Williaam Shakespeare
Image courtesy of youtube.com

William Shakespeare is arguably the best playwright of all time, and the Guinness Book of World Records claims his works have been featured in more movies than any other works in history Taking in well over a billion dollars at the box office.

Time reports Hamlet is the most adapted play for movies, with 79 versions in circulation. There are also 52 different versions of Romeo and Juliet and 36 Macbeths. These are the top ten most successful films based off of or inspired by the work of Shakespeare at the box office, though they are not adjusted for inflation :
1.The Lion King (1994), based on Hamlet, earned $987.5 million
2.Romeo + Juliet (1996), based on Romeo and Juliet, earned $147.6 million
3.Shakespeare in Love (1998), based on N/A, $100.3 million
4.She’s the Man (2006), based on Twelfth Night, $57 million
5.10 Things I Hate About You (1999), based on The Taming of the Shrew, $53.5 million
6.West Side Story (1961), based on Romeo and Juliet, $43.7 million
7.Romeo and Juliet (1968), based on Romeo and Juliet, $38.9 million
8.Much Ado About Nothing (1993), based on Much Ado About Nothing, $36 million
9.Deliver Us From Eva (2003), based on The Taming of the Shrew, $22.5 million
10.Hamlet (1990), based on Hamlet, $22.3 million