We’ve got a few release date announcements to share.  Briefly:

• Jobs – The biopic starring Ashton Kutcher—which was initially slated to open this past April—has been set for release on August 16th opposite Kick-Ass 2, the historical drama The Butler, and the thriller Paranoia.  Read Matt’s review of the film from Sundance here.
• Romeo and Juliet – Relativity Media has slated director Carlo Carlei’s Shakespeare adaptation for a limited release on September 6th.  Hailee Steinfeld, Douglas Booth, and Paul Giamatti star.
• Homefront – Written by Sylvester Stallone, the long-delayed actioner starring Jason Statham, James Franco, and Winona Ryder will open on October 4th opposite Sin City 2, the sci-fi pic Gravity, and the thriller Out of the Furnace.
• Selfless – Director Tarsem’s film about a dying man whose consciousness is transferred into a younger body will open on September 26, 2014. Ryan Reynolds stars.

The first trailer for director Carlo Carlei’s adaptation of Romeo & Juliet has landed online.  Written by Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey, Gosford Park), the film stars Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) as Juliet and Douglas Booth (The Pillars of the Earth) as Romeo, with a rather impressive supporting cast that includes Paul Giamatti, Stellan Skarsgard, and Homeland’s Damian Lewis.  Carlei maintains the original setting of Shakespeare’s play and looks to be taking a rather classical approach to the storytelling.  Following a rather awkward opening with “movie trailer guy” reciting Shakespeare, the clip sufficiently teases the romantic and intense aspects of Shakespeare’s source material.  However, with a story that’s been told countless times, it’s tough to be excited by a new adaptation unless its told in an original or interesting fashion.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer.  The film also stars Ed Westwick, Kodi Smit-McPhee (Let Me In) and Natascha McElhone.  Romeo & Juliet is set for release in the U.K on July 26th, but a US distribution deal has yet to be made.

LAIKA’s awesome 3D stop-motion feature, ParaNorman opens this Friday.  Directed by Chris Butler and Sam Fell, the film centers on a young boy who can see the dead and must use this gift to lift a curse that threatens his small town.  ParaNorman features the voices of Kodi-Smit McPhee, Anna Kendrick, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, John Goodman, Casey Affleck, Leslie Mann, Jodelle Ferland and more.  For more on the film, here’s six clips, a very cool featurette called Time Lapse, and all our previous coverage.

At the recent Los Angeles press day I spoke to Kodi-Smit McPhee.  We talked about making ParaNorman, his reaction to the finished film, how the script change along the way, what surprised him about the recording process, and upcoming projects like The Congress, Romeo and Juliet and A Birder’s Guide to Everything.  Hit the jump to watch.

The first images from Carlo Carlei‘s Romeo and Juliet have gone online.  The film retains the original setting of Shakespeare’s play, but the tone is aimed at wooing the Twilight crowd.   Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) stars as Juliet, and Douglas Booth (The Pillars of the Earth) is her fair Romeo.  I’m not sure how Carlei plans to reconcile what’s arguably a “dated” setting with a modern attitude, but I like the look of the film, I’m eager to see Steinfeld’s follow up to True Grit, and the great supporting cast includes Paul Giamatti, Stellan Skarsgard, Damian Lewis, and Natascha McElhone.  Bring on the star-crossed lovers.

Hit the jump to check out the images.  The movie currently has no U.S. release date, but it’s set to open in the U.K. on February 14, 2013.

Television’s Homeland star Damian Lewis has been cast in the adaptation of Romeo and Juliet directed by Carlo Carlei (The Flight of the Innocent). Production is currently underway in Italy, with Paul Giamatti recently joining as Friar Lawrence and with Hailee Steinfeld and Douglas Booth playing the star-crossed lovers. Lewis has been cast as Lord Capulet in the strict adaptation written by Oscar-winner Julian Fellowes of Gosford Park and Downton Abbey fame. The film, aimed at drawing in a younger audience, also stars Ed Westwick as Tybalt and Kodi Smit-McPhee as Benvolio. Hit the jump to see who else has recently joined the cast of Romeo and Juliet.

We’ve got a couple of casting stories for you this morning. First up, Paul Giamatti has joined the cast of Carlo Carlei’s period adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Production begins in Italy this month, and Variety reports that Giamatti will be playing Friar Lawrence in the strict adaptation. Hailee Steinfeld is onboard as Juliet, while Douglas Booth will play her fair Romeo. The age-appropriate cast also includes Ed Westwick (Gossip Girl) as Tybalt and Kodi Smit-McPhee (Let Me In) as Benvolio. The adaptation was written by Gosford Park and Downton Abbey scribe Julian Fellowes, so we should be in for a good deal of English wordplay (huzzah!). Giamatti will next be seen in the star-studded musical Rock of Ages.

