Shakespeare 4 Kidz News

By Jenni Miller

Remember the must-have study guides "SparkNotes" and their ilk? Well, the big screen is about to get its own shorthand Shakespeare treatment — musical numbers and all. According to Variety, the Shakespeare 4 Kidz theater company is putting their mind and their money towards six musical adaptations of the Bard's greatest works, starting with "Hamlet" in 3D. The series, which will include some of Shakespeare's greatest and most popular works (like "Romeo and Juliet," "Macbeth," and "A Midsummer's Night Dream") is aiming for lovers of the "High School Musical" and "Harry Potter" type of films.

S4K promises, "Not only will the story of Hamlet be told in a unique and exciting way, but the addition of the latest 3D technology brings added excitement to cinema audiences: a ghost that hovers in front of your eyes, cannon-fire that flies into the auditorium and a final sword-fight that seems to literally be all around you."

In addition to these modern movie treatments, the film company behind the series, Elsinore Films, is creating a TV series called "Movie Quest — A Romeo 4 Juliet," which will be a reality competition show about finding undiscovered talent to play the star-crossed lovers.

No word on who will star in the 3-D version of "Hamlet" yet, but our money is on Shia LaBeouf; he's got the dark and tortured thing down pat.

Is this a fair treatment of the Bard's work, or a fun way to get people interested in Shakespeare? Who would you cast as Hamlet?

See the original article on the MTV website

FROM LATINO REVIEW.COM

By Genevieve M. Blaber "ScarletScribe" on August 14, 2009      

Sometimes you love two insanely different things only to discover that together they make the perfect combo -- think, peanut butter and chocolate. And that's how I hope things will turn out now that Mark Thomas from Elsinore Films has announced he'll be combining the musical with Shakespeare and -- yes, I cannot believe it -- 3-D.

With an intent to target the younger audiences that go crazy for High School Musical and Harry Potter, Thomas plans to adapt six of Shakespeare's plays into 3-D musicals, starting with none other than the classic "Hamlet" and moving on to other well-known works like "Macbeth," "Romeo and Juliet," and "Twelfth Night."

Frankly, the idea of a distraught Hamlet thrusting Yorick's skull into the faces of audience members amuses me to no end. But for those of you who remain a tad skeptical about bringing the words of a long-dead playwright to 3-D musical life, I'd like to remind you that -- for all of their classic lines and lofty themes -- Shakespeare's plays were about titillating the audience. Ghosts, swordfights, gender bending, were par for the course, and if anything the musical infusion will help liven up the extensive monologues that not every person can stand.

Thomas won't be starting from scratch though. Instead he'll be working off of the musical versions that Shakespeare 4 Kidz, a U.K. theater company, created. John Godber is set to direcct, and in the meantime Elsinore Films will also be shooting a TV show to cast for the roles of Romeo and Juliet in one of the forthcoming adaptations. The title of the show? Movie Quest -- A Romeo 4 Juliet.

See the original article at LATINOREVIEW.COM

Are you tired of 3-D movies only alternating between cartoon animals and violent killers?

How about something a little more, sophisticated? Well, you’re in luck, because Elsinore Films’ Mark Thomas is producing a 3-D musical version of HAMLET that is supposed to be aimed at the HARRY POTTER and HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL audiences.

Thomas is actually adapting six Shakespeare plays to 3-D film, and the rest include MACBETH, ROMEO AND JULIET, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, TWELFTH NIGHT and THE TEMPEST. The films have rather modest budgets ($10M for the first three), but will be distributed globally once they’re all finished within the next 18 months or so.

I’m just curious as to how you adapt these movies for teens. Instead of the massive killing spree at the end of HAMLET, do they just settle things with a pick-up basketball game in the banquet hall? Instead of the double-suicide at the end of ROMEO AND JULIET, does the couple do a song and dance number to show their families they belong together?

Alright, I’ve just convinced myself that this project is awesome.

See the original article on the Joblo website

Posted: August 13th, 2009 by WorstPreviews.com Staff

Elsinore Films is producing a 3-D musical "Hamlet" targeting the "Harry Potter" and "High School Musical" market. The movie will be the first of six adaptations of William Shakespeare's plays, based on musical versions created by UK theater company Shakespeare 4 Kidz.

The other five pics in the series are "Macbeth," "Romeo and Juliet," "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Twelfth Night" and "The Tempest." The first three films will be made for $7 million and will be produced back to back over 18 months. Lensing will take place in Canada and the UK.

"Hamlet" lends itself to a 3-D treatment. The producers hope to include a ghost that hovers in front of the audience's eyes, cannon fire that flies into the auditorium and a sword fight that appears to happen all around viewers.

Source: Variety

See the original on worstpreviews.com by clicking here