Director Baz Luhrmann’s film adaptation Romeo And Juliet won a slew of awards and became a cult classic when it was released in 1996.
However it turns out the film’s breakout star, Leonardo DiCaprio, who hadn’t yet become a household name, wasn’t all that impressed with the script at first.
Speaking to Stellar Magazine, Romeo And Juliet’s screenwriter, Craig Pearce, says the Leonardo, now 46, who was up for the role of Romeo, didn’t think it worked.
Changes: Romeo And Juliet screenwriter Craig Pearce (pictured) the film’s breakout star, Leonardo DiCaprio, wasn’t all that impressed with the script at first
Craig explained: ‘We persuaded him to come to Australia to do a workshop while we were writing the screenplay.
‘He didn’t know if he wanted to commit to the film or not yet because it sounded so strange – Shakespeare with guns and cars.
‘At that time, the script was still a bit ridiculous, too; it wasn’t really a world that you believed could be a functioning society.
Ideas: Speaking to Stellar Magazine, Romeo And Juliet’s screenwriter, Craig Pearce, says the Leonardo, now 46, who was up for the role of Romeo, didn’t think it worked. Leo is pictured in the 1996 film Romeo And Juliet
Craig said: ‘The script was still a bit ridiculous, too; it wasn’t really a world that you believed could be a functioning society. Afterwards, he was like, “It’s kind of really cool when you’re not trying to be cool, but when you’re trying to be cool, it’s not.”‘ Pictured with Claire Danes
‘Afterwards, he was like, “It’s kind of really cool when you’re not trying to be cool, but when you’re trying to be cool, it’s not.”‘
The comments from the plucky young actor led to script changes for the better.
Craig admitted: ‘He was right. So we wrote for months more, he came and did another workshop, which we filmed and this time we’d got it.’
In a 1997 interview with ID magazine, Leo admitted he had doubts at first.
‘The film’s director, Baz Luhrmann, initially gave me a script and, at the time, I didn’t really think I really wanted to do a traditional version of Romeo and Juliet.
Craig admitted: ‘He was right. So we wrote for months more, he came and did another workshop, which we filmed and this time we’d got it’
‘Then I went out to Australia to do a workshop with him and he told me about the new ideas he wanted to bring to the movie; a lot of the religious themes, the cars, the guns instead of the swords and a lot of the elaborate costumes.
‘I wasn’t sure then how it would all work out,’ he said, adding, ‘I have to say, the first time I knew it was working was the first day of work. It actually seemed more natural, more “meant to be” than a traditional version.’
The film, which also stars Clare Danes as Juliet, went on to win a number of awards, including the BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
He did good! The film, which also stars Clare Danes as Juliet, went on to win a number of awards, including the BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Leo is pictured recently