The Guinness Book of Records lists 410 feature-length film and TV versions of William Shakespeare's plays as having been produced, making Shakespeare the most filmed author ever in any language. Some are faithful to the original story and text, while others are adaptations that use only the plots rather than his dialogue.
The Internet Movie Database lists Shakespeare as having writing credit on 1,073 films, with 17 films in active production, but not yet released, as of May 2015.
The earliest known production is a French version of Hamlet, made in 1900, starring Sarah Bernhardt as Hamlet. This was not a silent film; it is cited as one of the first examples of sound and moving image-syncing, created with the new phono-cinema-theatre system.
Comedies
All's Well That Ends Well
- All's Well That Ends Well (TV, UK, 1968)
- Directors: John Barton, Claude Whatham
- Lynn Farleigh (Helena), Ian Richardson (Count Bertram), Catherine Lacey (The Countess of Rousillon), Sebastian Shaw (The King of France), Clive Swift (Parolles), Caroline Hunt (Diana), Elizabeth Spriggs (A Widow of Florence), Brewster Mason (Lafew), Ian Hogg (Lavatch)
- All's Well That Ends Well (TV, USA, 1978)
- Director: Wilford Leach
- Pamela Reed (Helena), Marc Linn (Count Bertram), Elizabeth Wilson (The Countess of Rousillon), Larry Pines (Parolles), Frances Conroy (Diana), Barbara Williams (A Widow of Florence), John Ferraro (Lavatch)
- BBC Television Shakespeare All's Well That Ends Well (TV, UK, 1981)
- Director: Elijah Moshinsky
- Angela Down (Helena), Ian Charleson (Count Bertram), Celia Johnson (The Countess of Rousillon), Donald Sinden (The King of France), Peter Jeffrey (Parolles), Pippa Guard (Diana), Rosemary Leach (A Widow of Florence), Michael Hordern (Lafew), Paul Brooke (Lavatch)
- National Theatre Live All's Well That Ends Well (TV, UK, 2009)
- Director: Marianne Elliott
- Michelle Terry (Helena), George Rainsford (Count Bertram), Claire Higgins (The Countess of Rousillon), Oliver Ford Davies (The King of France), Conleth Hill (Parolles)
As You Like It
- As You Like It (India, West Bengal, 2012)
- Director: Suprio Chakrabarty
- Adaptation: Kanchan Amin
- As You Like It (USA, 1912)
- Directors: J. Stuart Blackton, Charles Kent, James Young
- Rose Coghlan (Rosalind), Maurice Costello (Orlando), Rosemary Theby (Celia), Charles Kent (Jaques), Robert McWade Sr (Touchstone), Harry T. Morey (Duke Frederick), Tefft Johnson (Duke Senior), Robert Gaillard (Oliver), Charles Eldridge (Corin), George Ober (Adam), Rose Tapley (Phebe), James W. Morrison (Silvius), Kate Price (Audrey)
- Love in a Wood (UK, 1915)
- Director: Maurice Elvey
- Elisabeth Risdon (Rosalind)
- Gerald Ames (Orlando)
- Vera Cunningham (Celia)
- Frank Stanmore (Touch-stone)
- Kenelm Foss (Oliver)
- As You Like It (UK, 1936)
- Director: Paul Czinner
- Elisabeth Bergner (Rosalind)
- Laurence Olivier (Orlando)
- Sophie Stewart (Celia)
- Leon Quartermaine (Jaques)
- Mackenzie Ward (Touchstone)
- Felix Aylmer (Duke Frederick)
- Henry Ainley (Duke Senior)
- John Laurie (Oliver)
- Aubrey Mather (Corin)
- J. Fisher White (Adam)
- Joan White (Phebe)
- Richard Ainley (Silvius)
- Dorice Fordred (Audrey)
- As You Like It (TV, UK, 1963)
- Directors: Michael Elliott, Ronald Eyre
- Vanessa Redgrave (Rosalind)
- Patrick Allen (Orlando)
- Rosalind Knight (Celia)
- Max Adrian (Jaques)
- Patrick Wymark (Touchstone)
- Tony Church (Duke Frederick)
- Paul Hardwick (Duke Senior)
- David Buck (Oliver)
- Russell Hunter (Corin)
- Clifford Rose (Adam)
- Jeanne Hepple (Phebe)
- Peter Gill (Silvius)
- Patsy Byrne (Audrey)
- BBC Television Shakespeare As You Like It (TV, UK, 1978)
- Director: Basil Coleman
- Helen Mirren (Rosalind)
- Brian Stirner (Orlando)
- Angharad Rees (Celia):
- Richard Pasco (Jaques)
- James Bolam (Touchstone)
- Richard Easton (Duke Frederick)
- Tony Church (Duke Senior)
- Clive Francis (Oliver)
- David Lloyd Meredith (Corin)
- Arthur Hewlett (Adam)
- Victoria Plucknett (Phebe)
- Maynard Williams (Silvius)
- Marilyn Le Conte (Audrey)
- As You Like It (TV, Canada, 1983)
- Director: Herb Roland
- Roberta Maxwell (Rosalind), Andrew Gillies (Orlando), Rosemary Dunsmore (Celia), Christopher Gibson (Jaques), Lewis Gordon (Touchstone), Graeme Campbell (Duke Frederick), William Needles (Duke Senior), Stephen Russell (Oliver), Mervyn Blake (Adam), Mary Haney (Phebe), John Jarvis (Silvius), Elizabeth Leigh-Milne (Audrey)
- As You Like It (UK, 1992)
- Director: Christine Edzard
- Emma Croft (Rosalind), Andrew Tiernan (Orlando/Oliver), Celia Bannerman (Celia), James Fox (Jaques), Griff Rhys Jones (Touchstone), Don Henderson (Duke Frederick/Duke Senior), Roger Hammond (Corin), Cyril Cusack (Adam), Valerie Gogan (Phebe), Ewen Bremmer (Silvius), Miriam Margolyes (Audrey)
- Shakespeare: The Animated Tales As You Like It (TV, Russia and UK, 1994)
- Director: Alexei Karaev
- Sylvestra Le Touzel (Rosalind), John McAndrew (Orlando), Maria Miles (Celia/Audrey), Nathaniel Parker (Jaques/Oliver), Peter Gunn (Touchstone), Christopher Benjamin (Duke Frederick/Corin), Garard Green (Duke Senior/Adam), Eiry Thomas (Phebe), David Holt (Silvius)
- As You Like It (UK, 2006)
- Director: Kenneth Branagh
- Bryce Dallas Howard (Rosalind), David Oyelowo (Orlando), Romola Garai (Celia), Kevin Kline (Jaques), Alfred Molina (Touchstone), Brian Blessed (Duke Frederick/Duke Senior), Adrian Lester (Oliver), Jimmy Yuill (Corin), Richard Briers (Adam), Jade Jefferies (Phebe), Alex Wyndham (Silvius), Janet McTeer (Audrey)
- As You Like It (TV, CA, 2010)
- Directors: Robert Budreau, Des McAnuff
- Andrea Runge (Rosalind), Paul Nolan (Orlando), Brent Carver (Jaques), Ben Carlson (Touchstone), Tom Rooney (Duke Frederick/Duke Senior)
- As You Like It (Video, UK, 2010), recording of a performance at Shakespeare's Globe
- Director: Thea Sharrock
- Naomi Frederick (Rosalind), Jack Laskey (Orlando), Laura Rogers (Celia), Tim McMullan (Jaques), Dominic Rowan (Touchstone), Brendan Hughes (Duke Frederick), Philip Bird (Duke Senior), Jamie Parker (Oliver), Trevor Martin (Adam), Sophie Duval (Audrey)
The Comedy of Errors
- The Boys from Syracuse (USA, 1940) - a musical adaptation
- A. Edward Sutherland director
- Allan Jones as 7Antipholus of Ephesus/Antipholus of Syracuse
- Joe Penner as Dromio of Ephesus/Dromio of Syracuse
- Festival The Comedy of Errors (TV, UK, 1967)
- Peter Duguid, Clifford Williams directors
- Ian Richardson and Alec McCowen as Antipholus of Ephesus and Syracuse
- Clifford Rose and Barry MacGregor as Dromio of Ephesus and Syracuse
