Romeo and Juliet is one of the most iconic love stories in all of literature, and its popularity has only grown since it was first adapted into a film. The classic tale of star-crossed lovers from two feuding families has been retold countless times on both the big and small screens over the past century. From silent films to modern-day adaptations, Romeo and Juliet continues to captivate audiences with its timeless themes of love, tragedy, fate, loyalty, family honor, and forbidden romance.

The earliest known adaptation of Shakespeare's play was released in 1908 as a 15-minute short called "Romeo und Julia im Schnee" (or "Romeo & Juliet In The Snow"). Since then, there have been numerous other feature-length versions, including George Cukor's 1936 version starring Leslie Howard and Norma Shearer; Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 classic with Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey; Baz Luhrmann's 1996 take featuring Leonardo DiCaprio as Romeo; Carlo Carlei's 2013 remake starring Douglas Booth opposite Hailee Steinfeld; plus several television movies such as those by Robert Wise (1954), Alvin Rakoff (1978), and Alan Cooke (1981). All these different interpretations highlight how universal this story is—no matter what decade or genre it is made for, it continues to be relevant today.