Canada's Max Parker Makes Acting Debut In Movie Musical 'Verona'

Canadian pop star Max Parker has just wrapped work on Verona, a musical feature based upon the classic Romeo & Juliet.

The 21-year-old Toronto native and former iHeartRadio Future Star had been in Italy since October working on the film, which stars Clara Rugaard, Jamie Ward, Rebel Wilson, Rupert Everett, Jason Isaacs, Rupert Graves, Dan Fogler and Derek Jacobi.

Parker is making his acting debut in the musical, which is scheduled to be in cinemas this Christmas. The film, described as the first in a trilogy, also stars Grammy-nominated songwriter Tayla Parx and Grammy winner Ledisi.

He plays Romeo's cousin Benvolio.

Director Timothy Scott Bogart told Deadline: “We’ve set out to tell the greatest love story of all time, set to the musical pulse of our time. But Shakespeare only told part of that remarkable tale whose events changed the course of history!”

Bogart’s brother Evan is scoring and producing the original music in the film.

(Their late father Neil Bogart founded Casablanca Records in 1973, which launched albums by acts like KISS, Village People, Donna Summer and Parliament. That story is told in next month’s Spinning Gold, which Timothy Scott Bogart also directed.)

Parker released his debut album 17 in 2021 – a collection that included the radio hit “Good Time” as well as “Fly Away (Feel Good)” and “Right Back Where We Started.” In 2020, Parker released an acclaimed cover of Queen's "Thank God It's Christmas."

“I feel fame is one of those things that comes along with hard work and perseverance and really focusing on the craft and taking the time to make art that’s going to hit other people out in the world,” Parker told iHeartRadio.ca in 2021.