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Tag: Rosaline

  • ‘Rosaline:’ Sean Teale on Dario’s Relationship with Rosaline

    ‘Rosaline:’ Sean Teale on Dario’s Relationship with Rosaline

    This Friday, Hulu is set to debut a new take on the Romeo and Juliet tale with Rosaline. Focusing on Juliet’s cousin – and Romeo’s ex – Rosaline tells the story of Rosaline Capulet and her rocky relationship with Romeo Montague. While she knows the two could never truly be together due to their warring families, Rosaline can’t help but fall in love with Romeo. Unfortunately, though, she soon learns her love has since fallen for another – more specifically, her cousin, Juliet. While Rosaline goes on a journey to try and destroy the relationship between Romeo and Juliet, in hopes of winning him back, she finds what she originally wanted isn’t what she wants in the end. Instead, she learns the one she should be with has been under her nose the entire time. It’s a cute romance filled with plenty of chaotic moments, which proved to be enjoyable for some of the cast members.

    Last week, Disney hosted a virtual press conference for the film, and actor Sean Teale was asked why he believes Rosaline and Dario were the superior couple in the film. The actor noted that, while the character of Rosaline is charming, leading lady Kaitlyn Dever helps to sell her charm. “Like, she’s incredibly charming, Kaitlyn and Rosaline.  And also, sort of, there’s so much to her, you would not want to do anything other than find out more,” he explained. “But I think Dario, the thing that drew me to Dario is that something that I didn’t have, which is that he just doesn’t mind what anyone thinks of him or how he appears.  He is a certain way. And I do not possess that trait at all.  I’m scared about everyone’s opinion.  But Dario sort of manages to be a lot more progressive than a man would be in that time.”

    The differences between the two characters are great, but it’s these differences between them that help to pull them together. As Teale further explains, while Dario is a Renaissance man, he’s also incredibly progressive for his time. “And so of course he’s completely drawn to this, like, brilliant, funny, charismatic-driven, diligent, independent woman at a time where, you know, where that was not as easy to be or do,” he said. “So, it sort of becomes very obvious to him. They also wind each other up to no end. Which is super-fun.”

    Viewers can watch the relationship between Rosaline and Dario grow when Rosaline debuts on Hulu this Friday, Oct. 14th.

  • ‘Rosaline’: Kyle Allen on His “Dimwitted” Romeo’s Obsession

    ‘Rosaline’: Kyle Allen on His “Dimwitted” Romeo’s Obsession

    For centuries, Romeo and Juliet has been used as inspiration for what’s likely an incalculable number of stories about star-crossed lovers. From direct retellings such as 1936’s and 1968’s Romeo and Juliet and 1996’s William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet to reimaginings such as Gnomeo and Juliet and Warm Bodies, the love story of the titular characters has been etched into the collective consciousness of us all. The main beats of the story are fairly well-known as young students across the globe are exposed to it as part of their studies making the beginning, middle and end of Shakespeare’s play common knowledge.

    With an ending as traumatic and final as the one written by the Bard, a sequel to the story would be a tough nut to crack if one wanted to extend the story; however, prequels and/or concurrent stories focusing on other characters who survived the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues are fair game and that’s where Hulu found inspiration for their upcoming film Rosaline. The unseen character is the unrequited love of Romeo at the beginning of the play and the reason he ultimately decides to attend the Capulet party where he meets and falls in love with Juliet.

    Romeo’s quick change of heart upon seeing Juliet has often been seen as love at first sight but taken another way, it’s really just a young man who is a romantic and is in love with the idea of being in love. At a recent global press conference for Rosaline, actor Kyle Allen, who brings Romeo to life in the film, discussed that very topic.

    Romeo would fall in love with a stick if you’d let him. He’s completely obsessed with the concept and the idea of love. And other than that, that’s pretty much the entirety of his personality. He doesn’t have much else going on.

    Kyle Allen

    Allen goes on to describe Romeo as “dimwitted” which is a nice way of saying that for much of the time audiences are engaged with the character, his decisions aren’t made by his brain so much as…well, not his brain. What will this latest Romeo and Juliet-inspired tale add to the collective story? Fans can find out when Rosaline streams on Hulu, beginning October 14th.

  • Director Karen Maine on What Drew Her to ‘Rosaline’

    Director Karen Maine on What Drew Her to ‘Rosaline’

    Hulu is set to release a new take on the iconic Romeo and Juliet story later this week with Rosaline. The film, which is inspired by the book While You Were Mine, takes the focus off of the star-crossed lovers and instead focuses on Rosaline, Juliet’s cousin and Romeo’s ex-girlfriend. Last week, Disney held a virtual conference for the movie, featuring director Karen Maine and some of her excellent young cast, including leading lady, Kaitlyn Dever.

    When asked what had drawn her to the project, and how she was ultimately approached about it, Maine suggested Dever’s casting played a big role in her decision to sign on for the movie. “So, the script was sent to me, and I was told that Kaitlyn was attached to play the lead,” she said. “So immediately I was like, I love Kaitlyn and her work. Dying to work with her. She’s amazing. So, [I] read it. The script was amazing.”

    The script, of course, was penned by (500) Days of Summer writers Michael Weber and Scott Neustadter, two writer Maine has been a fan of for some time. After reading the script and seeing how they were incorporating a classic Renaissance period with modern language, she began to craft the story in her mind. “And the idea to, you know, set it in classic Renaissance period with this modern language and the modern sensibilities and themes just would create this, in my mind, this perfect juxtaposition of, you know, old and new that just really nailed the comedy and let it shine.  So that was really the goal.”

