"containing his treacherous plots against his brother Clarence, the pittiefull murther of his innocent nephewes, his tyrannicall usurpation, with the whole course of his detested life and most deserved death" (Subtitle of the 1597 edition.)
Adaptations (8)
Richard III has been adapted 8 times, across film and television film, from 1912 to 2025. The most recent is No Beast. So Fierce (2025).
Richard III1912 · film · 55 min · dir. André Calmettes, James Keane · IMDb ↗IMDb5.7Shakespeare's tragedy of the wicked and hump-backed Duke of Gloucester, who rises to the throne of England by chicanery, treachery, and brilliance.
Richard III1955 · film · 161 min · dir. Laurence Olivier · IMDb ↗Having helped his brother King Edward IV take the throne of England, the jealous hunchback Richard, Duke of Gloucester, plots to seize power for himself. Masterfully deceiving and plotting against nearly everyone in the royal court, including his eventual wife, Lady Anne, and his brother George, Duke of Clarence, Richard orchestrates a bloody rise to power before finding all his gains jeopardized by those he betrayed.
Richard III1973 · television film · 95 min · dir. György Fehér · IMDb ↗IMDb7.6Having helped his brother King Edward IV take the throne of England, the jealous hunchback Richard, Duke of Gloucester, plots to seize power for himself. Masterfully deceiving and plotting against nearly everyone in the royal court, including his eventual wife, Lady Anne, and his brother George, Duke of Clarence, Richard orchestrates a bloody rise to power before finding all his gains jeopardized by those he betrayed.
Richard III1995 · film · 104 min · dir. Richard Loncraine · IMDb ↗Having helped his brother King Edward IV take the throne of England, the jealous hunchback Richard, Duke of Gloucester, plots to seize power for himself. Masterfully deceiving and plotting against nearly everyone in the royal court, including his eventual wife, Lady Anne, and his brother George, Duke of Clarence, Richard orchestrates a bloody rise to power before finding all his gains jeopardized by those he betrayed.
Richard III2008 · film · dir. Scott Anderson · IMDb ↗IMDb6.1"Now is the winter of our discontent..." With these timeless words, Duke Richard - lounging on his sun deck - sets his murderous plans in motion. His goal: to eliminate the hated rival Lancaster dynasty, and reign as undisputed king. Standing between him and the throne are his brothers Clarence and King Edward, his nephews the Princes, his bitter adversary Queen Elizabeth, and a host of enemies, rivals, and dubious allies. In the Los Angeles of "Shakespeare's Richard III", violence is the norm: every member of the nobility expects to kill or be killed, according to the code duel lo. They prefer death before dishonor. The women in this society are just as dangerous, courageous, and brutal as the men. The York and Lancaster families - rival branches of the former England Studios - exert a mafia-like control of the city and local politics/law enforcement. Aided by his sinister counselor Buckingham, Richard will stop at nothing - seduction, bribery, conspiracy, and wholesale slaughter - in his bloodthirsty quest, until finally just one adversary remains: his arch-rival Lord Richmond. But why, as the opposing forces join battle, is Richard smiling? What does he know that Richmond doesn't...?
Richard III2016 · television film · 129 min · dir. Dominic Cooke · IMDb ↗IMDb8.5Ten years after Henry's death Edward is taken fatally ill, speeding Richard's disposal of their brother George, Duke of Clarence. Made regent to Edward's young son, also Edward, Richard is cursed by the vengeful Margaret of Anjou but nonetheless embarks on a ruthless policy to acquire the crown, disposing of cousins Rivers and Grey and engineering the deaths of the young prince and his brother . This final act loses him the support of his former ally Buckingham, who also comes to an untimely end. Richard is declared king with the widowed lady Anne as his reluctant queen but there are many in the realm seeking to depose him, notably young Henry Tudor, who will meet with Richard at the decisive battle of Bosworth Field.
No Beast. So Fierce2025 · film · 150 min · dir. Burhan Qurbani · IMDb ↗In the aftermath of a bloody gang war, the youngest daughter of the victorious Arab clan begins to plot against the men of her family. She kills brothers, nephews, friends and enemies, until she is the undisputed boss of the Berlin underworld. But on her path to the top, she has made powerful enemies...
