Much Ado About Nothing

Much Ado About Nothing is a modern-dress adaptation of William Shakespeare's comedy, written and directed by Joss Whedon. The story centres on two very different couples in the household of Leonato, governor of Messina. Benedick and Beatrice trade barbs and both claim to scorn marriage, while Claudio and Hero are quietly devoted to each other and plan to wed. Don Pedro and his companions, returning from a victorious conflict, become involved in the romantic manoeuvring, and Don John's scheming threatens to derail the match between Claudio and Hero. The cast includes Amy Acker as Beatrice, Alexis Denisof as Benedick, Fran Kranz as Claudio, Clark Gregg as Leonato, Reed Diamond as Don Pedro and Nathan Fillion as Dogberry, with 22 credited roles in all.

The film followed Whedon's Serenity and The Avengers in his directing career, and he wrote and produced it with Kai Cole. It was made for a modest budget and took about 4 million dollars worldwide, a limited return consistent with a small-scale production. Audience responses were favourable, with a rating of 7 on IMDb from around 17,000 votes and 6.8 on TMDB from roughly 294 votes. Critics were warmer still, giving it 7.7 from 176 reviews, placing it above the audience scores and suggesting the film was better received by reviewers than by the general public.