Robert Eggers eyes Romeo and Juliet for Focus Features

Robert Eggers is in talks to direct and produce a new take on William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet for Focus Features, with the deal not yet finalised, Deadline confirmed on 22 September.

Details of his version are under wraps. The project was competitively sought after by buyers before landing at Focus.

Focus won a bidding war for the adaptation, according to The Hollywood Reporter, which first reported the news. Deadline then confirmed the project.

The deal would reunite Eggers with Focus Features, the company behind much of his work to date. That history includes Nosferatu, his version of the story inspired by the F. W. Murnau classic.

Nosferatu earned Oscar nominations in four craft categories. It grossed nearly US$182 million worldwide, making it Eggers' top-grossing film to date, Deadline reported.

His next film is already set. Werwulf will also be released by Focus Features and opens in the United States on Christmas Day.

The film stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson as a farmer turned werewolf in 14th century England. It keeps Eggers in period territory before any move to Shakespeare.

Eggers also has a previously announced Labyrinth sequel for TriStar Pictures and The Jim Henson Company. No dates or casting details for Romeo and Juliet have been disclosed.

What makes this stand out is the match of material and film-maker. Shakespeare's lovers have been staged and filmed for centuries. A new screen version from a director focused on historical settings gives audiences something distinct to wait for.