Steinfeld, Booth begin work on 'Romeo'

NEW YORK, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- Hailee Steinfeld and Douglas Booth have begun work in Italy on the latest film version of Shakespeare's tragic romance "Romeo and Juliet," producers said.

Ileen Maisel of Amber Entertainment and Nadja Swarovski of Swarovski Entertainment Ltd. announced Friday principal photography has begun.

The film's cast also includes Damian Lewis, Stellan Skarsgard, Paul Giamatti, Natascha McElhone, Lesley Manville, Ed Westwick, Tomas Arana, Laura Morante and Kodi Smit-McPhee.

Carlo Carlei is directing the film from a screenplay by "Downton Abbey" creator and "Gosford Park" scribe Julian Fellowes.

"Every generation is interested in love," Fellowes said in a statement. "I mean, there is something about young love that is heartbreaking, and I think every teenager in the world would agree. All of that is very powerful. The point about teenage love is it's before cynicism comes in to reshape one's attitudes. You love when you're young in a way that you'll probably never love again."