    For Maine, getting to work with Dever and craft a story as unique as Rosaline was a huge deal. But she also felt the music used in the movie was pretty important, too. In order to achieve her goal of expertly mixing old with new, Maine made it a point to include more modern music, as well as instruments that were used during the Renaissance period. “The music was really great too, because we’ve used modern elements like synth, but also a lot of old, kind of, period instruments from the time, like lutes and flutes and harpsichords and all that.  So, it’s all blended in there as well.  So, it’s really, you know, walking that line between old and new.”

    Rosaline begins streaming exclusively on Hulu beginning October 14th.

    KEEP READING: Review: ‘Rosaline’ is a unique spin to the Romeo and Juliet tale, delivering a delightfully chaotic love story sure to please.

  • ‘Rosaline:’ Kaitlyn Dever on How She Shaped Her Role

    ‘Rosaline:’ Kaitlyn Dever on How She Shaped Her Role

    William Shakespeare‘s story of star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, is widely known across the world. What some people might not know, though, was that in the original story, there was another person Romeo loved before Juliet – that person was none other than Rosaline. For leading lady Kaitlyn Dever, who takes on the role of Rosaline for the Hulu film, getting to know Rosaline from Shakespeare’s story was an important step in preparing for the role.

    During the virtual press conference for the movie, Dever explained that Rosaline’s limited role in the original story actually made it easier for her to develop the character. “She is mentioned in Romeo and Juliet. But she’s a very, very, very small role in the story,” Dever explained. “And so, because of that, it was actually a really exciting prospect because you can kind of do anything and everything you want to, and the character that I sort of created with Karen was kind of something that we just felt like you could go for it in so many ways.”

    Dever continued, noting that she had a ton of fun with the character. She got to enjoy her determination and fearlessness, while also having the chance to be more comedic in her delivery at times. “I just appreciated and admired her, you know, determination and her fearlessness and her drive. The writing is so brilliant,” she said. “It was really easy to kind of go there. But, I mean, it was so easy to just have the most fun and just be sort of outrageous sometimes, and sarcastic and comedic with this whole cast. It was really, really fun.”

    One of the things Dever, as well as the rest of the cast, had to be careful with was how far they were willing to take things. As the actress explained, it was all about balance because of the fact that Rosaline is “a lot.” Thankfully, director Karen Maine was there to help guide them all.

    I feel like it was always kind of, we were always exploring that and those tones.  And sort of, I feel like some days I was like, “Yeah, that was a lot.”  And Rosaline is a lot sometimes.  And that’s what’s so much fun about her in playing her. But I think you never really know, but I think, yeah, we did have, you know, Karen there as a constant guide. And she’s so good with direction and sort of allowing us to feel free in that.

    Dever

    Rosaline will premiere on Hulu this Friday, Oct. 14th, 2022.

  • REVIEW: ‘Rosaline’ is a Delightful ‘Romeo & Juliet’ Retelling

    REVIEW: ‘Rosaline’ is a Delightful ‘Romeo & Juliet’ Retelling

    There are few stories known as worldwide as that of Romeo and Juliet. The story of star-crossed lovers has been adapted countless times and referenced even more, and yet, despite the age-old story being so familiar, Hollywood still seems keen to try and find new ways to tell it. Enter Rosaline. Inspired by the book When You Were Mine by author Rebecca Serie, Rosaline offers a new spin on the romantic classic. This time around, it’s not Romeo and Juliet that take centerstage, but rather Juliet’s cousin, Rosaline – Romeo’s former lover.

    Rosaline, which is a comedic retelling with modern influences, stars the excellent Kaitlyn Dever as the titular character. Despite their warring families, Rosaline has found herself falling for Romeo Montague, although she knows her family can never know of their love. Little does she know, though, that her love has found himself smitten with someone else: her cousin, Juliet. And it’s not just puppy love, either. Gone are Romeo’s playboy ways as he spends his days chasing after Juliet and only Juliet. Eager to win back Romeo, Rosaline seeks to ruin things between Juliet and Romeo resulting in a chaotic love story that proves love is capable of driving us all a little mad.

    When it comes to Rosaline, Dever is easily the best part of the film and it’s clear she’s having a blast as the mischievous Rosaline. And while her on-screen chemistry with Romeo (Kyle Allen) is nearly non-existent, Dever is electric alongside Sean Teale‘s Dario. Every moment the duo share on screen is captivating; their dynamic is excellent and complements the less impressive relationship between Romeo (Allen) and Juliet (Isabela Merced). It’s hard to buy these two as Romeo and Juliet; they lack any kind of spark. Thankfully, even with sometimes stilted performance, what truly sells this take on the classic story is that the cast – or rather, most of the cast – is so willing to lean into the material. It takes more than simply adding modern bits to make something unique. Without a cast committed to the material, Rosaline would not have worked.

    While set in the renaissance era, Rosaline is very modern – from the language to the behaviors of its characters and the social standards, this isn’t the Romeo and Juliet story viewers are used to. Driven by modern music and a leading lady unwilling to give into society’s expectations of her, Rosaline is a delight to watch. Even more impressive, though, is that while Romeo and Juliet are featured in the film – the story we’ve come to know isn’t the story that plays out here. It’s far more realistic and entertaining, and it ultimately helps to drive Rosaline’s story forward.

    All in all, Rosaline is a breath of fresh air. It’s emotional, romantic and simply fun. Those eager for a fresh new take on the Romeo and Juliet lore will want to check out Rosaline. Dever delivers a hell of a performance as the titular character and Karen Maine (Yes, God, Yes) is a director to watch.