IT'S a movie starring a pair of 'star-cross'd lovers', the story of Juliet and her Gnomeo.

And the new Disney cgi animated blockbuster depicting Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet as indoor and outdoor gnomes set to grace our big screens from February 11 is the brainchild of a Newport man.

John Smith and his screenwriting partner first came up with the idea more than 11 years ago.

Fast forward to 2011 and “Gnomeo and Juliet” is being released in cinemas worldwide next month starring the voices of the likes of James McAvoy as Gnomeo, Emily Blunt as Juliet, Maggie Smith, Patrick Stewart, Ozzy Osbourne and Michael Caine.

To add to the star-studded film, its executive producer is none other than Elton John.

Mr Smith, 47, who now lives in Battersea, was a student at the Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff, in 1999 when after originally wanting to become an actor, he realised his talents were in script writing.

Along with his writing partner, Rob Sprackling, he came up with the unique idea for a new film and together they wrote a script.

But after taking it to a Los Angeles agent, Mr Smith, formerly of Ringland, was turned away due to the agent not understanding what garden gnomes were.

The former Hartridge High pupil said: "We ended up putting the script in a drawer and forgetting about it for a year."

But then the pair decided to make some changes to the script before sending it to some London agents who passed it onto Elton John’s film production company Rocket Pictures.

This led to Disney buying the script and a number of other writers working on it over the years to produce the final product, with a budget rumoured in movie making circles of $25 million.

Mr Smith, who also wrote the script for film Mike Bassett: England Manager, went to see the film being premiered in Hollywood this week.

He said: "It was quite amazing to see my idea being premiered to all these stars in Hollywood. I am extremely proud."

Film will bring bard to the garden

We thought we'd adapt some of the most famous Romeo and Juliet quotations just for the film:

  • But soft, what light through yonder shed breaks?
  • For never was a story of more hoe Than this of Juliet and her Gnomeo.
  • A pair of star-cross'd lawn-mowers take their life; Whose misadventured piteous overthrows Do with their death bury their parents' strife.