When it comes to playwright William Shakespeare, it's fair to assume that almost everyone has heard of his greatest hits. Plays like Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet, and Macbeth are frequently studied in high schools around the world. Even those who've avoided those works at school are likely to run into film adaptations because those three tragedies seem to be the ones that most frequently get adapted into movies.

RELATED: The Best Movies That Adapt Shakespeare's 'Hamlet,' Ranked by IMDb Score

They're far from the only Shakespeare plays worthy of being adapted into films, though. Shakespeare himself wrote dozens of plays throughout his life, with many having less frequent film adaptations than his three big plays. Branching genres from tragedy to historical drama to romantic-comedy, these movies are all based on Shakespeare plays that aren't Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet, or Macbeth, yet are all still worth checking out.

10 'Titus' (1999)

titus-anthony-hopkins
Image via Fox Searchlight Pictures

Titus Andronicus was one of Shakespeare's first tragedies, telling a story as intense and gripping as his more well-known ones. It's about a Roman General named Titus and a woman who's out for revenge against him and was adapted into a great (and underrated) film in 1999, simply called Titus.

It has an interesting style, feeling post-modern with aspects of its presentation while also being faithful to the play's narrative and dialogue. It benefits from some great performances (especially Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange in the lead roles) and is a remarkably stylish, ferociously brutal, and well-paced film, making it among the best Shakespeare film adaptations of all time and ultimately deserving of more attention.

9 'Henry V' (1989)

Henry V - 1989

Kenneth Branagh is no stranger to Shakespeare, as he's adapted the playwright's work to film several times. His best-known Shakespeare adaptation is likely the mammoth four-hour 1996 version of Hamlet he directed and starred in, but his best adaptation might be Henry V (which he also directed and starred in).

As a play, Henry V is a historical drama about the titular king and mostly focuses on his involvement in The Hundred Years' War during the early 1400s. Branagh's take on the play is an exciting and largely faithful adaptation, condensing a fairly complex story with many characters into a 137-minute movie that's surprisingly easy to digest and enjoy, even for those not familiar with the original play.

8 'Chimes at Midnight' (1966)

chimes-at-midnight-falstaff-orson-welles
Image via Peppercorn-Wormser Film Enterprises

Decades before Branagh made his name for adapting Shakespeare's plays into movies, the great Orson Welles also went through a bit of a Shakespeare phase. Chimes at Midnight isn't his only film based on the playwright's work, but it might be his most interesting and unique, as its screenplay contains text from five different plays, whereas most adaptions are content to just adapt one.

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It's a somewhat comedic take on the character of Sir John Falstaff, who appears in numerous Shakespeare plays (the main reason for Chimes at Midnight adapting more than one play). This makes it an interesting and quite unpredictable movie, and even if it's not super well-known, it was a film that Welles — its director and star — was greatly proud of.

7 'Coriolanus' (2011)

Coriolanus sitting down while surrounded by soldiers in Coriolanus.
Image via Lionsgate

2011's Coriolanus takes an interesting approach to adapting the Shakespeare play of the same name. It follows the real-life historical figure Caius Marcius Coriolanus, who was a Roman general banished from Rome and later led a revolt against the Empire of Rome by siding with the Volsci, an old Italic tribe who were opposed to Roman rule.

For the 2011 adaptation, however, the setting is changed drastically, as it's given a contemporary update — being set during modern times — while maintaining the narrative of the original play. It's also notable for being the directorial debut of Ralph Fiennes, who pulls double duty by also acting in the titular role.

6 'Richard III' (1995)

Richard III - 1995

The 1995 film adaptation of Richard III is quite a radical departure from the original play. The premise still revolves around the titular character (played masterfully by Sir Ian McKellen) attempting to usurp a throne and the consequences that befall him as a result, but instead of taking place in the late 1400s, the action in 1995's Richard III takes place in an alternate 1930s Britain.

