Shakespeare by Any Other Name | Movie Adaptations of Romeo and Juliet

Arguably the most popular and well-known adaptation, West Side Story is set in 1950s New York, where rival gangs: the white, working-class Jets and Puerto Rican Sharks, fill their spare time fighting each other.

One of the Jets, Tony, sees Maria at a local dance and falls madly in love with her. There’s just one problem: Maria is the sister of Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks. Meanwhile, the Jets and the Sharks are planning a ‘rumble’, in which they will determine, once and for all, which gang is better.

Maria and Tony plan to run away and get married. However, when Tony tries to stop the fight between the gangs, all hell breaks lose. Riff, his friend, is stabbed by Bernardo and, in a fit of rage, Tony kills Bernardo.

Later, Bernardo’s girlfriend, Anita, tells the Jets that Maria has been killed by Chino, the young man who would be Maria’s suitor. Devastated, Tony goes to confront Chino and, as he comes face-to-face with the still very much alive Maria, he is shot and killed by Chino.

Executive produced by Elton John, Gnomeo and Juliet is quaint twist on the tragic lovers' tale, that takes place in two neighboring gardens.

The gnomes of the Montague and Capulet gardens are at war, but this doesn’t stop Gnomeo from falling pointed blue hat over heels in love with Juliet.

The sweet tale is comedic and, unlike its namesake, does not include any death. Instead, the writers of Gnomeo and Juliet have opted for a child-friendly, happy ending.

The first Lion King film was based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, when it came to the sequel, they choose Romeo and Juliet.

In The Lion King 2, Simba’s cub, Kiara, has inherited her dad's sense of adventure and, against her his instructions, leaves the Pridelands.

There, a group of lions, who have remained loyal to Scar are plotting their revenge. The leader, Zira, plans to use her cub, Kovu, to destroy Simba. However, Kovu and Kiara meet and....yes, you've guessed it: fall in love.

As Romeo and Juliet adaptations go, this one should not be taken too seriously. A comic twist on Shakespeare's original, the film revolves around two warring families, who run rival Italian restaurants, which operate on opposite sides of the Bronx.

Starring Angelina Jolie, Lainie Kazan and Joy Behar, Love Is All There Is is not the most well-known nor, perhaps, the best adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, but is still worth a look.