- The Comedy of Errors (TV, UK, 1978)
- Philip Casson - Director
- Mike Gwilym and Roger Rees as Antipholus of Ephesus and Syracuse
- Nickolas Grace and Michael Williams as Dromio of Ephesus and Syracuse
- Judi Dench as Adriana
- Francesca Annis as Luciana
- Angoor (Hindi, India, 1982) - a Bollywood adaptation
- Gulzar director
- Sanjeev Kumar as the two Ashoks
- Deven Verman as the two Bahadurs
- BBC Television Shakespeare The Comedy of Errors (TV, UK, 1983)
- James Cellan Jones director
- Michael Kitchen as Antipholus of Ephesus/Antipholus of Syracuse
- Roger Daltrey as Dromio of Ephesus/Dromio of Syracuse
- The Comedy of Errors (TV, USA, 1987)
- Robert Woodruff director
- Howard Jay Patterson and Paul David Magid as Antipholus of Ephesus and Syracuse
- Randy Nelson and Samuel Ross Williams as Dromio of Ephesus and Syracuse
- The Comedy of Errors (TV, CA, 1989)
- Director: Richard Monette
- Geordie Johnson (Antipholus of Ephesus/Antipholus of Syracuse), Keith Dinicol as (Dromio of Ephesus/Dromio of Syracuse), Nicholos Pennell (Egeon), James Blendick (The Duke of Ephesus), Goldie Semple (Adriana), Kate Hennig (Luciana), Douglas Chamberlain (Angelo), Wenna Shaw (Emilia)
Love's Labour's Lost
- Play of the Month Love's Labour's Lost (TV, UK, 1975)
- Basil Coleman director
- Martin Shaw as Ferdinand
- Lorna Heilbron as the Princess of France
- BBC Television Shakespeare Love's Labour's Lost (TV, UK, 1985)
- Elijah Moshinsky director
- Jonathan Kent as Ferdinand
- Maureen Lipman as the Princess of France
- Love's Labour's Lost (UK, 2000) - a musical adaptation
- Kenneth Branagh director
- Alessandro Nivola as Ferdinand
- Alicia Silverstone as the Princess of France
Measure For Measure
- BBC Television Shakespeare Measure For Measure (TV, UK, 1979)
- Desmond Davis director
- Kenneth Colley as Duke Vincentio
- Kate Nelligan as Isabella
- Performance Measure for Measure (TV, UK, 1995)
- David Thacker director
- Tom Wilkinson as Duke Vincentio
- Juliet Aubrey as Isabella
The Merchant of Venice
- The Merchant of Venice (UK, 1916)
- Walter West director
- Matheson Lang as Shylock
- Hutin Britton as Portia
- The Merchant of Venice (UK, 1922)
- Challis Sanderson director
- Ivan Berlyn as Shylock
- Sybil Thorndike as Portia
- The Merchant of Venice (TV, UK, 1947)
- George More O'Ferrall director
- Abraham Sofaer as Shylock
- Margaretta Scott as Portia
- Sunday Night Theatre The Merchant of Venice (TV, UK, 1955)
- Hal Burton director
- Michael Hordern as Shylock
- Rachel Gurney as Portia
- Play of the Month The Merchant of Venice (TV, UK, 1972)
- Cedric Messina director
- Frank Finlay as Shylock
- Maggie Smith as Portia
- The Merchant of Venice (TV, UK, 1973)
- John Sichel director
- Laurence Olivier as Shylock
- Joan Plowright as Portia
- Jeremy Brett as Bassanio
- The Merchant of Venice (TV, CA, 1976)
- John Sichel director
- Antony Holland as Shylock
- Trish Grange as Portia
- BBC Television Shakespeare The Merchant of Venice (TV, UK, 1980)
- Jack Gold director
- Warren Mitchell as Shylock
- Gemma Jones as Portia
- The Merchant of Venice (TV, UK, 1996)
- Alan Horrox director
- Bob Peck as Shylock
- Haydn Gwynne as Portia
- Masterpiece Theatre The Merchant of Venice (TV, UK, 2001)
- Chris Hunt, Trevor Nunn directors
- Henry Goodman as Shylock
- Derbhle Crotty as Portia
- The Maori Merchant of Venice (NZ, 2002)
- Don Selwyn director
- Waihoroi Shortland as Hairoka (Shylock)
- Ngarimu Daniels as Portia (Pohia)
- The Merchant of Venice (USA, 2004)
- Michael Radford director
- Al Pacino as Shylock
- Lynn Collins as Portia
The Merry Wives of Windsor
- Sunday Night Theatre The Merry Wives of Windsor (TV, UK, 1952)
- Julian Amyes director
- Robert Atkins as Falstaff
- Betty Huntley-Wright as Mistress Ford
- Chimes at Midnight (Switzerland/Spain, 1966) - an amalgamation of scenes from Richard II, Henry IV part 1, Henry IV part 2, Henry V and The Merry Wives of Windsor
- Orson Welles director and as Falstaff
- Ralph Richardson as Narrator
- John Gielgud as King Henry IV
- Keith Baxter as Hal
- Margaret Rutherford as Mistress Quickly
- Jeanne Moreau as Doll Tearsheet
- Beatrice Welles as Falstaff's Page
- Alan Webb as Justice Shallow
- The Merry Wives of Windsor (TV, USA, 1970)
- Jack Manning director
- Leon Charles as Falstaff
- Valerine Seelie-Snyder as Mistress Ford
- BBC Television Shakespeare The Merry Wives of Windsor (TV, UK, 1982)
- Christian Ebil director
- Richard Griffiths as Falstaff
- Judy Davis as Mistress Ford
A Midsummer Night's Dream
- A Midsummer Night's Dream (1909 film)
- Charles Kent and J. Stuart Blackton directors
- Florence Turner as Titania
- William V. Ranous as Bottom
- Gladys Hulette as Puck
- A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935 film)
- Max Reinhart and William Dieterle directors
- Anita Louise as Titania
- Victor Jory as Oberon
- James Cagney as Bottom
- Mickey Rooney as Puck
- Dick Powell as Lysander
- Joe E. Brown as Flute
- Ian Hunter as Theseus
- A Midsummer Night's Dream (1968 film)
- Peter Hall director
- Judi Dench as Titania
- Ian Richardson as Oberon
- Paul Rogers as Bottom
- Ian Holm as Puck
- Diana Rigg as Helena
- Helen Mirren as Hermia
- David Warner as Lysander
- Michael Jayston as Demetrius
- Sebastian Shaw as Peter Quince
- A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999 film)
- Michael Hoffman director
- Michelle Pfeiffer as Titania
- Rupert Everett as Oberon
- Kevin Kline as Bottom
- Stanley Tucci as Puck
- Calista Flockhart as Helena
- Christian Bale as Demetrius
- Sophie Marceau as Hippolyta
- Roger Rees as Peter Quince
Adaptations
- sueve El Sueño de una noche de San Juan (aka "Midsummer Dream", Spain and Portugal, 2005) is an animated adaptation of the Cream story.
- Ãngel de la Cruz and Manolo Gómez directors
- Get Over It (2001), a modern musical adaptation set at a highschool 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 (2002) is a modern adaptation set at a warehouse party
- ShakespeaRe-Told A Midsummer Night's Dream (TV, UK, 2005) is a modern adaptation by Peter Bowker
- Sharon Small as Titania
- Lennie James as Oberon
- Johnny Vegas as Bottom
- The 2008 movie, Were the World Mine, is inspired by the play, and prominently features a modern 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 (2010), a romantic comedy in Hindi concerning the tribulations of a love quadrangle during a night of magic & madness directed by Sharat Katariya is a contemporary adaptation of`A Midsummer Night`s Dream'.
