MOVIES - Oct. 23, 1992

On the Shelf: “Shakespeare in Love,” a comedy of mistaken identity written by Tom Stoppard and scheduled to star Julia Roberts, has been postponed indefinitely, Universal Pictures confirmed Thursday. The failure to find an actor to play Shakespeare was reported as the reason. Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis was said to have been considered for the role, but he reportedly declined. In the wake of that, the British tabloid press reported that Roberts quit the film. A spokeswoman for Roberts said the actress “would have liked Daniel to do it, of course,” but she denied Roberts has quit. “Julia is still interested. And she hopes that . . . if everybody’s schedule can be worked out, the film can be made.”