This being one of many Shakespeare adaptations set in a different time and place than originally intended speaks to the timelessness of the plots and themes the great playwright tackled during his career. Also worth noting is how Richard III was one of Shakespeare's longest plays, with this adaptation's runtime of only 104 minutes making it even more radical, given how much it cuts down and condenses the original play.

5 'Much Ado About Nothing' (2012)

Much Ado About Nothing - 2012

Much Ado About Nothing is one of Shakespeare's better-known comedies. However, given that his tragedies have endured to a greater extent in the public consciousness, it still doesn't have many movie adaptations. One of the best-known is this 2012 version, which takes the farcical story surrounding two sets of romantic partners and places it in a modern setting (though the language remains old-fashioned).

It's also notable for being filmed in black and white and having the play's action take place in and around a single house for much of the runtime. It's a breezy and largely enjoyable adaptation, with a charming cast and a generally easygoing atmosphere that reflects the comedic, lighthearted play well.

4 'Ran' (1985)

Ran - 1985
Image via Toho

Even though he never won an Oscar for Best Picture, Akira Kurosawa is undoubtedly one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. He also made some of the best Shakespeare film adaptations of all time, including 1957's Throne of Blood (Macbeth) and the even great Ran (1985), which is an adaptation of King Lear set in Japan during the 1500s.

RELATED: Underrated Movies Directed by Akira Kurosawa

Admittedly, with the acclaimed TV show Succession taking inspiration from the same Shakespearean play, King Lear might be having something of a resurgence in popularity. However, Ran remains the play's most complete and compelling adaptation on screen (for now). It's beautifully filmed and excellently acted, and a shining example of how to take one of Shakespeare's stories and dramatically reshape it in a way that's equal parts radical and respectful.

3 'Julius Caesar' (1953)

Julius Caesar - 1953

The titular character of Julius Caesar may be well-known, though the play itself (the full title being The Tragedy of Julius Caesar) isn't one of Shakespeare's most widely adapted. Inspired by real events, it depicts the assassination plot against Caesar and the ensuing civil war in Rome that erupts as a result of what happens to its leader.

It's notable for being one of the earliest lead roles of Marlon Brando (just two years after his breakout performances in A Streetcar Named Desire) and also for being a surprisingly complete adaptation, despite its relatively brief runtime of two hours. The plot may be well-known, but the play itself is underrated as far as film adaptations go, making this 1953 version well worth checking out for fans of Shakespeare or Brando.

2 'My Own Private Idaho' (1991)

Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix standing behind him in My Own Private Idaho
Image via New Line Cinema

My Own Private Idaho takes a radical, somewhat freeform approach to the works of Shakespeare, as it takes material from more than one play (much like Chimes of Midnight a quarter of a century earlier). It also feels very much unlike a typical Shakespearean work, as it's set in modern times and largely focuses on two friends and their travels from Oregon to Idaho, then overseas.

Some scenes feel decidedly more Shakespearean than others, and while this may take some getting used to, it does make for a genuinely unique film-watching experience. It also helps that My Own Private Idaho features strong performances from the late River Phoenix and a young Keanu Reeves in the lead roles.

1 'Forbidden Planet' (1956)

Robot and crew on a planet

While the science-fiction tropes and setting might make Forbidden Planet look about as far from Shakespeare as you can get, it does serve as a very loose adaptation of The Tempest. Each takes place in a remote location — an island in The Tempest and a distant planet in Forbidden Planet - and features characters who serve similar purposes in the narrative.

Even putting the setting aside, it's still far from a clearcut adaptation of The Tempest, but there are enough similarities to argue it's more than just inspired by Shakespeare's play. And seeing as The Tempest doesn't have as many well-known film adaptations as some of Shakespeare's other plays, Forbidden Planet ultimately stands out as one of its better-known film versions, even if it's a looser than usual adaptation.

KEEP READING: From 'Romeo + Juliet' to 'West Side Story': Comparing Classic vs. Contemporary Shakespeare Interpretations