James McAvoy and Emily Blunt are in talks to play the title roles of Gnomeo and Juliet, a CGI-animated Shakespeare adaptation from Miramax and Elton John's Rocket Pictures.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film will feature several John classics but not Kate Winslet, who was first attached to voice Juliet two years ago and fell out because of scheduling conflicts. Tim Rice also was approached to write original songs with his "Lion King" partner John at the time, but the soundtrack now will be filled with the performer's well-known hits and possibly a few new tracks.

In the loose and edgy adaptation of Shakespeare's play, McAvoy (Atonement) and Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada) would play lovers from rival gardens.

Kelly Asbury will direct from an original script by Rob Sprackling and John R. Smith. Kevin Cecil, Andy Riley and Mark Burton have worked on later versions of the screenplay. Now in the storyboard stage, production is expected to be completed by 2010.