Focus Features Closing In On ‘Romeo And Juliet’ Adaptation From Robert Eggers

After his forthcoming old-world horror film, Werwulf, hits theaters, director Robert Eggers is set to return to Verona for another collaboration with Shakespeare. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Eggers will adapt the romance play Romeo And Juliet for his next project. While details about Eggers' specific interpretation of the star-crossed lovers, who consume poison due to their parents' quarrel, remain undisclosed, it is reasonable to assume the film will involve two young individuals from feuding families who meet at a gathering and fall in love.

This concept is not entirely foreign to Eggers, as his 2022 feature, The Northman, is essentially a retelling of the Viking myth of Amleth, the inspiration for Shakespeare's Hamlet. The Northman followed the legend of Amleth, which led to the creation of the immortal tragedy Hamlet.

THR sources indicate that the upcoming film will "feature actors speaking in Olde English." However, it is important to note that Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet was not written in Olde English, as the play was penned centuries after the use of Olde English had ceased. Nevertheless, the film does emphasize the challenging-to-understand dialogue that has been a hallmark of Eggers' career, even though it would be more fitting for the lovers to converse in Italian.

Eggers' latest film will maintain his partnership with Focus Features, following The Northman, Nosferatu, and Werwulf later this year. Focus won the rights to the film in a bidding war against Sony, Warner Bros., and Eggers' previous employers at A24, who directed his initial two films, The Witch and The Lighthouse.