Upcoming post-Chicago musicals?
06-29-03, 12:44 PM
#1
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Upcoming post-Chicago musicals?
I hear that Mirimax has closed deals on both Pippin and a new Guys and Dolls...
I also read in some recent article that Speilberg is "salivating" over the rights to Sweeny Todd, which scares the crap out of me, since it's the one opera/musical I respect most in the world, and don't want the music ruined...
Are there other big musicals in the works, Broadway or otherwise?
I also read in some recent article that Speilberg is "salivating" over the rights to Sweeny Todd, which scares the crap out of me, since it's the one opera/musical I respect most in the world, and don't want the music ruined...
Are there other big musicals in the works, Broadway or otherwise?
06-29-03, 03:19 PM
#4
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Originally posted by Groucho
From Justin to Kelly came out last weekend. I haven't seen it, but the one person in the forum who did seemed to love it.
From Justin to Kelly came out last weekend. I haven't seen it, but the one person in the forum who did seemed to love it.
06-29-03, 10:24 PM
#6
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Rent has been optioned for years, but no one has made it yet (perhaps because it still makes money on Broadway runs?)
I'd like to see Rent or a take on the original, La Boheme. (Not Baz Lurmann's - all of his stuff IMO is too over the top and gaudy).
I'd like to see Rent or a take on the original, La Boheme. (Not Baz Lurmann's - all of his stuff IMO is too over the top and gaudy).
06-29-03, 11:07 PM
#7
DVD Talk Legend
I don't know about the actual movies, but here is a list of actors and actresses, at least four of whom I would almost be willing to bet you'll see crooning a few tunes before this fad is over.
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez in a vanity project
Julia Roberts
Brad Pitt
Reese Witherspoon
Ashton Kutcher
Josh Hartnett
Katie Holmes-already taking lessons
Kirsten Dunst
Vin Diesel
Well, maybe not Vin, but that would be amusing! Bear in mind I would not want to see ANY of the above attempt a musical, but Hollywood went through a Western "revival" fad in the early-mid nineties, so put nothing past them.
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez in a vanity project
Julia Roberts
Brad Pitt
Reese Witherspoon
Ashton Kutcher
Josh Hartnett
Katie Holmes-already taking lessons
Kirsten Dunst
Vin Diesel
Well, maybe not Vin, but that would be amusing! Bear in mind I would not want to see ANY of the above attempt a musical, but Hollywood went through a Western "revival" fad in the early-mid nineties, so put nothing past them.
06-30-03, 04:56 PM
#8
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Thread Starter
Originally posted by Dr. DVD
Well, maybe not Vin, but that would be amusing! Bear in mind I would not want to see ANY of the above attempt a musical, but Hollywood went through a Western "revival" fad in the early-mid nineties, so put nothing past them.
Well, maybe not Vin, but that would be amusing! Bear in mind I would not want to see ANY of the above attempt a musical, but Hollywood went through a Western "revival" fad in the early-mid nineties, so put nothing past them.
06-30-03, 05:35 PM
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I was told or heard in an interview that the Coen brothers were going to write a musical. I highly doubt that it is Intolerable Cruelty (judging from what the preview are saying). It might be their next project.
06-30-03, 06:02 PM
#10
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Originally posted by Rypro 525
Joel Schumacher is planning on doing phantom of the opera.
Joel Schumacher is planning on doing phantom of the opera.
06-30-03, 06:51 PM
#12
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Here is an article on all the new movie musicals in the works:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...ovies_eo/12051
"Chicago" Inspires Musical Madness
Wed Jun 25, 6:55 PM ET
By Joal Ryan
First came Chicago-style pizza. Now, Chicago-style movies.
Miramax, which dominated last March's Oscars with the jazz-age showtuner, is back in the musical business, penciling Damn Yankees into its lineup.
Also in the works, according to reports: a Guys and Dolls redo and big-screen renderings of Pippin and Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd. Like Damn Yankees, Guys & Dolls and Pippin are being eyed by Miramax, with Sweeney Todd being cooked up at rival DreamWorks.
So far, only Damn Yankees is official. Miramax announced Wednesday it's acquired the movie rights to the Broadway favorite. The studio assigned Neil Meron and Craig Zadan, late of Chicago, to produce.
Too soon for word on cast or a director. Not that he needs the push, but it should be noted Oscar-nominated Chicago helmer Rob Marshall has a working knowledge of the material--he choreographed the hit 1994 revival starring Bebe Neuwirth and Alias' Victor Garber and, later, Jerry Lewis.
