Anyone But You is based on Much Ado About Nothing and has become the highest-grossing live-action William Shakespeare adaption.

The film stars Sydney Sweeney (Bea) and Glen Powell (Ben) and is a hit, amassing $190M globally, Collider reports.

Anyone But You and Shakespeare

Its Shakespearian influence differs slightly, but many exist between the play and film. Shakespeare's play is about the first couple, Claudio and Hero. They're young lovebirds about to marry. As for Anyone But You, the characters Bea and Ben are directly from the play's second couple (although they go by their full names on stage as Beatrice and Benedick).

The film's official synopsis reads, “After an amazing first date, Bea and Ben's fiery attraction turns ice cold — until they find themselves unexpectedly reunited at a destination wedding in Australia. So they do what any two mature adults would do: pretend to be a couple.”

According to Shakespeare.org, the summary of Much Ado About Nothing states, “Count Claudio falls in love with Hero, the daughter of his host. Hero's cousin Beatrice (a confirmed spinster) and Benedict (an eternal bachelor) are each duped into believing the other is in love with them. Claudio is deceived by a malicious plot and denounces Hero as unchaste before they marry. She faints and is believed dead, but recovers, to be proved innocent by a chance discovery. Benedict wins Beatrice's love by defending her cousin's honor, and to his surprise, Claudio is reunited with Hero, who he believed dead.”

So…a bit different.

Some critics claim it shouldn't be even characterized as Shakespeare. “At the very least, it's not Shakespeare. It's not even 10 Things I Hate About You,” Thelma Adams wrote in her review for The Wrap.

It has mixed reviews, sitting at a 53% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes with an 87% audience score.

As for the film's success, it takes the winner's spot above other live-action adaptations of the famous playwright.

Romeo + Juliet (1996) brought in $147.6M, West Side Story (2021) made $76M, She's the Man (2006) earned $57M, and 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) made $53.5M. One thing to note is these are not adjusted for inflation.

So, at the end of the day, if Anyone But You is considered a Shakespeare film, it's hitting the right numbers to make it to the top. Still, it makes you wonder if William would consider this one of his own.