of stage and screen. Her roles include Emma Peel in the TV series ''The Avengers (TV series), The Avengers'' (1965–1968); Countess Tracy Bond, Teresa di ...
as Edwina Lionheart * '' The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)'' by the
Reduced Shakespeare Company The Reduced Shakespeare Company (RSC) is an American touring acting troupe that performs fast-paced, seemingly improvisational condensations of different topics. The company's style has been described as "New Vaudeville," combining both physical a ...
is a successful West End stage comedy, containing some element of all 37 canonical plays. A film of one of the live performances is commercially available. * The
Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...
have released a number of videos in the "Great Performances" series, which contain excerpts from stage performances. *'' The Lion in Winter'' (US, Play, 1966). Set during Christmas 1183 at Henry II of England's castle in Chinon, Anjou, Angevin Empire, the play opens with the arrival of Henry's wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, whom he has had imprisoned since 1173. The story concerns the gamesmanship between Henry, Eleanor, their three surviving sons Richard, Geoffrey, and John, and their Christmas Court guest, the King of France, Philip II Augustus (French: Philippe Auguste), who was the son of Eleanor's ex-husband, Louis VII of France (by his third wife, Adelaide). Also involved is Philip's half-sister Alais, who has been at court since she was betrothed to Richard at age eight, but has since become Henry's mistress. A film version was made in 1968. Productions have been put on by Shakespearean Theater companies (Unseam'd Shakespeare Company production in 2002 and the American Shakespeare Center's Blackfriars Playhouse presented it in complementary repertory with William Shakespeare's ''King John'' in 2012). : Anthony Harvey director :
Peter O'Toole Peter Seamus O'Toole (; 2 August 1932 – 14 December 2013) was an English actor known for his leading roles on stage and screen. His numerous accolades include the Academy Honorary Award, a BAFTA Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and four Golde ...
as King Henry II :
Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress whose Katharine Hepburn on screen and stage, career as a Golden Age of Hollywood, Hollywood leading lady spanned six decades. She was known for her headstrong ...
as Queen Eleanor :
Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor. Considered one of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for List of Anthony Hopkins performances, his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins ha ...
(in his motion picture debut) as Richard the Lionheart :
Nigel Terry Peter Nigel Terry (15 August 1945 – 30 April 2015) was an English stage, film, and television actor, typically in historical and period roles. He played Prince John in Anthony Harvey's film '' The Lion in Winter'' (1968) and King Arthur in ...
as John :
Timothy Dalton Timothy Leonard Dalton Leggett (; born 21 March 1946) is a British actor. He gained international prominence as the fourth actor to portray fictional secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, starring in '' The Living Dayli ...
(in his motion picture debut) as King Philip II


See also

* List of titles of works taken from Shakespeare


Notes and references


Notes


References


Sources

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Further reading

* * * * * * * * * * *


External links

*
BardMovies: Shakespeare on Film for Groundlings

ShakespeareFlix: Shakespeare Observations, Reviews, News, and Resources

An International Database of Shakespeare on Film, Television and Radio


{{Shakespeare
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...