Shakespeare Week: The Lion King, Warm Bodies, West Side Story – 5 Hollywood Films That Draw Inspiration From William Shakespeare’s Works!

No other writer has had an impact on literature and language as much as Shakespeare. Often regarded as one of the greatest dramatist and writer in the English language, Shakespeare has written some of the most iconic plays of all time ranging from the likes of romance and comedy to the in-depth tragedy of a person’s life. His work includes iconic stories like Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar and my personal favourite The Merchant of Venice.   Shakespeare Week: Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, The Merchant of Venice – 5 Best Hollywood Adaptations of William Shakespeare’s Plays!

His work till date is relevant and is constantly being analyzed by literature majors. He wrote characters with such depth and raw emotion that it was hard not to root for the antagonist of his stories, for example, Shylock in The Merchant of Venice. With this, many filmmakers continue to take inspiration from his writing to elevate their stories and characters. Here are 5 films that took inspiration from Shakespeare. How William Shakespeare and Issac Newton Utilized Their Time Working From Home During Quarantine and Pandemic.

Warm Bodies

While reading its base plot synopsis you might think this movie is far away from anything Shakespeare. However, in theory, it is indeed quite similar to that of the story of Romeo and Juliet. Of course, at the end of the day, it’s a movie about Zombies, but it’s a movie about a Zombie and a human falling in love together while society won’t accept it.

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Directed by Gil Junger, the movie is a modernisation of Shakespeare’s late 16th-century comedy The Taming of the Shrew which is retold in the late 1990’s American high school setting. David Fincher Birthday: From Fight Club to Gone Girl - 5 Best Films of the Director That Are Must-Watch! 

Men of Respect

This 1990 crime drama film directed by William Reilly brings the story of Macbeth to the mob world. It’s a retelling of Macbeth which stars John Turturro as Mike Battaglia (Macbeth) who climbs his way to the top of the mafia world by killing his boss.

West Side Story

West Side Story is a musical romantic drama that’s directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins and is heavily inspired by Romeo and Juliet. The film follows teenagers Tony and Maria who fall in love in 1950’s New York even though they have affiliations with rival street gangs.

The Lion King

This 1994 Disney epic is heavily inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamlet. About a Lion cub taking back the throne from his uncle after he murdered his father is taken right from Hamlet with the only difference being that all the humans are replaced with animals here.

So here are some of the movies that have taken direct inspiration from Shakespeare which in turn made them all the better.

(Contributed by Rohit Rajput) 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 16, 2021 06:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).