Lionsgate Adapting Stan Lee’s Romeo & Juliet: The War Graphic Novel

Back in 2011, Stan Lee and 1821 Comics published a futuristic science-fiction take on the classic Shakespeare play with Romeo and Juliet: The War.

Now it’s learned the graphic novel is getting adapted into a movie.

“What a treat it is to finally announce our partnership with Lionsgate on a project,” said Lee, reports Variety. “The story of Romeo and Juliet is one of my absolute favorites, and I can’t wait to bring our rendition of this classic to life.”

The Romeo and Juliet: The War movie is being written by screenwriter John J. Griffin, with Paris Kasidokostas-Latsis and Terry Dougas of 1821 Media producing. Stan Lee and Gill Champion of POW! will executive produce, and Erik Feig and James Myers will oversee the project for Lionsgate.

“Given their success with franchises such as The Hunger Games and Divergent series, Lionsgate is the perfect partner to adapt this graphic novel which is rich in visuals and set in an incredible, futuristic world,” Kasidokostas-Latsis and Dougas said.

The Romeo and Juliet: The War graphic novel was published in a limited giant edition format that set the Guinness World Record for the largest graphic novel. You can purchase it on Amazon.

I interviewed Stan Lee back in 2011 at the NYCC about the book, and the crowd around Stan Lee got so big, that the NYPD threatened to shut him down (it was crazy!). Check out the trailer narrated by Stan Lee below.

ROMEO AND JULIET: THE WAR story takes Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers and places them in the futuristic sci-fi/fantasy Empire of Verona, the most powerful territory on Earth. The MONTAGUES, powerful cyborgs made of artificial DNA, and the CAPULETS, genetically enhanced humans known for their speed and agility, worked in tandem to destroy all threats to the city. With no one left to fight, the Montagues and Capulets found themselves a new enemy: each other. 

Romeo and Juliet The War graphic novel trailer narrated by Stan Lee: