Spring 2025 marks the time for viewers once again to visit fair Verona, where we lay our scene. The newest adaptation of Romeo and Juliet has grabbed a release date of May 9 of this year. The upcoming film follows the tragic lovers of William Shakespeare’s play, but with a new twist. Juliet & Romeo takes place in medieval times and has been updated with a fresh pop soundtrack. Starring Clara Rugaard and The Last Supper’s Jamie Ward in the title roles, this new endeavor also features singing veterans Jason Isaacs, Rebel Wilson, and Dan Fogler. Writer-director Timothy Scott Bogart’s vision comes to life with the help of his Grammy Award-winning brother, Evan Kidd Bogart, who wrote all original songs for the project. In a statement, Bogart spoke about the importance of music in the film.
“From the JULIET & ROMEO name alone, we hope that audiences will instantly know they’re in for an experience like no other. And our JULIET & ROMEO is also not just one film, it’s a Trilogy. It’s only the start of a remarkably thrilling journey through this world. At the same time, the recent triumphs of Wicked, The Complete Unknown, and Emilia Perez, along with upcoming Kiss Of The Spiderwoman and Snow White, continue to underscore the enduring strength of the great movie musicals as event entertainment like no other.”
The director’s claims don’t appear to be unfounded, as cast members have also celebrated the upcoming film’s content.
Cast Members Promise a New Kind of Musical
Romeo and Juliet is already on the map as one of Shakespeare‘s most rewatchable stories, and Juliet & Romeo seeks to update the play. The film is host to a collection of new songs and a cast that can support this new approach. Jason Isaacs is an accomplished theater actor, though disappointingly does not have any songs in the film. He spoke to Collider last year about what makes this musical so special.
“The songs are unbelievable because the director’s brother writes. He wrote ‘Halo,’ and he writes giant pop songs, and his partner writes some of the biggest pop songs in the world. It’s an original musical. It’s a very tough thing to do because the jukebox musicals do well because we sing along to them. You don’t know these songs. But I can tell you, once you’ve heard them twice — I’d be on the set, and they’d be shooting them all day — they are the catchiest tunes I’ve ever heard in my life. I came home singing them.”
Rebel Wilson also has a history of movie musicals with her ensemble role in the musical franchise Pitch Perfect. Fans can experience the music in the first of a trilogy when Juliet & Romeo premieres on May 9, 2025.
via Collider