Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

William Shakespeare's 450th birthday: 10 films you never knew were based on his plays

From 10 Things I Hate About You to Warm Bodies and The Lion King

Jess Denham
Thursday 24 April 2014 02:14 BST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Today is the 450th anniversary of William Shakespeare's birth and celebrations are taking place around the world.

But if attending one of his plays or visiting Stratford-upon-Avon is a step too far for you, there are always the films based loosely on his work (see below).

While many of us know and love Shakespeare's canon, others are less keen on the likes of King Lear and Henry V.

What a lot of movie fans don't know is that some of their favourite films are directly inspired by Shakespeare's famous plays.

Simba's character in Disney's The Lion King bears strong similarities to Hamlet, while Heath Ledger in 10 Things I Hate About You has more than a hint of The Taming of the Shrew's Petruchio about him.

Predictably, Romeo and Juliet has been adapted numerous times for the big screen, but who knew Shakespeare's tragic tale of star-crossed lovers would morph into a romantic zombie flick?

READ MORE: RORY KINNEAR: MY LIFE ON STAGE WITH SHAKESPEARE
WHY I'VE TWEETED A LINE OF SHAKESPEARE EVERY 10 MINUTES FOR FIVE YEARS
WILLIAM SHAKESPARE: WALK STRATFORD-UPON-AVON TO THE GLOBE

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in