Rachel Zegler teases involvement in upcoming adaptation of Romeo + Juliet alongside Heartstopper’s Kit Connor
Actors Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler sent fans into a frenzy on Instagram on Monday when they posted the letters R and J, respectively, on their pages, fueling speculation that they would collaborate on a new incarnation of Romeo and Juliet.
Connor, a 20-year-old London resident, posted the letter R, while Zegler, a 22-year-old New Jersey resident, posted the letter J, with interlocking halves of an addition mark on their posts.
Both tagged the posts from Verona, the story’s location, and added emoji captions of a heart and a dagger, lending credence to the speculation that they are working on the William Shakespeare classic.
One fan, referencing Zegler’s previous Golden Globe-winning performance as Maria in the 2021 Steven Spielberg film West Side Story, wrote, “Rachel playing Juliet and Maria is so ridiculously iconic.”
On Zegler’s page, MTV’s account read “WHAT IS HAPPENING RACHEL,” while Connor’s page reads, “Okay, now I’m really losing it;” said one fan: ‘Kit Conner and Rachel Zegler as Romeo and Juliet are you serious omg.’
Actors Kit Connor, 20, and Rachel Zegler, 22, sent fans into a frenzy on Instagram on Monday when they posted the letters R and J, respectively, on their pages, fueling speculation that they are teaming up on a new incarnation of Romeo and Juliet
Connor, a 20-year-old London resident, placed the letter R, while Zegler, a 22-year-old New Jersey resident, placed the letter J, with interlocking halves of an addition mark on their posts.
Another fan said, “OMG!! Is she doing Romeo & Juliet on Broadway or in a movie? Whatever this is, I’m so ready!’
One user commented on Connor’s page about the setup: ‘It should be an R for Romeo and half of a plus sign. I bet the female lead will upload the other half of the plus sign and the letter J.”
Broadway world reported Monday that “no details have been revealed about the specifics of the project.”
Some fans on social media believed the reference to the material was in reference to a production planned for the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University in Cambridge Massachusetts, directed by Diane Paulus, the outlet said.
A representative for the American Repertory Theater told the outlet that nothing would be announced in the near future.
Another headline-making version of Romeo & Juliet is scheduled to play in London’s West End at the Duke of York’s Theater, with Marvel actor Tom Holland and Francesca Amewudah-Rivers in the title roles.
Zegler has appeared in films in recent years, including 2023’s The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, which starred Lucy Gray Baird; Shazam! from 2023! Fury of the Gods as Anthea; and this year’s throwback comedy Y2K as Laura.
She has some high-profile projects on the horizon, as she’s set to play Snow White in a 2025 live-action adaptation of Snow White, starring Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen.
Fans took to Zegler’s page with comments on the post
A number of fans posted on Connor’s page in response to his post on Monday
In recent years, Zegler has appeared in films such as The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes; pictured at a screening of the film in New York on November 15, 2023
Connor’s career has been on the rise in recent years, as he stars as Nick Nelson in the Netflix romantic drama Heartstopper, opposite Joe Locke.
Connor’s career has been on the rise in recent years, as he stars as Nick Nelson in the Netflix romantic drama Heartstopper, opposite Joe Locke.
Connor has also appeared in films such as 2019’s Rocketman and the 2018 Spielberg film Ready Player One.
He will lend his vocal talents to the upcoming DreamWorks Animation film The Wild Robot, starring Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal and Stephanie Hsu.