 Romeo and Juliet has been adapted numerous times for stage , film , musical and opera venues . During the English Restoration , it was revived and heavily revised by William Davenant . David Garrick 's 18th @-@ century version also modified several scenes , removing material then considered indecent , and Georg Benda 's Romeo und Julie omitted much of the action , and added a happy ending . Performances in the 19th century , including Charlotte Cushman 's , restored the original text , and focused on greater realism . John Gielgud 's 1935 version kept very close to Shakespeare 's text , and used Elizabethan costumes and staging to enhance the drama . In the 20th and into the 21st century , the play has been adapted in versions as diverse as George Cukor 's 1935 film Romeo and Juliet , Franco Zeffirelli 's 1968 version Romeo and Juliet , and Baz Luhrmann 's 1996 MTV @-@ inspired Romeo + Juliet . 
