Of course, Benedick is a vampire and Beatrice has superpowers. But this is insanely cool nonetheless:
The Wrap has the exclusive story:
“Joss Whedon has directed, adapted, cast and filmed an entire movie — an adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” — in secret, TheWrap has learned.
Whedon, who created “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel” and wrote and directed Marvel’s upcoming “The Avengers,” wrote and directed the movie, an individual close to the project told TheWrap Sunday night.
On Sunday night, a website appeared announcing that Whedon’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” which it says is “based on a play,” has completed principal photography. Two people close to the project confirmed that Whedon had indeed filmed a secret movie, and only announced it on Sunday night.
The independent film doesn’t yet have distribution.
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.
As I have mentioned elsewhere in these pages, the 1993 version of The Bard’s comedy, directed by Kenneth Branagh, and starring Branagh and Emma Thompson, is one of my favorite-ever Shakespearean plays. It’ll be interesting to see how Whedon treats the source material and where he sets it.
Read the full story here.
The Cineaste's Lament. 