Of all the live-action adaptations of Shakespeare’s beloved Romeo And Juliet, three spring to mind. The fiercely loyal 1968 version starring Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting; Baz Luhrman’s 1996 modern day re-telling starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes; and of course, Lloyd Kaufman’s brilliantly goofish Tromeo & Juliet. Those three stand out as arguably the most recognized out of the countless takes on the Bard’s star-crossed tale. But there could be another imminent arrival destined to outshine them all.
Sony are currently in talks to bag a spec script by Neil Widener and Gavin James called Verona – the name of the city in which the two lovers reside. Joe Roth is expected to produce.
Few story details have been disclosed, with the exception of what anyone with a high school diploma could probably recall from English Lit lessons. However, what captured our eye was the description of the studio’s vision for the movie.
Per THR, the script is “said to reimagine the classic love story through a lens of an epic, 300-style world.” The trade goes on to describe the brutal realization of Frank Miller’s breathtaking comic book series, brought spectacularly to life by Zack Snyder. If we were to transplant the story of these loved-up teens into this unique style of filmmaking, Verona could appeal to a range of demographics. And that means there’s enormous box office potential.