The baseball-themed Damn Yankees, not to be confused with the redneck-themed Ted Nugent-Tommy Shaw band, debuted on Broadway in 1955, telling the story of a middle-aged baseball fan so sick of seeing his beloved Washington Senators lose to the expletive-deleted pinstripers that he sells his soul to the devil for a sweet swing and a chance to settle his grudge on the field. Hit songs included "Heart" (as in "You gotta have...") and "Whatever Lola Wants."
The show, originally choreographed by Chicago boss Bob Fosse, won seven Tony Awards. It was made into a 1958 movie with stage stars Ray Walston and Gwen Verdon reprising their roles as the devil and the devil's temptress, Lola, respectively. Screen-dream Tab Hunter played armchair athlete Joe Hardy.
"I see us updating Damn Yankees, modernizing it and really having fun with the role of the devil," Miramax main man Harvey Weinstein said in a statement.
To be sure, Damn Yankees needs some tweaks. The lowly Senators that so bewitched Joe Hardy folded after the 1959 season, morphing into the Minnesota Twins in 1961. Since today's playoff-caliber Twins bear little resemblance to their inept forefathers, modern-day audiences will need an all-new bad team with which to relate. Fortunately, that's why God made the Detroit Tigers.
Elsewhere on the musical circuit, Miramax is looking to tap the producing team of Meron and Zadan to roll the dice on a new version of Guys and Dolls, if the studio can seal the deal.
Frank Loesser's Tony-winning ode to New York gangsters (the guys) and their lady friends (the dolls) first showed up on the Broadway stage in 1950. Three revivals followed, including an all-black version in 1976 and a smash 1992 version with Nathan Lane.
Guys and Dolls previously was presented on film in 1955 with golden-throat Marlon Brando handling lead vocals as conflicted gambler Sky Masterson and actual singer Frank Sinatra relegated to backup duties as incorrigible craps player Nathan Detroit.
Meanwhile, the trades report that Miramax is also securing rights to Pippin. Another Fosse-helmed show, the 1972 Tony-winning musical originally starred Ben Vereen as the title character, the son of Roman Empire kingpin Charlemagne who embarks on a tune-filled quest to find himself. Again, no star or director is attached yet.
Steven Spielberg, meanwhile, is salivating over Sweeney Todd. DreamWorks exec Walter Parkes has been dispatched to sell composer Sondheim on the idea of transferring his cannibal musical to the big screen, Daily Variety's Army Archerd reports. Angela Lansbury starred in the original 1979 Broadway production.
All this activity after Chicago claimed six Oscars, including Best Picture, and more than $300 million at the worldwide box office.
Last spring, Chicago producer Martin Richards warned that musicals--once the glamour product of WWII-era Hollywood--can't just be cranked out.
"I just hope that they don't do one musical after another just because it's the flavor of the week," Richards told the Associated Press.
At least, in this wave, Hollywood is giving back to the theater.
DreamWorks has also given the okay for a musical-ized Broadway version of its hit Catch Me If You Can.
No word yet on auditions for the inevitable stewardess production number.
Wed Jun 25, 6:55 PM ET
By Joal Ryan
First came Chicago-style pizza. Now, Chicago-style movies.
Miramax, which dominated last March's Oscars with the jazz-age showtuner, is back in the musical business, penciling Damn Yankees into its lineup.
Also in the works, according to reports: a Guys and Dolls redo and big-screen renderings of Pippin and Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd. Like Damn Yankees, Guys & Dolls and Pippin are being eyed by Miramax, with Sweeney Todd being cooked up at rival DreamWorks.
So far, only Damn Yankees is official. Miramax announced Wednesday it's acquired the movie rights to the Broadway favorite. The studio assigned Neil Meron and Craig Zadan, late of Chicago, to produce.
Too soon for word on cast or a director. Not that he needs the push, but it should be noted Oscar-nominated Chicago helmer Rob Marshall has a working knowledge of the material--he choreographed the hit 1994 revival starring Bebe Neuwirth and Alias' Victor Garber and, later, Jerry Lewis.
The baseball-themed Damn Yankees, not to be confused with the redneck-themed Ted Nugent-Tommy Shaw band, debuted on Broadway in 1955, telling the story of a middle-aged baseball fan so sick of seeing his beloved Washington Senators lose to the expletive-deleted pinstripers that he sells his soul to the devil for a sweet swing and a chance to settle his grudge on the field. Hit songs included "Heart" (as in "You gotta have...") and "Whatever Lola Wants."
The show, originally choreographed by Chicago boss Bob Fosse, won seven Tony Awards. It was made into a 1958 movie with stage stars Ray Walston and Gwen Verdon reprising their roles as the devil and the devil's temptress, Lola, respectively. Screen-dream Tab Hunter played armchair athlete Joe Hardy.
