Anyone But You becomes highest-grossing live-action Shakespeare adaptation of all time

Anyone But You has not only redefined the rom-com genre in recent years but has also made some significant milestones along the way. This includes being one of the highest-grossing rom-coms in the past decades. But now, the film has also become the highest-grossing William Shakespeare adaptation of all time.

William Shakespeare's plays have long been used as inspiration for a lot of films and shows. But many fans did not know that Anyone But You was based on another Shakespeare play, primarily because it is based on a subplot of Much Ado About Nothing instead of following the primary storyline.

As of today, Anyone But You has earned a reported $189 million worldwide, surpassing Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, which was released in 1996 and earned over $147 million.

This is, however, only based on live-action Shakespeare adaptations. Lion King, which is based on Shakespeare's Hamlet, remains the highest-grossing adaptation, with over $968.4 million to its name.

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What is Anyone But You all about?

Anyone But You follows Bea and Ben's (played by Sydney Sweeney and Glenn Powell, respectively) love story as they initially have a good run of first dates but soon turn sour on each other before finding themselves in an unusual place.

The synopsis for the film reads:

"Despite having an amazing first date, Bea and Ben's initial attraction quickly turns sour. When they unexpectedly find themselves at a destination wedding in Australia, the pair pretend to be the perfect couple to keep up appearances."

The film is based on Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, but it does not follow the primary plot involving Claudio and Hero, the couple at the center of the play. Instead, it focuses on two side characters, Beatrice and Benedick, who are absolutely repelled by marriage despite having a mutual spark.

The secondary plot, which also packs a lot of laughs in Shakespeare's play, sees a series of funny tricks that their friends play to make them fall in love. The main characters in the Will Gluck film are also named after Beatrice and Benedick.

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What are the other high-grossing Shakespeare adaptations?

Among the other live-action adaptations, Romeo+Juliet, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes, was the highest-earning live-action film based on the works of Shakespeare. Adjusting for inflation, the film may as well be the highest-grossing Shakespeare adaptation of all time.

2021's West Side Story is the next highest-earning live-action adaptation, with a net gross of $76 million. She's the Man, and 10 Things I Hate About You follow close by.

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Anyone But You is also set for a digital release soon. A streaming date is also expected to be announced soon.