The spicy rom-com Anyone But You based on ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ has become the highest-grossing Shakespeare adaption in film history.
Anyone But You quickly became a sleeper hit for Sony Pictures in the global box office, grossing $190 million despite mixed reviews. The film, which stars Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney, graces audiences with a splendid duo, who quickly shift from lovers to enemies to lovers again.
While Shakespeare’s famous play focuses on Claudio and Hero, a young couple who fall in love and plan to elope, Anyone But You bases its setting on the secondary plot that involves Beatrice and Benedick, who are both outspoken, witty, and swear off marrying. Throughout the narrative, in a series of cunning tricks and humourous bouts played by their friends, they are made to fall in love together, which is a key plot of the film.
The film is not subtle about its basis, making multiple references from the play via direct quotes, and the character names are Bea and Ben. It has become a major success, beating Romeo + Juliet (1996), West Side Story (2021), She’s the Man (2006), and 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) in the competition of the highest-grossing Shakespeare adaption. However, this does not include The Lion King (2019), which draws major parallels to The Tragedy of Halmet, Prince of Denmark.
As of the time of this post, the movie sits in the 50% range on popular aggregator Rotten Tomatoes but has captivated audiences, earning a score in the high 80% range.
Anyone But You was released in theaters on December 22, 2023. It stars Glen Powell, Sydney Sweeney, Alexandra Shipp, GaTa, Hadley Robinson, Michelle Hurd, Dermot Mulroney, Darren Barnet, Bryan Brown, and Rachel Griffiths.