The works of William Shakespeare have become so pervasive in the
entertainment world that most moviegoers would be surprised to know just
how many Hollywood releases are based (albeit, some loosely) on his
plays. In their many forms, the stories, themes and character dynamics
of Shakespeare’s works tend to resonate with audiences in a way that
makes them instantly primed for adaptation.
However, perhaps the most well-known and frequently adapted Shakespearean work is Romeo and Juliet.
The tragic tale of star-crossed lovers from opposing family lines has
been done time and time again, reimagined as everything from a gangland
musical (West Side Story) to an animated film starring gnomes (Gnomeo and Juliet) – not to mention, straight-forward adaptations, such as Romeo and Juliet (2013), starring Hailee Steinfeld and Douglas Booth. Now it looks like another take on Shakespeare’s classic in on its way.
According to THR, Sony is developing yet another Romeo and Juliet re-imagining – with this project being called Verona. Details are vague at this early stage in development, but the film aims to retell the story of Romeo and Juliet in a style similar to epic films like 300. It will be based on a spec script penned by lesser-knowns Neil Widener and Gavin James, with Joe Roth attached to produce.
There’s no word just yet regarding the approach Verona will take. However, judging by the comparison to 300,
it’s safe to assume that the film will retain its period setting and
not take the Capulets and Montagues into the modern era (as Baz
Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet did back in 1996). However, there’s
still the question of whether the project will incorporate any of
Shakespeare’s original text (as that earlier film did), or if it will
completely rework the oft-quoted dialogue for this new big-screen
version.
visually arresting way. In the last few years, he’s produced such
lucrative fairy tale re-imaginigns as Alice in Wonderland, Snow White and the Huntsman and Maleficent.
None of those films were particularly beloved as far as the critical
reception goes. Still, they presented a distinct visual style and
brought something different to their respective stories.
Perhaps Verona can likewise add something to the basic framework of Shakespeare’s tragedy? Maybe, maybe not, but even if Verona ends up being something of a disaster on a storytelling level, the film ought to at least wind up looking cool.
Stay tuned to Screen Rant for updates on Verona as this story develops.
Iron Man 3: After the relatively benign Thor and the upcoming Captain America, Joss Whedon’s The Avengers will compete with The Dark Knight Rises and Superman: Man of Steel in 2012. Next summer may be the year that superhero fatigue fully sets in (if it hasn’t already) and Marvel will have to follow-up an all-star superhero movie in 2013 with the franchise responsible for Marvel’s good fortunes. Will it atone for the lackluster Iron Man 2? Maybe. The bad news is that Jon Favreau won’t be returning as director, but the good news is that Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) will, and Robert Downey, Jr. is still a commanding presence. The hitch arises if Black has to weave an Iron Man plotline into a potential Avengers sequel. All due respect to The Avengers, but we go to an Iron Man movie to see a movie about Iron Man. Not Nick Fury.
R.I.P.D.: Hopefully by the time 2013 rolls around, Ryan Reynolds’ post-Green Lantern reputation will have rebounded on the hopeful strength of Change Up and next year’s Safe House with Denzell Washington (and here’s hoping 2013 doesn’t also see a Green Lantern sequel). R.I.P.D, based on the Peter M. Lenkov graphic novel, is about a recently slain cop (Reynolds) who joins a team of undead police officers working for the Rest in Peace Department and tries to find the man who murdered him. It’s been bouncing around in development for a few years, but Reynolds has seemingly been enthusiastic about getting it in before a possible Deadpool film. The good news is that Jeff Bridges is on board (in a role Zach Galifianaki declined) and director Robert Schwentke showed a little pizzazz in Red, though his Time Traveler’s Wife was pure crap.
Oblivion: The kids aren’t down with Tom Cruise anymore, but let me tell you why this project is exciting: 1) It’s an original movie, 2) it’s sci-fi, and 3) it comes from Joseph Kosinski, who gave us TRON: Legacy. OK, ignore that last part, and focus on the original sci-fi part. The script comes from William Monahan (The Departed) and that has to be worth something, right? What’s it about? A fantasy about a former solider who is the last person left on Earth after a war with an alien race. When he encounters a crashed spacecraft with a lone survivor, the two set off on an epic adventure. I think the lone survivor is a woman, and they fall in love. As long as it’s not Cameron Diaz, this movie has a shot. Right? It’s one of the many intriguing sci-fi flicks on this list. Will 2013 be the year of the Sci-Fi?
