6. Romeo Must Die (2000)
Based on: Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is widely considered the most romantic story ever told. The tale of two star-crossed lovers has endured centuries and remains relevant even today, so it’s no surprise that Hollywood regularly borrows its story for inspiration. However, Romeo Must Die took it just a little too far.
What makes Romeo Must Die one of the weirdest movie adaptations of Shakespeare is not a single element, but rather an accumulation of things. The first being that the two title characters aren’t members of rival families, but are respectively associated with Chinese and African-American gangs. The Romeo character is played by Jet Li, while the Juliet character is played by Aaliyah. An unexpected couple, to be sure.
The final piece of the puzzle is that Romeo Must Die is not particularly romantic, but rather incredibly violent. Its status as an action/martial arts movie seems particularly odd considering its source material, but it makes it work. Jet Li and Aaliyah also make a surprisingly convincing couple, making Romeo Must Die an unexpectedly compelling (but bizarre) adaptation of Shakespeare.