Branagh to make 'As You Like It'

Kevin Kline and Bryce Dallas Howard will star in the adaptation, which rolls before cameras in the UK next month.

Mar 15 2005

Kenneth Branagh is returning to his roots to direct yet another Shakespeare play for the big screen.

Having previously helmed 'Henry V', 'Much Ado About Nothing', 'Hamlet' and 'Love's Labour's Lost', Branagh is turning to the romantic comedy 'As You Like It' for his next project.

Covering many of the usual Bard bases (cross-dressing, mistaken identity, etc), 'As You Like It' is one of Shakespeare's lesser-known plays, although it is also one of his funniest.

So far Kevin Kline and 'The Village' star Bryce Dallas Howard have been cast in the leads, while Variety reports that Branagh himself may cameo as Touchstone the jester, the play's comic relief.

Other actors set to appear in the film include Adrian Lester, Jimmy Yuill, David Oyelowo and Brian Blessed, no doubt shouting his lines for all his worth.

Branagh's adaptation will be set in the 1800s, and filming kicks off in the UK next month.