The story of “Romeo & Juliet” has been told, approximately, eleventy billion times. And we’re not just talking the countless film versions. From the stage to television to that English class you slept through, Shakespeare’s play about doomed lovers has been rich fodder for creative types, the shining example of romance fated to end in tragedy. You would think that a new movie version might try and twist things up a bit, or bring a new flavor to the proceedings. You would be wrong.
The first trailer for Carlo Carlei‘s take on the story is here, and it’s notable for a few things. It has “True Grit” star Hailee Steinfeld as Juliet, with Paul Giamatti as Friar Lawrence, and oh yeah, Douglas Booth as Romeo if that matters. But moreover, “Downton Abbey” scribe Julian Fellowes has penned the script, or rather, put Shakespeare’s words into various scenes while he determined if they were interior or exterior. Or so it seems. This is all kind of dull and boring and dry, and you’veseenthisalready, and even with the talent involved, seems like sort of a snore. Maybe we’ll be proven wrong?
The film hits UK cinemas on July 26th but there’s no US distribution deal yet, so you might be waiting a while. [DigitalSpy]
So the producers gave the best role to Westwick? OK, then …
Whether the movie is needed or not, cheers to using Zola Jesus in the trailer.
It just looks OK which doesn't bode well. We already have the perfect and memorable Zeffirelli version and the ambitious and memorable Luhrmann version. Unless they are trying to do something different they shouldn't have bothered and R&J is pretty overrated as far Shakespeare's plays go anyway.
It's silly to do a straight up adaptation in a world where Zeffirelli's version exists.
Oh, you're so edgy and clever.
Let me explain something to you… when a play written in blank verse is adapted to the screen, it's always going to remain pretty much the same because the language is such an integral part of the execution.
You might also argue that it shouldn't be in blank verse because (ugh) it's been done that way before. Yes. It has. For hundreds of years, and it STILL WORKS because of the power of the language. There should be no limits on how many times a work can be adapted… Hailee Steinfeld owes her CAREER to starring in a remake that many initially considered unnecessary, after all. Different generations have their different versions of the story, and the results can often tell us a lot about the time period that made it.
You just seem to be coming from the clichéd, anti-intellectual, anti-art perspective of 'Shakespeare=boring'.