Hollywood Popular Artists

by Hannah Soo Park

If you're expecting Josh Whedon's next project to be a spectacle like "The Avengers" or "The Cabin in the Woods," you might be a little surprised to learn that the writer-director's upcoming movie is actually a seemingly subdued modern-day take on Shakespeare's comedy "Much Ado About Nothing."

And now, the indie Shakespeare adaptation has an official release date. Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions announced that the film, which premiered at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, will land in theaters on June 7, 2013.

It may have a script derived from Shakespeare's original text, but don't expect stuffy period costumes—this interpretation features a contemporary spin on the classic tale (it is Whedon, after all). With his wife in the producer's chair, the writer-director shot the film at his Santa Monica home during his free time off from filming "The Avengers." And get this: the cast includes a handful of Whedon-alums, including Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Nathan Fillion, Clark Gregg, Fran Kranz, Sean Maher, Jillian Morgese and Reed Diamond.

"Much Ado About Nothing" centers on two pairs of lovers: the quarreling couple Beatrice (Acker) and Benedick (Denisof), and the lovestruck duo Claudio (Kranz) and Hero (Morgese). According to its official summary, "matchmaking schemes are put into play and disguises are donned, loathing and love soon prove to be close cousins."

Of course a little box office competition is inevitable—the movie will open alongside "Monsters University" and "World War Z."