BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — It's difficult to imagine that William Shakespeare ever envisioned his comedy "As You Like It" playing out in Japan, but that's exactly the way Kenneth Branagh sees it.
And so will viewers who catch the version Branagh directed for HBO, which premieres tonight at 10.
He said he hopes "it's an exciting choice," which he made "with that instinct, which you might call a sort of uninformed hunch" in an attempt "introduce a different kind of feel for a very familiar Shakespeare (play)."
Well, it's certainly that. There hasn't been another version that includes samurai warriors, sumo wrestlers and Kabuki theater.
As you might expect, Branagh eloquently explains his choice to change the setting. "Japan, I think, has a wonderful landscape. A celebration of nature and a return to nature and an examination, if you like, of the simple life, a connection with nature, town versus country, busy city life versus a simpler country life in connection with nature — essential as a tension in Japan.
"It also provides a pictorial beauty that is very different from other versions of this play and can provide something very colorful, something very meditative, something very violent where it was required. And also something very funny."
Which it is. If you're surprised to see Shakespeare on HBO, you might be even more surprised to see how funny "As You Like It" is.
And, quite honestly, once you get past the opening sequences and the action shifts to the forest, you can almost forget the whole Japanese influence. It just becomes a fine rendition of Shakespeare.
It's also full of fine performances, including a somewhat surprising turn by Bryce Dallas Howard (who wasn't all that impressive in "The Village" and "Lady in the Water") as Rosalind. And it's a role that requires her to play a woman pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman.
The cast also includes Kevin Kline as Jacques, Alfred Molina at Touchstone, David Oyelowo as Orlando, Romola Garai as Celia, and Brian Blessed in the dual roles of Duke Frederick and his evil brother.
The one actor you won't see onscreen in Branagh himself. "It is easier for sure not to do both," he said. "It was a tight schedule. ... It meant that I wanted to focus on directing."
Which was OK with Oyelowo. "To be perfectly honest, actually, it was kind of a relief that you weren't in the film," he said to Branagh. "I mean, this man, to me, is just a complete legend as far as Shakespeare is concerned. As far as acting is concerned."
And that, Oyelowo said, made his audition "the most unbelievable combination of hell and heaven."
He auditioned at Branagh's home, and he was "trying to be really cool."
"And then, we went to read. And the biggest shock probably for this whole process for me was the fact that I had to audition against you. You were reading the other lines, and my saliva just turned to sand," Oyelowo said.
Branagh shook off the compliment. "It was a pleasure to work with all of these actors," he said. "And also, you get a vicarious thrill, actually. It's fascinating for me when directing, as an actor, to see how people arrive at how they work. It was fun.
"Again, I remember just 'all the world's a stage."'
E-mail: pierce@desnews.com