Although I’m not necessarily jumping for joy at another re-working of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the addition of Paul Giamatti into Carlo Carlei‘s adaptation puts me a bit at ease. Variety reports that the actor will play Friar Lawrence, an advisor to both Romeo and Juliet, who is a key character in the beloved play.
True Grit‘s Hailee Steinfeld signed onto the project back in April to play Juliet, with British actor Douglas Booth cast as her tortured lover Romeo. Gossip Girl‘s Ed Westwick and Let Me In‘s Kodi Smit-McPhee play the lover’s cousins, Tybalt and Benvolio, respectively.
Julian Fellowes, of recent Downton Abbey fame, is writing the script, as well as producing alongside Amber Entertainment and Italy’s Indiana Production; this marks the first English-language feature for the company. Carlei‘s been dabbling in TV movie work in recent years, making this adaption his first feature film since 1995’s Fluke.
Theatrical director Baz Luhrmann was the last to make his mark in the classic story, with his 1996 adaptation starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. Carlei‘s adaptation has been described as a Romeo and Juliet for the Twilight generation, which makes me recoil just a little bit. But at least they’re casting worthwhile actors, mainly Steinfeld and Giamatti, to play pivotal roles.
Shooting is expected to take place in Mantua, the Northern Italian city where Romeo was banished in the original Cinecitta Studios will also be utilized, as it’s set to showcase the lavish Mantua family crypt where both characters ultimately die. That’s not a spoiler, by the way.
What do you think of this adaptation of Romeo and Juliet? Is Giamatti’s casting a good sign?