Much Ado About Nothing
Performances
- Much Ado About Nothing (TV, US, 1973) (videotaped)
- A CBS Television Adaptation of Joseph Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival Production
- Sam Waterston as Benedick
- Kathleen Widdoes as Beatrice
- Barnard Hughes as Dogberry
- Douglass Watson as Don Pedro
- Nick Havinga and A.J. Antoon, directors
- BBC Television Shakespeare Much Ado About Nothing (TV, UK, 1984) (videotaped)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- Much Ado About Nothing (UK, 1993)
- Kenneth Branagh director and as Benedick
- Emma Thompson as Beatrice
- Denzel Washington as Don Pedro
- Robert Sean Leonard as Claudio
- Kate Beckinsale as Hero
- Michael Keaton as Dogberry
- Keanu Reeves as Don John
- Much Ado About Nothing (US, 2012), an adaptation written and directed by Joss Whedon
- Amy Acker as Beatrice
- Alexis Denisof as Benedick
- Fran Kranz as Claudio
- Jillian Morgese as Hero
- Nathan Fillion as Dogberry
- Clark Gregg as Leonato
- Reed Diamond as Don Pedro
- Sean Maher as Don John
Adaptations
- ShakespeaRe-Told Much Ado About Nothing (UK, TV, 2005) is a modern adaptation by David Nicholls.
- Sarah Parish as Beatrice
- Damian Lewis as Benedick
- Billie Piper as Hero
- Martin Jarvis as Leonard (the Leonato character)
The Taming of the Shrew
Performances
- The Taming of the Shrew (USA, 1929)
- Mary Pickford as Katherine
- Douglas Fairbanks as Petruchio
- The Taming of the Shrew (Italy/USA, 1967)
- Franco Zeffirelli director
- Elizabeth Taylor as Katherine
- Richard Burton as Petruchio
- Michael Hordern as Baptista
- Cyril Cusack as Grumio
- Michael York as Lucentio
- BBC Television Shakespeare The Taming of the Shrew (TV, UK, 1980) (videotaped)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- Jonathan Miller, director
- John Cleese as Petruchio
- Sarah Badel as Katherine
- Quantum Leap The Taming of the Shrew (aka "The Shakespeare Collection") (TV/video, USA, 19??)
- John Allinson director
- Karen Austin as Katherine
- Franklin Seales as Petruchio
- The Animated Shakespeare The Taming of the Shrew (TV, Russia and UK, 1994)
- Aida Ziablikova director
- Amanda Root as the voice of Katherine
- Nigel Le Vaillant as the voice of Petruchio
Adaptations
- Kiss Me, Kate (USA, 1953)
- Howard Keel as 'Petruchio'
- Kathryn Grayson as 'Katerina'
- Ann Miller as 'Bianca'
- Moonlighting (TV, USA; 25 Nov 1986 episode "Atomic Shakespeare") 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.
- Will Mackenzie director
- Cybill Shepherd as Katerina
- Bruce Willis as Petruchio
- 10 Things I Hate about You (USA, 1999)
- Julia Stiles as Kat
- Heath Ledger as Patrick Verona
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Cameron
- Larisa Oleynik as Bianca
- Deliver Us from Eva (USA, 2003)
- LL Cool J 'Petruchio'
- Gabrielle Union 'Katerina'
- ShakespeaRe-Told The Taming of The Shrew (UK, TV, 2005) is a modern adaptation by Sally Wainwright.
- Shirley Henderson as Katherine
- Rufus Sewell as Petruchio
- Shrew in the Park (Canada, TV, 2003)
- Andrew Honor director
Twelfth Night
Performances
- Twelfth Night (film, USA, 1910)
- Eugene Mullin and Charles Kent directors
- Julia Swayne Gordon as Olivia
- Charles Kent as Malvolio
- Florence Turner as Viola
- Edith Storey as Sebastain
- Tefft Johnson as Orsino
- Marin Sais as Maria
- William Humphrey as Sir Toby Belch
- James Young as Sir Andrew Aguecheek
- Twelfth Night (aka Dvenadtsataya noch) (USSR, 1955) Yan Frid director
- Twelfth Night (TV, UK, 1969)(videotaped)
- John Sichel and John Dexter directors
- Joan Plowright as Viola and Sebastian
- Alec Guinness as Malvolio
- Ralph Richardson as Sir Toby Belch
- Tommy Steele as an unusually prominent Feste
- BBC Television Shakespeare Twelfth Night (TV, UK, 1980) (videotaped)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- Twelfth Night (TV, UK, 1988) (videotaped)
- Kenneth Branagh director
- Richard Briers as Malvolio
- Caroline Langrishe as Olivia
- music by Pat Doyle
- (TRIVIA: the arrangement of Come Away Death in this production is an adaptation of Paul McCartney's Once Upon A Long Ago.)
- The Animated Shakespeare Twelfth Night (TV, Russia and UK, 1992)
- Maria Muat director
- Fiona Shaw
- Hugh Grant
- William Rushton as the voice of Sir Toby Belch
- Twelfth Night (UK, 1996)
- Trevor Nunn director
- Imogen Stubbs as Viola
- Helena Bonham Carter as Olivia
- Toby Stephens as Orsino
- Nigel Hawthorne as Malvolio
- Mel Smith as Sir Toby Belch
- Richard E. Grant as Sir Andrew Aguecheek
- Ben Kingsley as Feste
- Twelfth Night, or What You Will (TV, UK, 2003) (videotaped)
- Tim Supple director
- Parminder Nagra as Viola
- Ronny Jhutti as Sebastian
- Chiwetel Ejiofor as Orsino
- Claire Price as Olivia
- Maureen Beattie as Maria
- David Troughton as Sir Toby Belch
- Richard Bremner as Sir Andrew Aguecheek
- Zubin Varla as Feste
- Michael Maloney as Malvolio
Adaptations
- piya behrupiya (India 2013) Adapted by Amitosh Nagpal
- She's the Man (US, 2006) adapts the story to a high-school setting
- Andy Fickman director
- Amanda Bynes as Viola
- Channing Tatum as Duke Orsino
- Laura Ramsey as Olivia
- James Kirk as Sebastian
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
- BBC Television Shakespeare The Two Gentlemen of Verona (TV, UK, 1984)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
Tragedies
Antony and Cleopatra
Performances
- Antony and Cleopatra, (US 1908)
- Antony and Cleopatra, (UK/Spain/Switzerland 1972)
- Charlton Heston, also director, as Antony
- Hildegarde Neil as Cleopatra
- Eric Porter as Enobarbus
- Antony and Cleopatra, (TV, UK, 1974) (videotaped)
- Jon Scoffield director (television version) Trevor Nunn director (stage version)
- Janet Suzman as Cleopatra
- Richard Johnson as Antony
- Patrick Stewart as Enobarbus
- (TRIVIA: This was his first television role.)
- BBC Television Shakespeare Antony and Cleopatra (TV, UK, 1981)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
Adaptations
- Kannaki (India, Malayalam, 2002) is an adaptation of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra.
- Jayaraaj director
- Lal as Manikyan
- Siddique as Choman
- Nandita Das as Kannaki
Coriolanus
- BBC Television Shakespeare Coriolanus (TV, UK, 1984) (videotaped)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- Coriolanus (film) (UK, 2012)
- Ralph Fiennes as Coriolanus
- Gerard Butler as Tullus Aufidius
- Vanessa Redgrave as Volumnia
- Brian Cox as Menenius
Hamlet
- This is a summary of the main article Hamlet on screen.
