The first trailer for Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing shows the man can direct Shakespeare as well as superheroes

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Joss Whedon is talented. There, are you happy? I said it. The guy is not a hack and I never thought he was. Just because I am not an undying fan of FIREFLY or THE AVENGERS does not mean I don’t think the man behind them is not talented. But, I have always found that what made his work on BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER so good was the character development and the writing. So, despite the shock many had when he revealed his next film would be a low budget, black and white version of MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, I was not very surprised. Believe it or not, but Shakespeare is ideal for someone like Whedon.

Today we finally get a chance to see the trailer for MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, a play last filmed by Kenneth Branagh, and it is quite good. In fact, I will say right now that MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING has entered into my top ten to see in 2013.

For those of you who didn’t study the play in high school or college, here is the synopsis for one of Shakespeare’s best comedies:

Leonato (Clark Gregg), the governor of Messina, is visited by his friend Don Pedro (Reed Diamond), who is returning from a victorious campaign against his rebellious brother Don John (Sean Maher). Accompanying Don Pedro are two of his officers: Benedick (Alexis Denisof) and Claudio (Fran Kranz). While in Messina, Claudio falls for Leonato’s daughter Hero (Jillian Morgese), and Benedick verbally spars with Beatrice (Amy Acker), the governor’s niece. The budding love between Claudio and Hero prompts Don Pedro to arrange, with Leonato, their marriage. In the days leading up to the ceremony, Don Pedro, with the help of Leonato, Claudio and Hero, attempts to sport with Benedick and Beatrice in an effort to trick the two into falling in love. Meanwhile, the villainous Don John, with the help of his allies Conrade (Riki Lindhome) and Borachio (Spencer Treat Clark), plots against the happy couple, using his own form of trickery to try to destroy the marriage before it begins. A series of comic and tragic events may continue to keep the two couples from truly finding happiness, but then again perhaps love may prevail.

Starring a cast of Whedon alumni including Clark Gregg, Alexis Denisof, Nathan Fillion, Franz Kranz, and the still gorgeous Amy Acker, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING was filmed at Whedon’s own house in Santa Monica. Whedon wrote the screenplay for the updated version of Shakespeare’s play, which basically means he revised the existing text. This will prove to be an excellent experiment for Whedon, directing someone else’s words. I think this will be a major turning point for his detractors as a filmmaker.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING opens wide on June 21, 2013.