Not long ago, we learned that Oscar-nominee Hailee Steinfeld was circling the lead female role in a Carlo Carlei-directed adaptation of William Shakespeare‘s Romeo and Juliet. Though a Romeo has yet to have been cast since that news broke, it appears that Carlei and company are getting to work on the supporting cast, most notably hiring the impressive Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road, Let Me In) to play Benvolio, Romeo’s cousin. Production on the project is still scheduled to begin this summer. [Variety]
Other names have been dropped along with Smit-McPhee. Gossip Girl‘s Ed Westick will take on the role of Tybalt, while Holly Hunter will play Juliet’s nurse. But, obviously, it is the two main roles that’ll carry the most weight in an adaptation such as this one, and although half of the task is done — and, based on her dialogue-driven work in True Grit, Steinfeld should be more-than-adept at handling Shakespearean banter — the unknown casting of Romeo remains a great burden to this production.
Who do you think should play Romeo? Do you like how the supporting cast is being filled out?