- See also the main article for the play Hamlet.
The most significant screen performances are:
- Hamlet (Germany, 1921) Svend Gade & Heinz Schall directors
- Hamlet (UK, 1948) Laurence Olivier director
- Hamlet, Prinz von Dänemark (West Germany, 1961) Franz Peter Wirth director
- Hamlet (aka Gamlet) (Russia, 1964) Grigori Kozintsev director
- Hamlet (aka Richard Burton's Hamlet) (US 1964), Bill Colleran and John Gielgud directors
- Hamlet at Elsinore (TV, UK, 1964) Philip Saville director
- Hamlet (UK, 1969) Tony Richardson director
- BBC Television Shakespeare Hamlet (TV, UK, 1980) Rodney Bennett director (a videotaped production)
- Hamlet (USA, 1990) Franco Zeffirelli director
- The Animated Shakespeare Hamlet (TV, Russia and UK, 1992) Natalia Orlova director
- Hamlet (UK, 1996) Kenneth Branagh director
- Hamlet (USA, 2000) Michael Almereyda director (Modern Retelling)
- The Tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark (2007) (AUS, 2007) Oscar Redding director
Adaptations, and films using elements of "Hamlet" include:
- The Bad Sleep Well (aka Warui yatsu hodo yoku nemuru) (Japan, 1960) Akira Kurosawa director
- Strange Brew (Canada, 1983) Dave Thomas & Rick Moranis directors.
- Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (USA, 1990) Tom Stoppard director
- Renaissance Man (USA, 1994) Penny Marshall director
- The Lion King (USA, 1994) Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff directors.
- In The Bleak Midwinter (aka "A Midwinter's Tale") (UK, 1996) Kenneth Branagh director
- The Truman Show (USA, 1998) Peter Weir director
- Let the Devil Wear Black (USA, 1999) Stacy Title director
- The Banquet, (China, 2006) Feng Xiaogang, director
- Sons of Anarchy (television show, USA 2008) Created by Kurt Sutter
- Karmayogi (2011 film), (India, 2011) V K Prakash, director
- Haider - (2014 Hindi film), Vishal, director
- Hamlet Goes Business (Finland, 1987), Aki Kaurismäki, director
Julius Caesar
Performances
- Julius Caesar (USA, 1950)
- David Bradley director and as Brutus
- Harold Tasker as Caesar
- Charlton Heston as Mark Antony
- Julius Caesar (USA, 1953)
- Joseph L. Mankiewicz director
- James Mason as Brutus
- John Gielgud as Cassius
- Marlon Brando as Mark Antony
- Louis Calhern as Julius Caesar
- Deborah Kerr as Portia
- Greer Garson as Calphuria
- Edmund O'Brian as Casca
- Julius Caesar (UK, 1970)
- Charlton Heston as Mark Antony
- Jason Robards as Brutus
- John Gielgud as Caesar
- Richard Johnson as Cassius
- Diana Rigg as Portia
- Richard Chamberlain as Octavius Caesar
- BBC Television Shakespeare Julius Caesar (TV, UK, 1979) (videotaped)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- The Animated Shakespeare Julius Caesar (TV, Russia and UK, 1994)
- Yuri Kulakov director
- Joss Ackland as the voice of Julius Caesar
- Royal Shakespeare Company 2012, filmed for BBC Television
- Gregory Doran, director
- Paterson Joseph as Brutus
- Ray Fearon as Mark Antony
- Jeffery Kissoon as Julius Caesar
- Cyril Nri as Cassius
- Adjoa Andoh as Portia
Adaptations
- Heil Caesar is an adaptation set in an unnamed modern country
King Lear
- See also its section on screen adaptations.
Performances
- King Lear (TV, USA, 1953) (originally presented live, now survives on kinescope)
- Peter Brook/Andrew McCullough director
- Orson Welles as Lear
- King Lear (UK/Denmark, 1971)
- Peter Brook director
- Paul Scofield as Lear
- King Lear (aka Korol Lir) (Russia, 1971)
- Grigori Kozintsev director
- Jüri Järvet as Lear
- New York Shakespeare Festival King Lear (USA, 1974) (videotaped)
- James Earl Jones as Lear
- Raul Julia as Edmund
- Rene Auberjonois as Edgar
- Rosalind Cash as Goneril
- Douglass Watson as Kent
- King Lear (TV, UK, 1976)(videotaped)
- Tony Davenall director
- Patrick Magee as Lear
- Beth Harris as Goneril
- Ann Lynn as Regan
- Wendy Alnutt as Cordelia
- Patrick Mower as Edmund
- Robert Coleby as Edgar
- BBC Television Shakespeare King Lear (TV, UK, 1982)(videotaped)
- Jonathan Miller director
- Michael Hordern as Lear
- Frank Middlemass as the Fool
- Brenda Blethyn as Cordelia
- Anton Lesser as Edgar
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- King Lear (TV, UK, 1983)
- Michael Elliot director
- Laurence Olivier as Lear
- Leo McKern as Gloucester
- Diana Rigg as Regan
- Dorothy Tutin as Goneril
- Robert Lang as Albany
- Robert Lindsay as Edmund
- John Hurt as The Fool
- David Threlfall as Edgar
- King Lear (TV, UK, 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.
- Richard Eyre director
- Ian Holm as Lear
- Barbara Flynn as Goneril
- Amanda Redman as Regan
- Victoria Hamilton as Cordelia
- Timothy West as Gloucester
- Finbar Lynch as Edmund
- Paul Rhys as Edgar
- King Lear (UK, 1999)
- Brian Blessed director and as Lear
- Hildegard Neil as Fool
Adaptations
- King Lear (Bahamas/USA, 1987) is post-Chernobyl disaster science fiction.
- Jean-Luc Godard director and Professor Pluggy (equivalent to the Fool)
- Burgess Meredith as Don Learo
- Molly Ringwald as Cordelia
- Peter Sellars as William Shakespeare Junior the Fifth
- Woody Allen as Mr. Alien
- Ran (Japan, 1985) is an adaptation of the Lear story to a Japanese setting.
- Akira Kurosawa director
- Tatsuya Nakadai as Lord Hidetora (equivalent to King Lear)
- Peter (equivalent to the Fool)
- A Thousand Acres (USA, 1997) is a modern retelling of the Lear story, from the perspective of the Goneril character (Ginny).
- Jocelyn Moorhouse director
- Jason Robards as Larry Cook
- Jessica Lange as Ginny
- Michelle Pfeiffer as Rose
- Jennifer Jason Leigh as Caroline
- King of Texas (TV, USA, 2002) is a Western adaptation of King Lear.
- Uli Edel director
- Patrick Stewart as John Lear
Macbeth
- This is a summary of the main article Macbeth on screen.
