The latest casting news on Fox 2000's rom-com Rosaline is that Lily Collins is in talks to star…again. Based on of Rebecca Serle's yet-to-be-published novel, When You Were Mine, the movie will take a less traditional look at William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet by focusing on what happened to the girl Romeo declared he loved so intensely, then abruptly abandoned: Rosaline. Back in August Collins and Keira Knightley were being considered for the title role, however, when a casting update came two months later, both were out and True Blood's Deborah Ann Woll was in - well, in talks anyway. At the time Dave Franco (Fright Night) and Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) were entering negotiations to play the legendary star-crossed lovers, but now Variety has announced that Steinfeld has walked away from the project and Collins has returned to the table for "early talks."
Notably, this time around she's not up for the role of Rosaline, as both Woll and Franco are still in talks. So, should she sign on, Collins would be playing Juliet. Though she's not as renowned as 15-year-old Oscar nominee Steinfeld, at 22, Collins would certainly be a more age-appropriate choice to play opposite 26-year-old Franco. Moreover, Collins, with her glamorous looks and seemingly effortless grace, could be a nice foil to Woll, who has established a keen ability for playing gorgeous yet gawky and loveable underdogs. Additionally, this could be a good opportunity for the Abduction star to explore her comedic talents, rather than taking on another dramatic role.
(500) Days of Summer screenwriters Scott Neustader and Michael H. Weber have been brought to adapt Serle's book into a dark comedy that is likely intended to be teen-friendly. Michael Sucsy, who helmed the box office hit The Vow, is slated to direct the film, which is set in 16th century Verona, but will offer a more contemporary style of dialogue. Between this anachronistic approach and the casting runaround, Rosaline seems troubled and potentially tortured. Nonetheless, my love of romance underdogs and re-imagined Shakespeare has me hopeful that this flick will shape up soon.
There's no word yet on when Rosaline could go into production, but Collins can be seen next in Mirror Mirror, which opens March 30th.