Additionally, Martin Freeman, Tim Curry, and Noel Clarke (Kidulthood) have been set to lend their voices to the animated pic Saving Santa. The film is the first animated effort from Gateway Films (Anuyahood) and Variety reports that the story centers on a clumsy elf who discovers the secret of Santa’s time travel device and sets out on a journey to save Santa’s kingdom after its location is discovered by an evil character. Finally, someone is doing a Santa Claus time travel story. Freeman is currently filming the two-part adaptation of The Hobbit.

It appears that director Carlo Carlei has finally found his Romeo. British actor Douglas Booth (LOL) has been cast in the lead opposite Hailee Steinfeld who will play Juliet in Carlei’s adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Variety reports that 19-year-old Booth beat out 300 other actors who were vying for the part. Ed Westwick is set to play Tybalt, with 14-year-old Kodi Smit-McPhee (Let Me In) on board as Benvolio. Apparently babies were considered too chubby to take on the roles in this extremely young cast.

Italian director Carlei (Flight of the Innocent) will helm from a script by Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park), who is also producing the film. Shooting is set to begin this summer in Italy. In addition to the aforementioned actors, Holly Hunter is set to play Nurse. The role of Mercutio has yet to be cast.

And the casting stories keep on coming. 14-year-old Kodi Smit-McPhee (Let Me In) is in early negotiations to join Carlo Carlei’s adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Variety reports that he’s being eyed for the role of Benvolio, Romeo’s cousin. Hailee Steinfeld is attached to star as Juliet, with Ed Westwick poised to play Tybalt and Holly Hunter set to take on the role of The Nurse. Italian director Carlei (Flight of the Innocent) will helm from a script by Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park). The key roles of Romeo and Mercutio have yet to be cast, but production is set to begin this summer in Italy.

Additionally, Corbin Bernsen has joined the cast of the indie gambling comedy Lay the Favorite. Based on the memoir of Beth Raymer, the flick stars Rebecca Hall, Bruce Willis, Vince Vaughn and Catherine Zeta-Jones. The story centers on Raymer’s rise from a Las Vegas cocktail waitress to one of the world’s best gamblers. Variety reports that Bernsen will play Hall’s father in the flick. Stephen Frears (High Fidelity) is directing from a script by D.V. De Vincentis. I’m a big fan of Frears, and the cast he’s turning out is pretty impressive. Hit the jump to read a synopsis of the novel.

Because it’s been almost 15 years since Baz Lurhmann’s Romeo + Juliet, and Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes are all old now, it’s apparently time to make a new version of William Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy. Hailee Steinfeld is set to star as Juliet in the adaptation, set to be directed by Italian filmmaker Carlo Carlie (Flight of the Innocent). Now, Variety reports that Gossip Girl star Ed Westwick is in final negotiations to star as Tybalt in the indie. Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park) wrote the screenplay and Holly Hunter recently joined the cast as The Nurse. The role of Romeo has yet to be cast. Production is set to begin this summer in Italy.

Holly Hunter has signed a deal to star in Still I Rise, a look at the public education crisis in America.  Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis star as “two frustrated mothers who team up to transform an inner-city public school.”  Isaac recently joined the cast as  a “sexy, ukulele-playing teacher” who romances and inspires Gyllenhaal’s character.  Hunter will play the head of the teacher’s union.  Director Daniel Barnz (Beastly) is now polishing a rewrite of the original Brin Hill screenplay.  Production on the Walden Media/Fox collaboration begins next week in Pittsburgh.

Likewise, Hunter is likewise in negotiations to join the cast of a new Romeo and Juliet movie.  True Grit star Hailee Steinfeld is attached to play Juliet — at 14 years of age, Steinfeld hews closer to the 13-year-old girl Shakespeare described.  Italian director Carlo Carlie (Flight of the Innocent) will direct from a screenplay by Julian Fellowes (The Tourist).  The $15 million production is expected to begin filming soon in Italy.  Deadline doesn’t specify, but my guess is Hunter is in talks to play either Lady Capulet (Juliet’s mother) or Lady Montague (Romeo’s mother).

Still I Rise will be Hunter’s first feature film since 2005, following a brief detour in to television with Saving Grace.

It’s been a few years since we’ve seen a “hip” take on a Shakespeare classic, so we were due.  Shawn Levy, director/producer of Date Night and the upcoming Real Steel, has made a deal with Fox 2000 to produce an update of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, adapted from the novel Rosaline by Rebecca Serle .  Deadline reports that “this is a contemporary version set in a high school, and the famed story is told from the vantage point of Rosaline, the jilted ex-girlfriend of Romeo.” Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber will be writing the screenplay for the film.

Neustadter and Weber also wrote the refreshingly original (500) Days of Summer, as well as the less than refreshingly original Pink Panther 2.  Levy recently wrapped filming the Steven Spielberg-produced action/sci-fi flick Real Steel, with Hugh Jackman playing the lead.  Hit the jump for a bit more on the film.