The most significant screen performances are:
- Macbeth (USA, 1948), Orson Welles director
- Macbeth (1954 TV drama), (USA, 1954), George Schaefer, director, a live television production now preserved on kinescope
- Macbeth (1960 TV film), (UK/USA, 1960), George Schaefer director, a filmed-on-location adaptation with the same two stars and director as the 1954 production. Shown on TV in the U.S. and in theatres in Europe
- Play of the Month Macbeth (1965 TV, UK), John Gorrie director
- Macbeth (UK, 1971), Roman Polanski director
- Macbeth (1978 TV drama) (UK, 1978, Royal Shakespeare Company), Philip Casson director
- Macbeth (UK, 1981), Arthur Allan Seidelman director
- BBC Television Shakespeare Macbeth (TV, UK, 1983)
- Macbeth (UK, 1997), Jeremy Freeston and Brian Blessed directors
- Macbeth (TV, UK, 1998), Michael Bogdanov director
- The Animated Shakespeare Macbeth (TV, Russia and UK, 1992), Nicolai Serebryakov director
- Macbeth (Video, UK, 2001, Royal Shakespeare Company), Greg Doran director
- Macbeth (2006 film) (Australia, 2006), Geoffrey Wright director
- Macbeth (2010 TV drama) (UK, 2010), Rupert Goold director
- Macbeth (2015 film) (UK, 2015), Justin Kurzel director
See also
- Macbeth (cancelled Olivier film), a 1950s attempt by Laurence Olivier to film the play
Among the screen adaptations are:
- Joe MacBeth (UK, 1955), Ken Hughes director
- Throne of Blood (aka Cobweb Castle or Kumonosu-jo) (Japan, 1957), Akira Kurosawa director
- Men of Respect (USA 1991), William Reilly director
- Rave Macbeth (Germany, 2001)
- Scotland, PA (USA, 2001), Billy Morrissette director
- Maqbool (India, 2004), Vishal Bhardwaj director
- ShakespeaRe-Told Macbeth (UK, TV, 2005)
Othello
Performances
- Othello (Silent, Germany, 1922)
- Dimitri Buchowetzki director
- Emil Jannings as Othello
- Othello (UK, 1946)
- David MacKane director
- Sebastian Cabot as Iago
- Sheila Raynor as Emilia
- Luanna Shaw as Desdemona
- John Slater as Othello
- These are the only actors in this 45-minute condensation.
- Othello (Morocco/Italy, 1952)
- Orson Welles director and as Othello
- Michael MacLiammoir as Iago
- Suzanne Cloutier as Desdemona
- Othello (Russia, 1955)
- Sergei Yutkevich director and screenplay
- Sergei Bondarchuk as Othello
- Irina Skobtseva as Desdemona
- Andrei Popov as Iago
- Othello (UK, 1965) film of the Royal National Theatre's stage production.
- Stuart Burge director
- Laurence Olivier as Othello
- Frank Finlay as Iago
- Maggie Smith as Desdemona
- Derek Jacobi as Cassio
- BBC Television Shakespeare Othello (TV, UK, 1980) (videotaped)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- Anthony Hopkins as Othello
- Othello (TV, UK, 1990) videotape of the Royal Shakespeare Company's stage production.
- Trevor Nunn director
- Willard White (the opera singer) as Othello
- Imogen Stubbs as Desdemona
- Ian McKellen as Iago
- The Animated Shakespeare Othello (TV, Russia and UK, 1994)
- Nicolai Serebryakov director
- Colin McFarlane as the voice of Othello
- Gerald McSorley as the voice of Iago
- Sian Thomas as the voice of Desdemona
- Othello (USA, 1995)
- Oliver Parker director
- Laurence Fishburne as Othello
- Kenneth Branagh as Iago
- Irene Jacob as Desdemona
Adaptations
- A Double Life (USA, 1947) is a film noir adaptation of the Othello story, in which an actor playing the moor takes on frightening aspects of his character's personality.
- George Cukor director
- Ronald Colman as Anthony John
- All Night Long (UK, 1962) is an adaptation set in the contemporary London jazz scene.
- Basil Dearden director
- Patrick McGoohan as Johnnie Cousin (Iago)
- Keith Michell as Cass (Cassio)
- Paul Harris as Aurelius Rex (Othello)
- Marti Stevens as Delia Lane (Desdemona)
- Catch My Soul (USA, 1974) is adapted from the rock musical based on the play.
- Patrick McGoohan director
- Richie Havens as Othello
- Lance LeGault as Iago
- Season Hubley as Desdemona
- Tony Joe White as Cassio
- Kaliyattam (India, Malayalam, 1997)
- Jayaraaj director
- Suresh Gopi as Kannan Perumalayan (Othello)
- Lal as Paniyan (Iago)
- Biju Menon as Kanthan (Cassio)
- Manju Warrier as Thamara (Desdemona)
- O (USA, made in 1999, but not released until 2001) is a modern adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello.
- Tim Blake Nelson director
- Mekhi Phifer as Odin James
- Josh Hartnett as Hugo
- Julia Stiles as Desi
- Othello (TV, UK, 2001) is an adaptation by Andrew Davies of Shakespeare's Othello, set in the police force in modern London.
- Omkara (India, 2006)
- Vishal Bhardwaj director
- Ajay Devgan as Omkara 'Omi' Shukla (Othello)
- Saif Ali Khan as Langda Tyagi (Iago)
- Vivek Oberoi as Kesu Firangi (Cassio)
- Kareena Kapoor as Dolly Mishra (Desdemona)
- Konkona Sen Sharma as Indu (Emilia)
- Bipasha Basu as Billo Chamanbahar (Bianca)
- Naseeruddin Shah as Bhaisaab (Duke of Venice)
- Deepak Dobriyal as Rajan ’Rajju’ Tiwari (Roderigo)
- Iago (Italy, 2009) is an adaptation directed by Volfango De Biasi.
- Iago (Nicolas Vaporidis) is an architecture school student about to graduate who falls in love with his fellow student Desdemona (Laura Chiatti), the noble and beautiful daughter of the academic dean, professor Brabanzio (Gabriele Lavia). Both his career and love hopes are ruined when Otello (Aurelien Gaya), a young and handsome French nobleman, comes on the scene. With the help of his friends Emilia (Giulia Steigerwalt) and Roderigo (Lorenzo Gleijeses), Iago will achieve his revenge by playing everyone against each other through a complex scheme of lies.
- Hrid Majharey (India, Bengali, 2014) - A tragic love story loosely inspired by Othello, the film is a tribute to the Bard on his 450th Birth Anniversary.
- Ranjan Ghosh writer-director
- Abir Chatterjee as Abhijit Mukherjee (Othello)
- Raima Sen as Debjani (Desdemona)
- Math professor Abhijit and trainee Cardiologist Debjani's love story begins one rainy evening on a lonely Calcutta street. And it ends on yet another rainy evening in Port Blair, in the Andaman Islands. In between, lies a roller coaster journey dotted by love and jealousy, faith and delusion, destiny and free will. Elements of Shakespeare's Macbeth and Julius Caesar are also found in this love tragedy.
Romeo and Juliet
- This is a brief of the main articles Romeo and Juliet on screen and Romeo and Juliet (films), where a complete list may be found.
- See also the main article for the play Romeo and Juliet.
The most significant screen performances are:
- Romeo and Juliet (USA, 1908), J. Stuart Blackton director
- Romeo and Juliet (USA, 1936), George Cukor director
- Romeo and Juliet (UK/Italy, 1954), Renato Castellani director
- Romeo and Juliet (UK/Italy, 1968), Franco Zeffirelli director
- BBC Television Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet (TV, UK, 1978) (videotaped)
- The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet (USA, 1982), William Woodman director
- The Animated Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet (TV, Russia and UK, 1992) Efim Gamburg director
- Romeo + Juliet (USA, 1996) Baz Luhrmann director
- Romeo and Juliet (UK, 2013) Carlo Carlei director
The most significant screen adaptations are:
- West Side Story (USA, 1961), Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins directors
- Romie-0 and Julie-8 (Canada, 1979), Clive A. Smith, director
- Tromeo and Juliet (USA, 1996), Lloyd Kaufman director
- The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (USA, 1998), Darrell Rooney director
- Romeo Must Die (2000), Andrzej Bartkowiak director
- Gnomeo and Juliet (2011), Kelly Asbury director
- Private Romeo (2011), Alan Brown director
- Issaq (2013), Hindi Movie
- Warm Bodies (2013), Movie
- Goliyon Ki Raasleela: Ram-Leela (2014), Hindi Movie
Timon of Athens
- BBC Television Shakespeare Timon of Athens (TV, UK, 1981) (videotaped)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- Jonathan Miller Director
- Jonathan Pryce as Timon
- Norman Rodway as Apemantus
- John Bird and John Fortune as the Painter and the Poet
Titus Andronicus
Performances
- BBC Television Shakespeare Titus Andronicus (TV, UK, 1985) (videotaped)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- Titus (USA, 1999)
- Julie Taymor director
- Anthony Hopkins as Titus Andronicus
- Jessica Lange as Tamora
- Alan Cumming as Saturninus
- Titus Andronicus (USA, 1999)
- Christopher Dunne director
- Robert Reece (actor) as Titus Andronicus
- Candy K. Sweet as Tamora
Troilus and Cressida
Performances
- BBC Television Shakespeare Troilus and Cressida (TV, UK, 1981) (videotaped)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
Histories
Henry IV Part 1
Performances
- An Age of Kings (UK, TV, Miniseries 1960)
- Michael Hayes director
- Tom Fleming as Henry IV
- Robert Hardy as Hal
- Frank Pettingell as Falstaff
- Sean Connery as Hotspur
- BBC Television Shakespeare Henry IV Part I (UK, TV, 1979)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- Anthony Quayle as Falstaff
- Jon Finch as Henry IV
- David Gwillim as Hal
- Tim Pigott-Smith as Hotspur
- The War of the Roses Henry IV Part 1 (UK, 1990) is a direct filming, from the stage, of Michael Bogdanov and Michael Pennington's 7-play sequence based on Shakespeare's history plays.
