William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is one of the most iconic texts in all of literature, and one that’s been reinvented, reinterpreted, and updated countless times over the centuries. However, based on the title alone, you may not have guessed that Die in a Gunfight was indebted to the bard’s classic work.
The project took its time coming together, though, after the script initially made the 2010 Black List, with Zac Efron signing on to star and produce. By the time it escaped from development hell, Josh Hutcherson, Kaya Scodelario, Helen Hunt, Olivia Munn, and David Dastmalchian had all boarded the cast, but none of them appeared in the movie that actually got made.
Instead, Diego Boneta and Alexandra Daddario ended up taking the lead roles as Mary Rathcart and Ben Gibbon, star-crossed lovers from rival families that each control a New York City media empire. In the modern-day story, obstacles for the duo to overcome include hitmen, corruption, and corporate greed, but the idea was much better than the execution.
Die in a Gunfight wound up with a poor 17% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and flew almost completely under the radar after releasing in January of last year. However, it’s finally managed to capture an audience on streaming, with director Collin Schiffli’s blood-soaked romantic crime thriller currently ranking as the 11th most-watched title on the Paramount Plus global charts, as per FlixPatrol.
It’s an ambitious attempt at putting a fresh coat of paint on such a well-worn tale, but Die in a Gunfight ultimately fell well short of expectations.