Robopacalypse: Assuming that Steven Spielberg actually follows through on his promise to direct Robopacalypse, the film — scripted by Drew Goddard and based on a Daniel H. Wilson novel — holds immense potential. The novel is already a critical favorite, described as an Andromeda Strain for a new century. Comparisons to early Michael Crichton are aplenty. Set the not-too-distant future, Robopacalypse is about robots that have made our lives a lot easier: they help clean our kitchens, drive our cars, and fight our wars — until they are turned into efficient murderers by a sentient artificial intelligence buried miles below the surface of Alaska. What? That sounds batshit. But, robots, murder, and Spielberg! There are hundreds of ways this could go wrong, but just as many reasons it could be one of the many great sci-fi films of 2013.
Oz: The Great and Powerful: The world has been waiting for Hollywood has wanted to make a proper Wizard of Oz movie for years, and there are a number of them in production. This one, however, looks to be the first to get off the ground, and the cast — and 
Monsters University/Untitled Pixar Film/How to Train Your Dragon 2: This is the 
The Gangster Squad: This will be director Ruben Fleischer’s (Zombieland) follow-up to 30 Minutes or Less, a period movie set in the 40s and 50s that chronicles the LAPD’s fight to keep East Coast Mafia types out of Los Angeles. The flick is based on a super-smart seven-part LA Times article called written by Paul Lieberman, and Gangster Squad was scripted by former Los Angeles Police Officer Will Beall (a writer on “Castle”). But why is it exciting? Check out the cast: Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Anthony Mackie, and Sean Penn. That’s reason enough to be excited.
The Hobbit: There and Back Again: This is a gimme, the second half of The Hobbit movie that kicks off in 2012 with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The great news is that The Hobbit will attract all of those Lord of the Rings fans, as well as the many — like myself — who loved The Hobbit but didn’t care much for the LOTR novels (or the movies). It also has a couple of cast members going for it that the LOTR movies did not, namely Benedict Cumberbatch (Smaugh) and Martin Freeman (Bilbo Baggins). The bad news: There’s a lot of LOTR characters in the movie that don’t belong, and despite the fact that The Hobbit was shorter than any of the LOTR movies, it’s being broken up into two films, which suggests that there may be the potential for a lot of bloat, a problem Peter Jackson had with the LOTR films.
Pacific Rim: Guillermo del Toro is a brilliant director, but the man spends so much time attaching his name to new projects that he never has any time to actually make a movie. He hasn’t had one since Hellboy II in 2008 despite the fact that he’s talked a Van Helsing remake, an At the Mountains of Madness movie, and he wants to direct Angelina Jolie in Maleficent. But for now, Pacific Rim is the only movie he has in actual production. But that’s OK because, by the sound of it, we’re in for one hell of a film. The cast is made of Pajiba dreams: Idris Elba (replacing Tom Cruise) and Charlie Hunnam. The story is set in a future in which malevolent creatures threaten the earth, and it’s about how the planet bands together and uses highly advanced technology to eradicate the growing menace. It has big fucking movie written all over it. We actually haven’t seen del Toro take on a movie this massive a scale, but after Pan’s Labyrinth, I’m willing to trust.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Captain Nemo: David Fincher (The Social Network, Fight Club) is a director that rarely lets us down (excepting The Curious Case of Benjamin Button). He, along Aaron Sorkin, turned a movie about the founding of a social network website into one of the most riveting films of 2010. He’ll end this year with the much anticipated Girl with a Dragon Tattoo film, and he looks next to embark on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The rabbit in his hat this time may just be Michael Chabon, the Wonderboys and Kavalier and Clay novelist who has been tapped to adapt the script from Jules Verne’s classic novel. The focus will turn on Nemo and how created his underwater vessel, the Nautilus. It is a Disney remake, but I wouldn’t expect a Disney take from David Fincher; I’d expect something closer to a movie that a Trent Reznor score would feel comfortable in.
Elysium: Matt Damon. Jodie Foster. William Fichtner. Sharlto Copley. Oh, you want more? It’s Neill Blomkamp’s follow-up to District 9. What’s it about? I have no fucking idea. And that’s what’s so great about Elysium. Because while there’s already some details out about the nine movies above — which won’t hit theaters for another two years — there’s practically nothing available on Elysium. That’s the way I’d prefer it. Maybe, like District 9, mysterious details will begin to emerge in the middle of July for an early August release. Maybe we can actually go into a theater without having every detail spoiled, without having every scene released in trailers and clips, without having movie blogs — like this one — examining every bit of minutia before it screens. It’s a lot to ask and completely unrealistic, but wouldn’t it be great if assholes like myself didn’t jump all over the hype bandwagon two years too early?