- The Hollow Crown Henry IV, Part 1 (UK, TV, BBC2, 2012)
- Richard Eyre director
- Jeremy Irons as Henry IV
- Tom Hiddleston as Hal
- Simon Russell Beale as Falstaff
- Joe Armstrong as Hotspur
Adaptations
- Chimes at Midnight (aka "Falstaff") (Switzerland/Spain, 1966) is an amalgamation of scenes from Richard II, Henry IV part 1, Henry IV Part 2, Henry V and The Merry Wives of Windsor.
- Orson Welles director and as Falstaff
- Ralph Richardson as Narrator
- Keith Baxter as Hal
- John Gielgud as Henry IV
- Margaret Rutherford as Mistress Quickly
- Jeanne Moreau as Doll Tearsheet
- Beatrice Welles as Falstaff's Page
- Alan Webb as Justice Shallow
- My Own Private Idaho (USA, 1991) is loosely based on Henry IV, Part 1, with elements from the other "Hal" plays.
- Gus Van Sant director
- River Phoenix as Mike Waters
- Keanu Reeves as Scott Favor
Henry IV Part 2
Performances
- An Age of Kings (UK, TV, Miniseries 1960)
- Michael Hayes director
- Tom Fleming as Henry IV
- Robert Hardy as Hal
- Frank Pettingell as Falstaff
- The War of the Roses television miniseries 1965
- Directed by John Barton and Peter Hall
- BBC Television Shakespeare Henry IV Part II (TV, UK, 1979)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- Anthony Quayle as Falstaff
- Jon Finch as Henry IV
- David Gwillim as Hal
- The War of the Roses (English Shakespeare Company) Henry IV Part 2 (UK, 1990) is a direct filming, from the stage, of Michael Bogdanov and Michael Pennington's 7-play sequence based on Shakespeare's history plays.
- The Hollow Crown Henry IV, Part 2 (UK, TV, BBC2, 2012)
- Richard Eyre director
- Jeremy Irons as Henry IV
- Tom Hiddleston as Hal
- Simon Russell Beale as Falstaff
Adaptations
- Chimes at Midnight (aka "Falstaff") (Switzerland/Spain, 1966) is an amalgamation of scenes from Richard II, Henry IV part 1, Henry IV part 2, Henry V and The Merry Wives of Windsor.
- Orson Welles director and as Falstaff
- Ralph Richardson as Narrator
- Keith Baxter as Hal
- John Gielgud as Henry IV
- Margaret Rutherford as Mistress Quickly
- Jeanne Moreau as Doll Tearsheet
- Beatrice Welles as Falstaff's Page
- Alan Webb as Justice Shallow
- See also My Own Private Idaho.
Henry V
Performances
- Henry V (UK, 1944)
- Laurence Olivier director and as Henry V
- Robert Newton as Pistol
- Leslie Banks as Chorus
- Max Adrian as the Dauphin
- Felix Aylmer as Archbishop of Canterbury
- Ernest Thesiger as Duke of Berry
- Leo Genn as Constable of France
- George Robey as Falstaff
- An Age of Kings (UK, TV, Miniseries 1960)
- Michael Hayes director
- Robert Hardy as Henry V
- BBC Television Shakespeare Henry V (TV, UK, 1979)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- Henry V (UK, 1989)
- Kenneth Branagh director and as Henry V
- Derek Jacobi as Chorus
- Ian Holm as Fluellen
- Brian Blessed as Exeter
- Paul Scofield as King of France
- Emma Thompson as Katherine
- Judi Dench as Mistress Quickly
- Robert Stephens as Pistol
- Christian Bale as Boy
- The War of the Roses (English Shakespeare Company) Henry V (UK, 1990) is a direct filming, from the stage, of Michael Bogdanov and Michael Pennington's 7-play sequence based on Shakespeare's history plays.
- The Hollow Crown Henry V (UK, TV, BBC2, 2012)
- Thea Sharrock director
- Tom Hiddleston as Henry V
Adaptations
- Chimes at Midnight (aka "Falstaff") (Switzerland/Spain 1966) is an amalgamation of scenes from Richard II, Henry IV part 1, Henry IV part 2, Henry V and The Merry Wives of Windsor.
- Orson Welles director and as Falstaff
- Keith Baxter as Hal
- John Gielgud as Henry IV
- See also My Own Private Idaho.
Henry VI Part 1
Performances
- An Age of Kings (UK, TV, Miniseries 1960)
- Michael Hayes director
- Terry Scully as Henry VI
- Eileen Atkins as Joan
- The War of the Roses television miniseries 1965
- Directed by John Barton and Peter Hall
- David Warner as Henry VI
- BBC Television Shakespeare Henry VI Part I (TV, UK, 1983)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- The War of the Roses (English Shakespeare Company) Henry VI â€" House of Lancaster (UK, 1990) is a direct filming, from the stage, of Michael Bogdanov and Michael Pennington's 7-play sequence based on Shakespeare's history plays. This play is formed from Shakespeare's Henry VI Part 1 and from the earlier scenes of Shakespeare's Henry VI Part 2.
Henry VI Part 2
- An Age of Kings (UK, TV, Miniseries 1960)
- Michael Hayes director
- Terry Scully as Henry VI
- The War of the Roses television miniseries 1965
- Directed by John Barton and Peter Hall
- David Warner as Henry VI
- Ian Holm as Richard
- BBC Television Shakespeare Henry VI Part II (TV, UK, 1983)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- The War of the Roses (English Shakespeare Company) Henry VI â€" House of Lancaster (UK, 1990) is a direct filming, from the stage, of Michael Bogdanov and Michael Pennington's 7-play sequence based on Shakespeare's history plays. This play is formed from Shakespeare's Henry VI Part 1 and from the earlier scenes of Shakespeare's Henry VI Part 2.
- The War of the Roses (English Shakespeare Company) Henry VI â€" House of York (UK, 1990) is a direct filming, from the stage, of Michael Bogdanov and Michael Pennington's 7-play sequence based on Shakespeare's history plays. This play is formed from the later scenes of Shakespeare's Henry VI Part 2 and from Shakespeare's Henry VI Part 3.
Henry VI Part 3
- An Age of Kings (UK, TV, Miniseries 1960)
- Michael Hayes director
- Terry Scully as Henry VI
- Julian Glover as Edward
- Paul Daneman as Richard
- The War of the Roses television miniseries 1965
- Directed by John Barton and Peter Hall
- David Warner as Henry VI
- Ian Holm as Richard Duke of Gloucester
- BBC Television Shakespeare Henry VI Part III (TV, UK, 1983)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- The War of the Roses (English Shakespeare Company) Henry VI â€" House of York (UK, 1990) is a direct filming, from the stage, of Michael Bogdanov and Michael Pennington's 7-play sequence based on Shakespeare's history plays. This play is formed from the later scenes of Shakespeare's Henry VI Part 2 and from Shakespeare's Henry VI Part 3.
