Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
90%RT Audience Score: 86%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
5 wins & 11 nominations total
Kenneth Branagh’s love for the material is contagious in this exuberant adaptation.
Much Ado About Nothing is a movie that will make you laugh, cry, and maybe even fall in love with Shakespeare. With a talented cast and Branagh’s expert direction, this film is a gem that shines despite its flaws. Emma Thompson may not be at her best as Beatrice, but the rest of the actors more than make up for it with their spirited performances. And let’s not forget the music, which is simply enrapturing. So if you’re looking for a movie that’s both intelligent and fun, look no further than Much Ado About Nothing.
Production Company(ies)
London Film Productions,
Distributor
Columbia Tristar, Argentina Video Home
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Villa Vignamaggio, Greve in Chianti, Florence, Tuscany, Italy
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for momentary sensuality
Year of Release
1993
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Stereo
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 50m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): May 7, 1993 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 7, 2003
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Denzel Washington, Keanu Reeves, Michael Keaton, Kate Beckinsale, Robert Sean Leonard, directed by Kenneth Branagh, written by Kenneth Branagh, William Shakespeare, comedy, box office performance, budget, reviewed by David Denby, Stanley Kauffmann, Adam Mars-Jones, Variety Staff, Owen Gleiberman, Todd McCarthy, Michael Dwyer
Worldwide gross: $22,549,338
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $46,840,729
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,365
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 5,108,040
US/Canada gross: $22,549,338
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $46,840,729
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,103
US/Canada opening weekend: $108,617
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $225,625
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,621
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $11,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $22,849,807
Production budget ranking: 1,300
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $12,304,621
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $11,686,301
ROI to date (est.): 33%
ROI ranking: 1,230
Emma Thompson – Beatrice
Denzel Washington – Don Pedro of Aragon
Keanu Reeves – Don John
Michael Keaton – Constable Dogberry
Robert Sean Leonard – Count Claudio of Florence
Director(s)
Kenneth Branagh
Writer(s)
Kenneth Branagh, William Shakespeare
Producer(s)
Kenneth Branagh, Stephen Evans, David Parfitt
Film Festivals
South by Southwest, Toronto
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
5 wins & 11 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (49) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (44) | Rotten (5)
Much Ado About Nothing is one of the few movies of recent years that could leave its audiences weeping with joy.
December 31, 2019
David Denby
New York Magazine/Vulture
TOP CRITIC
Doyle’s enrapturing music and Branagh’s cinematic grip of the play–inventive, lithe, somehow Shakespearean–are splendid. This Much Ado is a flawed gem. Certainly, regrettably, flawed; still, a gem.
January 5, 2018
Stanley Kauffmann
The New Republic
TOP CRITIC
Emma Thompson is normally a very reliable performer on screen, but Beatrice is not one of her successes.
November 16, 2017
Adam Mars-Jones
Independent (UK)
TOP CRITIC
A spirited, winningly acted rendition of one of the Bard’s most popular comedies.
February 23, 2012
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
[Branagh] has found his way to the play’s profound yet populist heart, rediscovering Shakespeare’s vision of romantic fulfillment – celebration with an underlying tug of sadness – for an era that believes itself all too wise to the ways of love.
September 7, 2011 | Rating: A-
Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
Continuously enjoyable from its action-filled opening to the dazzling final shot…
July 2, 2008
Todd McCarthy
Variety
TOP CRITIC
What a piece of work is this.
February 19, 2019
Michael Dwyer
Irish Times
Imaginative, intelligent, and brilliantly filmed, Branagh’s Much Ado… is likely to make many people-especially the young-understand that Shakespeare can be vital, interesting, moving, and fun.
August 14, 2018
Anne Barton
The New York Review of Books
Very accessible, jubilant Shakespeare with brief bawdiness.
April 4, 2012 | Rating: 4/5
Carrie R. Wheadon
Common Sense Media
Branagh’s highly entertaining and accessible take on one of the Bard’s zestiest comedies. [Blu-ray]
May 8, 2011 | Rating: 3.5/4
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews
November 20, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com
Although Kenneth Branagh’s interpretation does much to make Shakespeare’s play comprehensible, it ultimately fails to create any kind of enduring watchability.
May 3, 2007 | Rating: 70/100
Rachel Sanders
Apollo Guide…
Plot
Young lovers Hero (Kate Beckinsale) and Claudio (Robert Sean Leonard) are to be married in one week. To pass the time, they conspire with Don Pedro (Denzel Washington) to set a “lover’s trap” for Benedick (Sir Kenneth Branagh), an arrogant confirmed bachelor, and Beatrice (Dame Emma Thompson), his favorite sparring partner. Meanwhile, the evil Don Jon (Keanu Reeves) conspires to break up the wedding by accusing Hero of infidelity. In the end, though, it all turns out to be “much ado about nothing”.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Michael Keaton’s portrayal of Constable Dogberry is considered by many to be the definitive portrayal of the character.
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