Celebrated since 1961, the World Theater Day remembers the importance of valuing the 5th art. Plays are used as inspiration for music, artwork, dance and films.
The film industry frequently makes adaptations and takes successes from the stage to the big screen that go beyond their original formats. See some of them!
Two Popes
Released in 2019, the film was inspired by the play “The Pope”, by Anthony McCarten, who was also the production's screenwriter. The film follows discussions between Argentine Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce) and Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins), which address sensitive issues for the Catholic Church in the 21st century.
Directed by Brazilian Fernando Meirelles, the film was nominated for four Golden Globes and three Oscars in 2020. The film is available to watch on Netflix.
Moonlight: Under the Moonlight
The 2016 film was inspired by the play “In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue”, by Tarell Alvin McCraney. The film follows the life of Chiron, a character who explores the difficulties of the process of recognizing his own identity and sexuality.
“Moonlight” won the Oscar for “Best Adapted Screenplay”, “Best Supporting Actor” and “Best Film”, as well as the Golden Globe for “Best Drama Film”, and dozens of other awards. It is available on Prime Vídeo, ClaroTV+ and Vivo Play.
The Auto da Compadecida
Based on the play “Auto da Compadecida”, by Ariano Suassuna, the film was released in 2000 and stars Matheus Nachtergaele, Selton Mello and Marco Nanini.
In the plot, northeasterners João Grilo and Chicó are poor people who live off scams to survive. They are always deceiving the people of a small village, including the feared bandit Severino de Aracaju, who pursues them throughout the region.
The film is on Globoplay and Vivo Play.
Tick, Tick… Boom!
The film is based on the musical of the same name by Jonathan Larson, also creator of the musical “Rent”. The author of the play wrote an autobiography about the difficulties in creating his first work, “Superbia”.
In the film, the cast includes Andrew Garfield, Vanessa Hudgens and Alexandra Shipp, who follow the story of Jon, an aspiring play writer and waiter in New York who dreams of having a text adapted for Broadway.
The production is available on Netflix.
10 Things I Hate About You
“The Taming of the Shrew”, by Shakespeare, was the play that inspired the novel released on the big screen in 1999. In the plot, Bianca Stratford has to wait for her sister Kat to get a boyfriend so she can go out with boys. The youngest then tries to get a boy to go out with Kat to get her freedom.
The names of the two characters are the same as the originals of Shakespeare's play, written in 1594, in addition to several references to the work throughout the film. You can watch “10 Things I Hate About You” on Disney+.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m Robert Neff, a professional writer and editor. I specialize in the entertainment section, providing up-to-date coverage on the latest developments in film, television and music. My work has been featured on World Stock Market and other prominent publications.
