Rosaline First Look: Kaitlyn Dever Is Romeo's Ex-Girlfriend In Hulu Comedy
If it's been a few years since you've read William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," you may not remember the character of Rosaline. She's the girl Romeo is obsessing over at the beginning of the story: he and his friends infiltrate a costume party hosted by the Capulets partly so Romeo can try to see Rosaline, but instead, the smitten young man meets Rosaline's cousin Juliet, and the rest is history.
Now "Booksmart" and "Justified" actress Kaitlyn Dever is playing the title character in "Rosaline," a spin-off of sorts which tells the "Romeo and Juliet" story from her character's perspective. And according to today's announcement, the movie will be debuting on a streaming platform next year.
Wherefore Art Thou, Rosaline?
20th Century Studios tweeted the film's logo and a first-look image of Dever in character (seen above), describing the film as "a fresh comedic twist on Shakespeare's 'Romeo & Juliet' told from the perspective of Juliet's cousin Rosaline...who just happens to be Romeo's ex-girlfriend." Dever is one of the best young performers of her generation, proving to be equally compelling in comedies like "Booksmart" as she is in devastating dramas like "Unbelievable." It's always nice to see her in lighthearted project, and this one sounds like it could be a fun twist on a familiar tale – and like the run of teen-centric Shakespeare adaptations from the '90s and early '00s, it might result in making the Bard's work more accessible to a new generation.
The tweet also revealed that the movie will premiere directly on Hulu in 2022 (although the exact month and date remain up in the air for now).
When this project was first announced this past summer, we learned that Rosaline would be at odds with Juliet, only to eventually understand that Juliet and Romeo are meant to be together. "What begins as an attempt to foil the famous romance and win back her guy becomes a journey of self-discovery as she ultimately works to help get the star-crossed lovers back together," the synopsis read.
Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber ("500 Days of Summer") wrote the screenplay, and Karen Maine ("Yes God Yes") is directing. Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen, who have worked on everything from "Stranger Things" to "Arrival" to this year's Ryan Reynolds action-comedy "Free Guy," are producing the film for 20th Century Studios, who picked it up after MGM had it for a spell.