Dead Romeo Treatment by Michael Newman AXE APOLLO CAMPAIGN
Tragedy with a Twist
Romeo and Juliet is the most famous love story in history. What if, instead of the two star-crossed lovers killing themselves over their lost love... Juliet overcame her grief after laying eyes upon a sailer of the stars (from the Greek, astronaut).
Act V, Scene iii, revisited
More specifically, this film begins in Juliet’s tomb, when she wakes up from pretending to be dead and discovers that her true love Romeo has already killed himself. Distraught, Juliet decides she must end her own life, and pulls out Romeo’s dagger, ready to stab herself to death- when she hears someone approaching, and sees the most incredible sight she’s ever laid eyes upon- an astronaut, walking down into the tomb, literally saving her life by his entrance. Juliet can’t help but find herself drawn to his foreign vestment, his dignified stride, the heroic aura that surrounds him. She runs toward him.. and he lifts up his helmet, revealing the face of a decent looking guy who was only made extraordinary since becoming an astronaut. There’s an instant connection, something so powerful and meaningful that both find themselves transported to a new place far away, perhaps beyond the stars.
1. Juliet’s alone, distraught over her dead beloved, in a creepy tomb...
2. Astronaut enters, Juliet drops the dagger, stops mourning
3. The start of something new
Story
Tone This film is slightly darker than the others BUT almost all audiences should recognize it as a “Romeo & Juliet” scene from the moment Juliet is saying Romeo’s name and crying over his body, and it should be clear that it is a comedy through performance and editing, particularly on the entrance of the astronaut and ensuing interaction between the astronaut and Juliet. We will use cutaways of Dead Romeo and his dead body juxtaposed with shots of the Astronaut to create a contrast building up Juliet’s choice, which is to die with her old love or pursue a life of fantastic adventure into the unknown with the astronaut. Target audience isn’t so much diehard Shakespeare fans; emphasis is much more on the astronaut and the idea of moving on from the greatest romance in history to something better: potential romance with an astronaut.
Production Challenges Dramatic low key lighting, stylized camera and detail-oriented production design are key to making this film work. A significant portion of pitch funding would likely go toward securing an appropriate location or using production design elements to create a tomb-like environment Care would have to be taken to ensure the scene is not too (unintentionally) melodramatic, we would want to hold additional auditions and rehearsals to work through material with actors to ensure everyone is on the same page
Why Shakespeare in this modern age? We want to do something that’s memorable and different, but taps into a cultural icon. You don’t expect to meet an astronaut in this context, which is what makes it effective.
Why this scene?
Almost all young guys have lost a Juliet to a Romeo somewhere in their lives. This helps us find catharsis, and reminds us that astronauts are awesome.
All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players: Except the astronauts; Because nothing beats an astronaut.