Actor Ian McKellen arrives for the royal premiere of the film The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey in central London in this December 12, 2012 file photo. [Photo/Agencies]

Shanghai will stage an exhibition of films adapted from the works of William Shakespeare in June to mark the 400th anniversary of the British playwright's death.

The organizing committee of the Shanghai International Festival said Sunday they would co-host the event with the British Film Institute during the Shanghai International Festival.

Ian McKellern, who starred a number of Shakespeare dramas and who is best known in China for his portray of Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings, will attend the event, the committee said.

Fu Wenxia, deputy secretary general of the committee, said the exhibit will feature classic films adapted from the British writer that showed the "passionate clashes between stage plays and the big screen."

Shakespeare enjoys immense popularity among Chinese readers, but movies adapted from his works are unfamiliar to Chinese movie-goers. The 2015 hit Macbeth failed to make China's quota for overseas movies.

The 19th Shanghai International Festival is scheduled from June 11 to 19 this year.

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