Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Well, he’s over in the U.K.
Variety reports that up-and-coming actor Douglas Booth has landed the plum of Romeo in the upcoming “Romeo & Juliet.” With “True Grit” breakout star Hailee Steinfeld as Juliet, Holly Hunter as The Nurse and Ed Westwick as Tybalt, this latest incarnation will be directed by Carlo Carlei who is probably best known for 1993’s “Flight of the Innocent,” but who also directed the 1995 ghost dog movie “Fluke.” On the plus side, the film has a script by Julian Fellowes (“Gosford Park,” “Downton Abbey”) so we’re hoping there will be some fresh life kicked into the Bard’s dusty play.
Booth apparently beat out over 300 contenders for the part, and it’s certainly a nice addition to his CV. The actor had a stint on the series “The Pillars of Earth,” will appear in the upcoming Miley Cyrus rom-com “LOL” and has another work of literature, “Great Expectations,” lined up for Brit TV. Filming for “Romeo & Juliet” will start this summer in Italy.
