New TV series to re-tell Shakespeare's plays in modern-day America

A new American TV series will re-tell the stories of Shakespeare in the present day.

According to Deadline, a one-hour pilot episode is currently in development. The show will start off in a New York luxury hotel and follow a young man who is searching for his father's killer (echoing the plot of Hamlet). Over time, it is revealed that the hotel's inhabitants are updated versions of classic Shakespearean characters.

Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner, who worked on hit series Grimm, will helm the new show (titled The Stratford), which has been ordered by NBC. A full release date and casting for the series is to be revealed.

Earlier this year it was revealed that award-winning author Michael Morpurgo is rewriting Shakespeare's plays using modern language.

Fifteen years ago, the BBC launched a "ShakespeaRe-told" series featuring the likes of James McAvoy and Keeley Hawes, reworking the Bard's works into the present day.