Joss Whedon, who’s supposed to be directing The Avengers right now, recently announced the completion of a separate movie, a film adaptation of Much Ado about Nothing that he shot in secret. So I guess directing a huge-budget comic book movie isn’t that hard after all. I would have a witty joke for what a Whedon Shakespeare movie might look like all set to go, but I’ve never read that play or seen anything that Joss Whedon has ever done. So far I just have Hamlet farting on a skull while a dog covers its eyes with its paws. Am I close?
Joss Whedon has directed, adapted, cast and filmed an entire movie — an adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” — in secret.
Whedon wrote and directed the movie. Actors include Sean Maher, who starred on Whedon’s “Firefly” and in his 2005 movie “Serenity;” Fran Kranz, who stars in “The Cabin in the Woods,” which Whedon wrote and is producing; “Castle,” “Firefly” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” star Nathan Fillion and “Angel” and “Cabin” star Amy Acker. Spencer Treat Clark and Jillian Morgese, newcomers to Whedon’s projects, also star.
The play is a comedy about two sets of lovers. The fast-talking Benedick and Beatrice banter cynically while the sweet young Claudio and Hero are so in love they can barely speak. Benedick and Beatrice get tricked into proclaiming their love for eachother while Claudio is fooled into rejecting Hero at the altar. But the scheme is foiled and the two couples wed. [TheWrap]
And here’s the word from the film’s official site:
Shot in glorious black and white by Jay Hunter, filmed in just 12 days entirely on location in exotic Santa Monica, the film features a stellar cast of beloved (or soon to be beloved) actors – some of them veterans of Shakespearean theater, some completely new to the form. But all dedicated to the idea that this story bears retelling, that this dialogue is as fresh and intoxicating as any being written, and that the joy of working on a passion project surrounded by dear friends, admired colleagues and an atmosphere of unabashed rapture far outweighs their hilariously miniature paychecks. [Source]
Joss Whedon does Shakespeare? My God, it’s like they’re practically daring me not to care.
“Lovers of fine esoterica rejoice! It’s a steampunk retelling of Jane Austen’s most obscure novel! Shot entirely in a futuristic vernacular invented by Nathan Fillion and Neil Patrick Harris! Your friends will be confused, impressed, jealous! And remember, watching this is the first step towards being able to say you watched it! THINK OF THE INSIDE JOKES!”