Joss Whedon tackles Much Ado About Nothing

Joss Whedon has adapted and directed a modern version of Shakespeare’s classic comedy Much Ado About Nothing . And we thought he was hard at work on The Avengers .

The production is the first feature from Bellwether, a micro-studio created by Whedon and Kai Cole for the creation of “small, independent narratives for all media.”

Filmed in just 12 days entirely on location in Santa Monica, the project was shot in black and white by Jay Hunter (Paper Heart, Dollhouse) but apparently “embraced a DIY ethos and newer technologies”.

Much Ado About Nothing stars Amy Acker (Cabin In The Woods, Angel) and Alexis Denisof (How I Met Your Mother, Angel) as Beatrice and Benedick, the world’s least likely lovers headed for their inevitable tumble into love.

The cast also includes Nathan Fillion, Clark Gregg, Reed Diamond, Fran Kranz, Sean Maher, Spencer Treat Clark, Riki Lindhome, Ashley Johnson, Emma Bates, Tom Lenk, Nick Kocher, Brian McElhaney, Joshua Zar, Paul M. Meston, Romy Rosemont and Jillian Morgese.

Those players are all described as being “dedicated to the idea that this story bears retelling, that this dialogue is as fresh and intoxicating as any being written and that the joy of working on a passion project surrounded by dear friends, admired colleagues and an atmosphere of unabashed rapture far outweighs their hilariously miniature pay cheques.”

“The text is to me a deconstruction of the idea of love, which is ironic, since the entire production is a love letter - to the text, to the cast, even to the house it’s shot in,” Whedon said.