A Royal Rebel Wilson Demands Your Attention in New ‘Juliet & Romeo’ Images [Exclusive]

Rebel Wilson has sung, danced, and made viewers laugh through films like Bridesmaids and Pitch Perfect, and now, she’s royally dressed to kill. Collider can share an exclusive first look at the multi-talented actress in Juliet & Romeo, a new take on the classic Shakespeare romance that gives it a musical update like never before with a revamped pop soundtrack. The award-winning Wilson plays Lady Capulet, who appears confident and stunning in a flowing red dress complete with a golden headpiece that helps her stand out even in a sophisticated ballroom. Along with the other image, it’s a showcase of the glamorous costumes and settings within writer-director Timothy Scott Bogart’s vision of Verona.

Rather than adapting the story of Romeo & Juliet as told by Shakespeare, Juliet & Romeo is directly based on the 1301 story that inspired the legendary tragedy. It’s meant to kick off a trilogy of musical features that expand the tale into a grand epic, throwing the most iconic lovers in all of fiction into a “journey of battles and betrayal” that will test their star-crossed bond. Black Mirror alum Clara Rugaard and The Last Supper star Jamie Ward will play the titular couple as they fight to ultimately turn the tides of history in their favor. All of it will be backed by original songs courtesy of Bogart’s Grammy Award-winning brother, Evan Kidd Bogart, who has previously penned megahits like Beyoncé‘s “Halo.”

“Romeo & Juliet is one of the most romantic stories ever told. And the challenge for any storyteller is to find a different colour that they can add. To work from a different palette,” the director Bogart said about the hurdles of tackling The Bard’s most famous story. In his eyes, the goal of Juliet & Romeo was to use the difference in music to help ground the story in our time, rather than completely modernize the setting, as was done for Baz Luhrmann‘s adaptation in 1996. He sees the new pop soundtrack as a potential bridge between the poetry of Shakespeare and that of the modern day, adding:

“To me, what Shakespeare did was to express the poetry of his time. So, in searching for the poetry of our time, we turn to music… Original Pop Music, as a way to truly dive into our character’s journeys – which I believe makes our film different than any other version that’s ever been done before. The greatest love story of all time, set to the greatest music of our time.”

‘Juliet & Romeo’ Boasts a Star-Studded Cast for a Star-Crossed Story

In addition to Wilson and the two star-crossed lovers, Juliet & Romeo is loaded with talent bringing to life the Montagues, the Capulets, and every other player from the original tale. Jason Isaacs, Rupert Everett, Rupert Graves, Dan Fogler, and Derek Jacobi are among the industry and stage veterans on board, while Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Nicholas Podany, and Grammy-winners Tayla Parx and Ledisi round out the bunch. While Bogart has high praise for the entire group, Wilson was a standout in his mind because of how her experiences with motherhood helped define her portrayal of Juliet’s complicated mom:

“The key to all of this was finding a cast that could bring all these wonderful themes and relationships to life. Casting the remarkable Rebel Wilson as Juliet’s mom, Lady Capulet, we are able to explore that mother and daughter relationship like never before. Rebel’s extraordinary portrayal—whose own complex experience of motherhood profoundly shapes the lives of history’s most legendary lovers, just elevated everything!”

For Wilson, who is most recently coming off her musical comedy directorial debut, The Deb, the timing of the role of Lady Capulet couldn’t be more perfect, thanks to her recent parenthood. “It was a really interesting and creative opportunity to play Lady Capulet in this film. I was playing a famous mother after just becoming a mother myself,” she said. Beyond the personal connection she felt to the role, it was also an opportunity to do something very different from what she’s known for on-screen, all against the backdrop of a strong cast of actors seasoned and up-and-coming, and a vaunted production team that included three-time Oscar-winning production designer Dante Ferretti and The Lego Movie‘s Justin Grey, who helped create the original songs with Evan Kidd Bogart. Wilson continued:

“But overall I was attracted to this project because of the excellent music and the chance to play really against type as an actress. Filming on location in ancient castles in Italy was very special as well – not to mention the stellar cast: Rupert, Jason, Sir Derek and the young talented cast who I just love and know they have an amazing future ahead of them.”

Juliet & Romeo will be in theaters throughout the U.K. for one night only on June 11, along with a special pre-recorded Q&A featuring a mix of the film’s rising stars and industry veterans. Check out the exclusive images in the gallery above.