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]