| Romeo Must Die | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Andrzej Bartkowiak |
| Screenplay by |
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| Story by | Mitchell Kapner |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Glen MacPherson |
| Edited by | Derek G. Brechin |
| Music by | |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date | |
Running time | 115 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $25 million[3] |
| Box office | $91 million[3] |
Romeo Must Die is a 2000 American action film directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak in his directorial debut, and features fight choreography by Corey Yuen. The film stars Jet Li, Aaliyah (in her film debut), Isaiah Washington, Russell Wong, DMX, and Delroy Lindo. The film marks Aaliyah's only film that was released during her lifetime, before she was killed in a plane crash one year later on August 25, 2001. The plot is loosely related to William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, transplanted to contemporary Oakland with Black-American and Chinese-American gangs representing the feuding families.
Frustrated by the lack of originality in Hollywood action films, producer Joel Silver built the film around Hong Kong action films. He cast established Hong Kong actor Jet Li following his role in Lethal Weapon 4. R&B singer Aaliyah was cast and sung the soundtrack's lead single "Try Again" which topped the US Billboard Hot 100.
Romeo Must Die was released by Warner Bros. Pictures in the United States on March 24, 2000, where it received mixed reviews from critics, but was a box office success, grossing $91 million against a production budget of $25 million. The film was considered Li and Aaliyah's breakthrough in Hollywood.[4][5]
- ^ Basham, David (February 18, 2000). "Aaliyah, DMX, Ginuwine Pitch In for "Romeo" LP". MTV News. Archived from the original on May 14, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
- ^ Mitchell, Gail (March 4, 2000). "The Rhythm and the Blues". Billboard. p. 43. Archived from the original on July 14, 2023. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
- ^ a b "Romeo Must Die". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
- ^ Noxon, Christopher (July 4, 2001). "Taking a Fast-Track Career in Stride". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 1, 2011. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
- ^ Loayza, Beatrice (August 27, 2021). "The Imperfect Legacy of Romeo Must Die". Vulture. Vox Media. Archived from the original on October 11, 2021. Retrieved October 11, 2021.