Three projects based on William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy are currently in the works in Hollywood. In addition to an ABC series and a Lionsgate movie, the Fox network has plans for a new TV version of the story.
More than 400 years after it was published, "Romeo and Juliet" is still inspiring the small and big screens. Fox is the latest with plans for a modern reinterpretation of the story of Verona's star-crossed lovers.
Deadline reports that the network is swapping the Italian town for Los Angeles and intends to transform the story of the Montagues and the Capulets into a Latino-inspired tale, as "West Side Story" did at the end of the 1950s. To fit in with the current vogue, and particularly its hit "Empire," Fox is reportedly planning to set the series in the music industry.
This version is apparently being developed for the 2016-2017 season, and could find itself in competition with the ABC project "Still-Star Crossed." Shonda Rhimes, the creator of "Grey's Anatomy", "Scandal" and "How to Get Away with Murder," is set to create a series which will be a follow-up to Shakespeare's play.
Adapted from a Melinda Taub novel which was published in 2013, the series will remain in Italy in the sixteenth century.
After the death of Romeo and Juliet, Prince Escalus attempts to end the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues by ordering Benvolio, Romeo's cousin and friend, to marry Rosaline, a cousin of Juliet who was also Romeo's first love.
Given the shortage of franchises aimed at young adults now that "Twilight" and "Hunger Games" are over, Lionsgate is also taking an interest in an update to the Shakespearian tale. With the help of Stan Lee, who has created many superheroes, the studio is adapting the graphic novel "Romeo and Juliet: The War" which transforms the two rival families into powerful warriors.
Verona has become plagued by a merciless war between Montagues, who are cyborgs, and the Capulets, who are genetically-enhanced humans known for their speed and agility. In the midst of the fighting, Romeo and Juliet fall in love and plan to marry in the hope of bringing peace.
