Kit Conner, star of Heartstopper, and Shazam: Fury of the Gods star Rachel Zegler shared a pair of matching, cryptic images to their Instagram feeds today which, taken together, suggest the pair are working on an adaptation of Romeo & Juliet. There’s no further detail, so nobody can be totally sure whether it’s a screen or stage adaptation. The background — which appears to feature teddy bears — could suggest a modern setting (a la Baz Luhrmann’s famous 1996 film adaptation), or could just be a style choice by whoever put the promo images together. So far, there doesn’t appear to be any reporting that gives a clearer idea than what’s right in front of us.
This come on the heels of reports that a stage version of the Shakespeare tragedy, starring Tom Holland and Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, has been the subject of racist backlash. Zegler, who also appeared in last year’s The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, faced similar backlash following her casting as Snow White.
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You can see the images below.
Over at Broadway World, they suggested that some fans think this is may be the Diane Paulus-directed production of Romeo & Juliet, which they’re hoping to bring to the American Repertory Theater next season. However, in that same article, they say the Theater has no plans to make any casting announcements soon.
The Holland/Amewudah-Rivers version of Romeo & Juliet is headed to Broadway itself after selling out on London’s West End, suggesting that the play will have a strong presence in New York in the coming months.
Romeo and Juliet is one of William Shakespeare’s tragedies and, along with Hamlet is one of the most frequently-performed plays in the history of English-language theatre. The story centers on two young lovers who come from feuding families, and the bloody fallout from their romance. One of the best-known plays of all time, Romeo & Juliet has become a literary touchstone and has been iterated on too many times to count.
In Heartstopper, teens Charlie and Nick discover their unlikely friendship might be something more as they navigate school and young love. The series, which stars Conner, streams on Netflix, and its third season is expected in October.