Henry VIII
- BBC Television Shakespeare Henry VIII (TV, UK, 1979)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
King John
- BBC Television Shakespeare King John (TV, UK, 1984)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
Richard II
Performances
- An Age of Kings (UK, TV, Miniseries 1960)
- Michael Hayes director
- David William as Richard II
- Tom Fleming as Bolingbroke
- BBC Television Shakespeare Richard II (TV, UK, 1978)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- The War of the Roses (English Shakespeare Company) Richard II (UK, 1990) is a direct filming, from the stage, of Michael Bogdanov and Michael Pennington's 7-play sequence based on Shakespeare's history plays.
- Richard II (UK, TV, 1997)
- Deborah Warner director
- Fiona Shaw as Richard II
- Richard Bremner as Bolingbroke
- Graham Crowden as John of Gaunt
- Kevin McKidd as Hotspur
- Richard The Second (USA, 2001)
- John Farrell director
- Matte Osian as Richard
- The Hollow Crown Richard II (UK, TV, BBC2, 2012)
- Rupert Goold director
- Ben Whishaw as Richard II
- Rory Kinnear as Bolingbroke
- Patrick Stewart as John of Gaunt
Adaptations
- Chimes at Midnight (aka "Falstaff") (Switzerland/Spain, 1966) is an amalgamation of scenes from Richard II, Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2, Henry V and The Merry Wives of Windsor.
- Orson Welles director and as Falstaff
- Keith Baxter as Hal
- John Gielgud as Henry IV
Richard III
Performances
- Richard III (UK, 1955)
- Laurence Olivier director and as Richard
- John Gielgud as Clarence
- Ralph Richardson as Buckingham
- Claire Bloom as Lady Anne
- An Age of Kings (UK, TV, Miniseries 1960)
- Michael Hayes director
- Julian Glover as Edward IV
- Paul Daneman as Richard III
- Jerome Willis as Richmond
- The War of the Roses television miniseries 1965
- Directed by John Barton and Peter Hall
- Ian Holm as Richard III
- BBC Television Shakespeare Richard III (TV, UK, 1982)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- The War of the Roses (English Shakespeare Company) Richard III (UK, 1990)
- A direct filming, from the stage, of Michael Bogdanov and Michael Pennington's 7-play sequence based on Shakespeare's history plays.
- The Animated Shakespeare King Richard III (TV, Russia and UK, 1994)
- Natalia Orlova director
- Antony Sher as the voice of Richard
- Richard III (1995 film) (UK, 1995)
- Richard Loncraine director
- Ian McKellen as Richard
- Annette Bening as Elizabeth
- Nigel Hawthorne as Clarence
- Kristin Scott Thomas as Lady Anne
- Maggie Smith as the Duchess of York
- Richard III, 2008
Adaptations
- The Goodbye Girl (USA, 1977) contains scenes in which the Richard Dreyfuss character rehearses and performs Richard III.
- The first series of The Black Adder (TV, UK, 1983), written by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson, is a parody of Shakespeare's plays, particularly Macbeth, Richard III and Henry V.
- Looking for Richard (USA, 1996) is 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.
Romances
Pericles
- BBC Television Shakespeare Pericles, Prince of Tyre (TV, UK, 1984) (videotaped)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- Mike Gwylim as Pericles
- Edward Petherbridge as Gower
Cymbeline
- Cymbeline (USA, 1913)
- Lucius Henderson director
- William Russell as Cymbeline
- Florence La Badie as Imogen
- BBC Television Shakespeare Cymbeline (TV, UK, 1982)
- Elijah Moshinsky director
- Richard Johnson as Cymbeline
- Helen Mirren as Imogen
- Cymbeline (USA, 2014)
- Michael Almereyda director
- Ethan Hawke as Iachimo
- Ed Harris as Cymbeline
- Milla Jovovich as The Queen
- John Leguizamo as Pisanio
- Dakota Johnson as Imogen
The Winter's Tale
Performances
- BBC Television Shakespeare The Winter's Tale (TV, UK, 1980)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- The Animated Shakespeare The Winter's Tale (TV, Russia and UK, 1994)
- Stanislav Sokolov director
- Anton Lesser
- Jenny Agutter
- The Winter's Tale, a straight-to-video filming of the 1999 RSC Barbican production.
- Greg Doran director
- Antony Sher as Leontes
Adaptations
- RSC Production Casebook â€" The Winter's Tale a straight-to-video 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.
The Tempest
Performances
- The Tempest, (USA, 1911)
- Edwin Thanhouser director
- Hallmark Hall of Fame The Tempest (TV, USA, 1960) (videotaped)
- George Schaefer director
- Maurice Evans as Prospero
- Richard Burton as Caliban
- Lee Remick as Miranda
- Roddy McDowall as Ariel
- The Tempest (UK, 1979)
- Derek Jarman director
- Heathcote Williams as Prospero
- Toyah Willcox as Miranda
- "Stormy Weather" sung by Elisabeth Welch
- BBC Television Shakespeare The Tempest (TV, UK, 1980)(videotaped)
- Michael Hordern as Prospero
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- The Tempest (aka "The Shakespeare Collection") (TV/video, USA, 1983)
- William Woodman director
- Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Prospero
- The Animated Shakespeare The Tempest (TV, Russia and UK, 1992)
- Stanislav Sokolov director
- Timothy West as the voice of Prospero
- The Tempest, (USA, 2010)
- Julie Taymor director
- Helen Mirren as Prospera (The gender of main character Prospero was changed to Prospera so Mirren could take the role.)
- David Strathairn as King of Naples
- Djimon Hounsou as Caliban
- Russell Brand as Trinculo
- Alfred Molina as Stephano
- Ben Whishaw as Ariel
- Felicity Jones as Miranda
- Reeve Carney as Ferdinand
- Chris Cooper as Antonio
- Alan Cumming as Sebastian
- The Tempest (2010 Stratford Shakespeare Festival Production / video)
- Des McAnuff director
- Christopher Plummer as Prospero
- Julyana Soelistyo as Ariel
- Trish Lindstrom as Miranda
- Gareth Potter as Ferdinand
Adaptations
- Yellow Sky (USA, 1948)
- William A. Wellman director
- Gregory Peck as Stretch
- Forbidden Planet (USA, 1956)
- Fred M. Wilcox director
- Walter Pidgeon as Dr. Edward Morbius
- Anne Francis as Altaira 'Alta' Morbius
- Leslie Nielsen as Commander J. J. Adams
- Tempest (USA, 1982)
- Paul Mazursky director
- John Cassavetes as Phillip Dimitrious
- Molly Ringwald as Miranda
- Susan Sarandon as Aretha
- Raul Julia as Kalibanos
- Gena Rowlands as Antonia
- Prospero's Books (Netherlands, France, UK 1991) partial adaptation.
- Peter Greenaway director
- John Gielgud as Prospero
- Isabelle Pasco as Miranda
- The Tempest (USA, 1998)
- Jack Bender director
- Peter Fonda as Gideon Prosper
- Resan till Melonia (The journey to Melonia, Sweden-Norway, 1989. See http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resan_till_Melonia)
- Per Ã…hlin director, manuscript
- Karl Rasmusson manuscript
Other
Shakespeare as a character
- Shakespeare Writing 'Julius Caesar' (Silent Short, 1907) is the probable first appearance of Shakespeare as a character.
