Keira Knightley and Lily Collins circling Romeo and Juliet spin-off

When you hear the term “spin-off” you think about various characters getting their own shows. The Jeffersons, Fraiser, Joey. But to apply it to a story as classic as Romeo and Juliet? How exactly is that going to work? But that’s the premise of ROSALINE, which is the story of the woman Romeo professes his love for from afar, before he ditches her for Juliet.

The film is based on a book that isn’t out yet, but is already picking up steam to get made regardless of how that turns out. The story follows Rosaline as she falls in love with Romeo’s cousin Benvolio and will presumably run parallel to the events of the original.

The project is picking up steam as it has 500 DAYS OF SUMMER screenwriters Scott Neustader and Michael H. Weber attached, along with GREY GARDENS director Michael Sucsy on board. The titular Rosaline role is being sought after by Keira Knightley, apparently bored with no more zombie pirates to fight, and Lily Collins fresh off the Snow White movie that doesn’t have a title yet. Seriously, how hard is it to name a Snow White movie?

At the rate the film is going, it could even be out before the book, which would certainly be an odd turn of events.