Meet Romeo’s Ex, Rosaline.
The story of Romeo & Juliet has been told in so many ways that it's hard to imagine a new and interesting version of the story. We’ve seen it play out in the streets of New York with West Side Story, in the midst of a zombie apocalypse with Warm Bodies, and even with garden gnomes in Gnomeo & Juliet. One perspective that hasn’t been thoroughly depicted is that of Rosaline. Mentioned by name once or twice at the beginning of the play, she is the ex Romeo is hung up on until he meets Juliet. Hulu’s exciting new comedy Rosaline finally offers her unique perspective on how emotional and absurd it is to have your own cousin destroy her life for your ex. For anybody who can’t wait to see Rosaline make her on-screen debut, here’s everything we know about how, when, and where you can watch this new Shakespearian comedy.
Rosaline will be released on October 14th. It will not have a theatrical release and will instead enjoy an exclusive streaming release. In the US, the film will be released on Hulu. Internationally, the film will be released on Disney+. Hulu subscriptions start at $6.99 a month. Meanwhile, Disney+ subscriptions start at $7.99 a month.
Watch on Hulu
Unfortunately, for those who don't have a Hulu subscription or a Disney+ account outside the US, you won't be able to stream Rosaline without access to one of the streaming services.
Rosaline is a fresh and comedic twist on Shakespeare’s classic love story “Romeo & Juliet,” told from the perspective of Juliet’s cousin Rosaline, who also happens to be Romeo’s recent love interest. Heartbroken when Romeo meets Juliet and begins to pursue her, Rosaline schemes to foil the famous romance and win back her guy.
The trailer for Rosaline was released on September 22nd. It opens with Rosaline narrating the famous epitaph for the Romeo & Juliet play, calling it “the greatest love story ever told”. The camera hovers over the famous balcony scene and after a pause we see Rosaline hiding in the bushes as she continues her narration and says “was missing a chapter”. Rosaline seems to be the only person bothered by Romeo and Juliet’s behavior. Not only is he wooing Juliet with the same words he told her, but they were going to tear their families apart. Midway through the trailer, Rosaline reveals her plan to break up the relationship and subsequently finds herself more involved in the relationship than she could have ever imagined. She even helps Juliet out when she tests out her infamous sleeping potion.
Rosaline’s cast is practically a who’s who of up-and-coming Gen Z talent. As the titular character, Kaitlyn Dever packs a punch. Dever first came to prominence for her role in the ABC sitcom Last Man Standing as well as her portrayal of a troubled teenager in Short Term 12 with Brie Larson. Since then, her career has bounced between comedy and drama as she has starred in teen comedy hits like Booksmart as well as the crime drama Unbelievable. As her cousin Juliet, Dever is accompanied by Isabel Merced. Merced got her start in the TV series Dora and Friends: Into the City! and went on to star in the film Dora and the Lost City of Gold. Since then, she has booked roles in Father of the Bride as well as the upcoming Marvel film Madame Web.
Kyle Allen stars as Romeo. Audiences might remember Allen from his recurring role in American Horror Story: Apocalypse or his more recent role as a member of the Jets in West Side Story. Rounding out the supporting cast are veteran actors Bradley Whitford as Friar Lawrence and Minnie Driver as the nurse. Whitford is famous for his roles in The West Wing as well as the more recent horror film Get Out. Meanwhile, Driver first came to prominence with her Oscar-nominated role in Good Will Hunting and has since enjoyed success with films like Ella Enchanted and The Phantom of the Opera.
The director of Rosaline is Karen Maine. Maine first came to prominence for her role as a co-writer on the indie hit comedy, Obvious Child. The Jenny Slate vehicle followed a young stand-up comic who, while recovering from a breakup, finds herself needing to get an abortion after a one-night stand. Maine’s ability to mix feminist talking points with funny and human stories was clear from the start. She made her directorial debut with Yes, God, Yes, based on her own short film of the same name. Starring Stranger Things’ Natalie Dyer, it tells the story of a Catholic teenage girl growing up in the Midwest in the 2000s as she discovers masturbation. Since then, she directed the first season of Starstruck, a screwball comedy about a New Zealand comedian living in London. In her sophomore film effort, Maine looks set to burst through to the mainstream with this hot take on a classic tale.
While this movie may be the first to refocus this classic Shakespearian tale onto Rosaline, it’s certainly not the first to reimagine Shakespeare in a more modern and hilarious world. While you wait for Rosaline to come out, check out the movies that made Shakespeare accessible, relevant, and cool.
She’s the Man – This Amanda Bynes vehicle is the perfect choice for a relaxing night at home. Based on the Shakespeare comedy Twelfth Night, She’s The Man makes excellent use of Bynes’ comedy genius by modernizing this tale. The film follows Viola (Bynes), a soccer-obsessed girl who decides to pose as her brother at a new school when her school cuts the girls' team. Once there, she finds herself caught up in a lie that forces her to deny her feelings for her crush and become the object of affection of another girl. Many people today might have forgotten just how talented Amanda Bynes was and may even liken her to other over-the-top child actors with lots of energy and little skill, but She’s the Man disproves all those claims.
10 Things I Hate About You – No other teen movie can claim to have so many actors who would go on to become respected after they grew up. With cast members like Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gabrielle Union, and Julia Stiles, this remains endlessly watchable. Based on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, 10 Things I Hate About You follows two sisters: the popular Bianca and the outsider Kat. Since Bianca is not allowed to date until Kat does, the love-stricken Cameron devises a plan to get Kat to fall in love, so he can take Bianca out to the prom. Along the way, this comedy of errors provides romance, plot twists, and laugh-out-loud moments.
Get Over It – Today Kirsten Dunst is known for her more adult work with modern-day auteurs like Sofia Coppola, Jane Campion, and Lars Von Trier, but early on in her career, her filmography was populated by smart and inventive teen comedies like Bring It On and Get Over It. Based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the movie centers on Berke Landers (Ben Foster), a popular high school basketball star who gets dumped by his longtime girlfriend Allison. He enlists his best friend’s sister Kelly (Dunst) to help him get into the school musical and win Allison back but soon finds himself in the middle of a complicated love triangle. Along with Dunst and Foster, Martin Short's supporting performance as the wacky drama teacher makes this one to watch!
I am Sofia Sheehan. I am a writer for Collider and have previously written for Boathouse Pictures. I also run a blog dedicated to Latin American film at www.thecinelatinoblog.com! I love Richard Linklater, Pedro Almodovar, and Asghar Farhadi!
How To Watch Rosaline Starring Kaitlyn Dever – Collider