- William Shakespeare - His Life & Times (TV, UK, 1978) was a 6-part mini-series recounting Shakespeare's life in London. Produced by Cecil Clarke, directed by Mark Collingham and Robert Knights and written by John Mortimer. Tim Curry played Shakespeare, with Nicholas Clay as the Earl of Southampton, Patience Collier as Queen Elizabeth I and Ian McShane as Christopher Marlowe.
- Shakespeare in Love (UK, 1998) is a fictional love story about Shakespeare's romance with a noblewoman, at the time of writing Romeo and Juliet.
- John Madden director
- Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard screenwriters
- Joseph Fiennes as Will Shakespeare
- Gwyneth Paltrow as Viola De Lesseps
- Colin Firth as Lord Wessex
- Judi Dench as Queen Elizabeth I
- A Waste of Shame (UK, TV, 2005) is a dramatisation of Shakespeare's life at the time of writing the Sonnets.
- John McKay director
- Rupert Graves as Shakespeare
- Anna Chancellor as Anne Shakespeare
- Tom Sturridge as the Fair Youth (interpreted as William Herbert)
- Indira Varma as the Dark Lady (named Lucie)
- Andrew Tiernan as the Rival Poet (interpreted as Ben Jonson)
- Elizabeth Rex (Canada, 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 [1]
- Anonymous (United Kingdom, Germany, 2011) A fictional drama about the alleged authorship of Shakespeare's work.
- The Shakespeare Code is an episode of the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who, first screened on 7 April 2007. Dean Lennox Kelly plays the Bard in the story, set in 1599.
- Shakespeare makes cameo appearances in:
- Looking for Richard
- Blackadder: Back & Forth
- Histeria!
Acting Shakespeare
- To Be or Not To Be (USA, 1942) is the story of an acting company in 1939 Poland.
- Ernst Lubitsch director
- Shakespeare Wallah (India/USA, 1965) is the story of an acting company in India.
- James Ivory director
- Felicity Kendal as Lizzie
- Shashi Kapoor as Sanju
- Madhur Jaffrey as Manjula
- The Goodbye Girl (USA, 1977) contains scenes in which the Richard Dreyfuss character rehearses and performs Richard III.
- To Be or Not To Be is a remake of the Ernst Lubitsch film.
- Mel Brooks director
- The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story 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).
- Jack Bender director
- Dead Poets Society (USA, 1989) portrays a student (played by Robert Sean Leonard) who performs the role of Puck in a school production of A Midsummer's Night Dream against his father's wishes.
- In The Bleak Midwinter (aka "A Midwinter's Tale") (UK, 1996) tells the story of a group of actors performing Hamlet.
- Kenneth Branagh director
- Michael Maloney as Joe (Hamlet)
- Julia Sawalha as Nina (Ophelia)
- Looking for Richard (USA, 1996) is 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 â€" The Winter's Tale a straight-to-video 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.
- See also Shakespeare in Love above.
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, 1979â€"1984) began as two consecutive episodes of the UK arts series The South Bank Show, 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, Michael Pennington, Patrick Stewart, Ben Kingsley, David Suchet and Ian McKellen. The episodes were:
- The South Bank Show: 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 19??) was an American spin-off from Playing Shakespeare (above) in which John Barton directs notable American actors in Shakespeare scenes.
- The first series of The Black Adder (TV, UK, 1983), written by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson, is a parody of Shakespeare's plays, particularly Macbeth, Richard III and Henry V.
- Conjuring Shakespeare (TV, UK, 199?) was a series of half-hour documentaries hosted by Fiona Shaw, each episode dealing with scenes from a particular play.
- In Search of Shakespeare (TV, UK, 2003) was a BBC documentary series of four 1-hour episodes, chronicling the life of William Shakespeare, written and presented by Michael Wood.
- Slings and Arrows (TV, Canada, 2003â€"2006) was 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. With its entire run written by Susan Coyne, Bob Martin and Mark McKinney, directed by Peter Wellington, and starring Paul Gross, Martha Burns and Stephen Ouimette, it aired in three seasons of six 1-hour episodes each.
- Som & Fúria (TV, Brazil, 2009) is 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, 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 Two, Titus Andronicus, King Lear.
- Douglas Hickox director
- Vincent Price as Edward Lionheart
- Diana Rigg as Edwina Lionheart
- The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) by the Reduced Shakespeare Company 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 have released a number of videos in the "Great Performances" series, which contain excerpts from stage performances.
- The Lion In Winter (US, 1966). This play by James Goldman bears enough similarity to Shakespeare's Histories to warrant inclusion in this list. 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 & 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 as King Henry II
- Katharine Hepburn as Queen Eleanor
- Anthony Hopkins (in his motion picture debut) as Richard the Lionheart
- Nigel Terry as John
- Timothy Dalton (in his motion picture debut) as King Philip II
- The Simpsons Game (2007). He appears as a guard blocking the entrance to heaven from Homer and Bart. He was voiced by Maurice LaMarche.
- On 17 February 2015, AP News reported that the Stratford Shakespeare Festival plans to film all of Shakespeare's plays.
References
Further reading
- Brode, Douglas. "Shakespeare in the Movies: From the Silent Era to Today." (Oxford University Press, 2001).
- Buchanan, Judith. Shakespeare on Film. (Longman-Pearson, 2005). ISBN 978-0-582-43716-6.
- Buchanan, Judith. Shakespeare on Silent Film: An Excellent Dumb Discourse. (Cambridge University Press, 2009). ISBN 978-0-521-87199-0.
- Buhler, Stephen. "Shakespeare in the Cinema: Ocular Proof", (State University of New York Press, 2002).
- Burt, Richard. Unspeakable ShaXXXspeares: Queer Theory and American Kiddie Culture. Revised, paperback edition with a new preface. (New York: St. Martin's Press / London: Macmillan Press, 1999), xxvii. 318 pp.
- Burt, Richard, ed. Shakespeares After Shakespeare: An Encyclopedia of the Bard in Mass Media and Popular Culture. 2 vol. (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2006), viii; 862 pp.
- Burt, Richard, ed. Shakespeare After Mass Media. (New York and London: Palgrave, 2002).
- Burt, Richard and Lynda Boose, ed. Shakespeare, the Movie II: Popularizing the Plays on Film, TV, Video and DVD. (New York and London: Routledge Press, 2003), xi, 340 pp.
- Burt, Richard and Lynda Boose, ed. Shakespeare, the Movie: Popularizing the Plays on Film, TV, and Video. (New York and London: Routledge Press, 1997), ix, 280 pp. Korean translation, 2001.
- Jackson, Russell (ed.) "The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Film" (Cambridge University Press, 2000).
- McKernan, Luke and Olwen Terris, Ed. "WALKING SHADOWS: Shakespeare in the National Film and Television Archive" (BFI Publishing, 1994). A detailed listing of performances, adaptations and allusions to Shakespeare in film and on television.
- Olwen Terris, Eve-Marie Oesterlen and Luke McKernan (ed.) "Shakespeare on Film, Television and Radio: The Researcher's Guide" (London, BUFVC Publishing, 2009)
- Pitcaithly, Marcus. Shakespeare on Film: An Encyclopedia (2010; Kindle edition 2012):http://marcuspitcaithly.wix.com/marcus-pitcaithly#!books/cnec
- ^ Rothwell, Kenneth S. "Shakespeare in silence: from stage to screen." A History of Shakespeare on Screen. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 1999.
- Jackson, Russell. "Shakespeare Films in the Making: Vision, Production and Reception", (Cambridge University Press, 2007).
External links
- Internet Movie Database listing for William Shakespeare (writer)
- Shakespeare classics; 7 early film adaptations
- Bardolatry.com -- reviews of Shakespeare-on-film.
- ShakespeareFlix: Shakespeare Movie Resources
- An International Database of Shakespeare on Film, Television and Radio
- Shakespeare on Screen, An International Filmography and Videography