The trailer for Juliet & Romeo has arrived. The upcoming musical Shakespeare adaptation, which is set to premiere in UK theaters in a one-night-only special event on June 11, was written and directed by Timothy Scott Bogart (Spinning Gold) and features original music by Evan Kidd Bogart, the Grammy-winning songwriter behind Beyoncé’s “Halo” and H๏τ Chelle Rae’s “Tonight Tonight.” The cast includes Jamie Ward as Romeo and Clara Rugaard as Juliet alongside a star-studded ensemble that includes Jason Isaacs, Rebel Wilson, Dan Fogler, Rupert Everett, Derek Jacobi, and Rupert Graves.
Icon Film Distribution has now unveiled the official trailer for Juliet & Romeo. After introducing the star-crossed lovers and the feud between their families, it showcases snippets of a wide variety of musical numbers that will be featured in the movie. The adult cast is also featured heavily, including Rebel Wilson singing a contemplative song as Lady Capulet and Jason Isaacs delivering a severe threat to Romeo as Lord Montague. Watch the trailer below:
What This Means For Juliet & Romeo
The Trailer Reveals The Movie’s New Approach And More
One important element that is showcased in the Juliet & Romeo trailer is the jam-packed cast. The adult cast has ample experience under their belts, including Harry Potter alumnus Jason Isaacs, who recently held a notable role in The White Lotus season 3, Fantastic Beasts star Dan Fogler, and Pitch Perfect‘s Rebel Wilson. While they all seem to be acquitting themselves with their usual aplomb, Wilson in particular seems to be stepping out of her comedic comfort zone, embracing a dramatic role that asks her to be more flinty and serious on top of showing off her singing chops.
Jason Isaacs played Draco Malfoy’s father Lucius in the Harry Potter movies.
Additionally, the trailer reveals the overall feel of the movie. Even though the new Romeo & Juliet movie has a period setting like many other adaptations from the past, the music sounds like the modern pop for which Evan Kidd Bogart is best known. This sensibility is underscored by the fact that Shakespeare’s original dialogue has been discarded in favor of more modern prose.
Our Take On The Juliet & Romeo Trailer
Will It Appeal To Audiences?
It seems likely that these major changes to the source material were designed to help Juliet & Romeo appeal to younger audiences, much like Baz Luhrmann’s modernized 1996 adaptation Romeo + Juliet. However, only time will tell if this helps the movie connect with the current generation of high school students in the same way that the latter тιтle did. While making the movie a modernized musical takes a risk with a classic play, at the very least a talented and well-known cast has been ᴀssembled to bring it to life, which could help it considerably.
Source: Icon Film Distribution
