But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is Felicity Jones, the British actress best known for her role in Like Crazy, who is currently in negotiations to star as Rosaline in a revisionist version of Romeo And Juliet. As previously reported, Rosaline will focus on Romeo’s first love and is loosely based on Rebecca Serle’s 2012 novel When You Were Mine.
While it was previously believed the film would maintain the book’s modern-day setting, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the film will be set in the classic period of the original play, but will use modern language. And while the book adjusted the storyline so that Romeo dumps Rosaline (whereas in the play Rosaline doesn’t return his affections, leaving Romeo miserable and depressed), it’s unclear if the film will also follow that jilted-lover take on Rosaline, or whether it will work within Shakespeare’s original characterization. It's being billed as a "comedic" take on the story, so either way there's a good chance the whole "star-crossed lovers take their lives" thing will be adjusted.
Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber—the screenwriting duo behind (500) Days Of Summer—will pen the adaptation. Weber confirmed Jones’ casting via Twitter and promised “a version of Romeo & Juliet you have never seen before!” Casting a leading lady would be a huge step forward for the project, which has been in development since 2010 and has been linked to a slew of Rosalines, including Lily Collins, Allison Williams, and Hailee Steinfeld. However, until the news is official it’s probably best to swear not by the moon—the inconstant moon.