Another Romeo and Juliet adaptation? William Shakespeare's tragic love story gets a fresh coat of paint every few years, with few really bringing anything new to the table. Although I wasn't a fan of Baz Luhrmann's energetic, Gen X version with Leonardo DiCaprio, it at least looked and felt different than anything else that came before it.
We're getting our first image from the latest attempt, which features an odd assortment of creative talent, making this an interesting film to keep a close watch on as it seeks distribution. Oscar winning scribe Julian Fellowes, who has written refined Brit period dramas Gosford Park, Downtown Abbey, and The Young Victoria, is paired up with Carlo Carlei, the director behind the 1995 puppy comedy, Fluke. Say what? Add to that, Hailee Steinfeld in the role of Juliet, with British thespian Douglas Booth as her Romeo. Paul Giamatti, Ed Westwick, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Christian Cooke, Lesley Manville, Stellan Skarsgard, Natascha McElhone, and Tom Wisdom make up the rest of the story's familiar assortment of characters.
Fellowes is a fantastic writer, and if anybody can make this Twilight-geared flick work, he'd be the guy. This just seems like overkill to me, and would rather they just hurry up with that Gnomeo and Juliet sequel. [24 Frames]
