Camaron Engels, Francesca Noel to lead new 'Romeo and Juliet' adaptation

Budding actors Camaron Engels and Francesca Noel are set to play the respective titular roles in a new feature adaptation of "Romeo and Juliet".

Filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov and Igor Tsay, whose 2018 movie "Searching" starring John Cho received rave reviews, are backing the project, reported Variety.

Engels is best known for Netflix teen show "Malibu Rescue" and will also be seen in the streamer's upcoming series "Clickbait".

Noel appeared in the Sundance Labs film "Selah and the Spades".

The project, with the working title "R#J", is directed by Carey Williams. The director won a special jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 2018 for his short film "Emergency".

"I'm thrilled to be presenting a timeless classic in a never before seen fashion, and giving people of color an opportunity to see themselves onscreen in these iconic roles. There have been many versions of 'Romeo and Juliet', but there's never been one quite like this," Williams said.

The film is the first major project produced by Bekmambetov and Tsay's newly formed banner Interface Films.