"I see us updating Damn Yankees, modernizing it and really having fun with the role of the devil," Miramax main man Harvey Weinstein said in a statement.
To be sure, Damn Yankees needs some tweaks. The lowly Senators that so bewitched Joe Hardy folded after the 1959 season, morphing into the Minnesota Twins in 1961. Since today's playoff-caliber Twins bear little resemblance to their inept forefathers, modern-day audiences will need an all-new bad team with which to relate. Fortunately, that's why God made the Detroit Tigers.
Elsewhere on the musical circuit, Miramax is looking to tap the producing team of Meron and Zadan to roll the dice on a new version of Guys and Dolls, if the studio can seal the deal.
Frank Loesser's Tony-winning ode to New York gangsters (the guys) and their lady friends (the dolls) first showed up on the Broadway stage in 1950. Three revivals followed, including an all-black version in 1976 and a smash 1992 version with Nathan Lane.
Guys and Dolls previously was presented on film in 1955 with golden-throat Marlon Brando handling lead vocals as conflicted gambler Sky Masterson and actual singer Frank Sinatra relegated to backup duties as incorrigible craps player Nathan Detroit.
Meanwhile, the trades report that Miramax is also securing rights to Pippin. Another Fosse-helmed show, the 1972 Tony-winning musical originally starred Ben Vereen as the title character, the son of Roman Empire kingpin Charlemagne who embarks on a tune-filled quest to find himself. Again, no star or director is attached yet.
Steven Spielberg, meanwhile, is salivating over Sweeney Todd. DreamWorks exec Walter Parkes has been dispatched to sell composer Sondheim on the idea of transferring his cannibal musical to the big screen, Daily Variety's Army Archerd reports. Angela Lansbury starred in the original 1979 Broadway production.
All this activity after Chicago claimed six Oscars, including Best Picture, and more than $300 million at the worldwide box office.
Last spring, Chicago producer Martin Richards warned that musicals--once the glamour product of WWII-era Hollywood--can't just be cranked out.
"I just hope that they don't do one musical after another just because it's the flavor of the week," Richards told the Associated Press.
At least, in this wave, Hollywood is giving back to the theater.
DreamWorks has also given the okay for a musical-ized Broadway version of its hit Catch Me If You Can.
No word yet on auditions for the inevitable stewardess production number.
06-30-03, 11:10 PM
#13
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Originally posted by DGibFen
Rent has been optioned for years, but no one has made it yet (perhaps because it still makes money on Broadway runs?)
I'd like to see Rent or a take on the original, La Boheme. (Not Baz Lurmann's - all of his stuff IMO is too over the top and gaudy).
Rent has been optioned for years, but no one has made it yet (perhaps because it still makes money on Broadway runs?)
I'd like to see Rent or a take on the original, La Boheme. (Not Baz Lurmann's - all of his stuff IMO is too over the top and gaudy).
07-01-03, 04:47 AM
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I just ignore all of what is now called "updating", of the Broadway musical genre. Luhrmann has lots of style, and has the inside track, because of this...but Joel Schumacher ???? Come on !!!
Why do we have to endure, someone's re-concepting, of what essentially, has already come before...AGAIN, like re-fried, fried eggs ?
There will be NO ONE, that can "update" what the Arthur Freed unit excelled at, at MGM or even the film version of "West Side Story".
To think that Joel Schumacher can, somehow, bring something "special" to this genre, is totally OUTRAGEOUS!
I can just hear that pitch meeting dialogue..."'Phantom of the Opera', well, it's 'Falling Down' meets 'Singing in the Rain' !"
That's SO Special ! Ugh !
Why do we have to endure, someone's re-concepting, of what essentially, has already come before...AGAIN, like re-fried, fried eggs ?
There will be NO ONE, that can "update" what the Arthur Freed unit excelled at, at MGM or even the film version of "West Side Story".
To think that Joel Schumacher can, somehow, bring something "special" to this genre, is totally OUTRAGEOUS!
I can just hear that pitch meeting dialogue..."'Phantom of the Opera', well, it's 'Falling Down' meets 'Singing in the Rain' !"
That's SO Special ! Ugh !
07-01-03, 08:25 AM
#15
Moderator
Originally posted by Numanoid
Keith Gordon's take on The Singing Detective comes out in October.
Keith Gordon's take on The Singing Detective comes out in October.
Originally posted by DGibFen
Rent has been optioned for years, but no one has made it yet (perhaps because it still makes money on Broadway runs?)
I'd like to see Rent or a take on the original, La Boheme. (Not Baz Lurmann's - all of his stuff IMO is too over the top and gaudy).
Rent has been optioned for years, but no one has made it yet (perhaps because it still makes money on Broadway runs?)
I'd like to see Rent or a take on the original, La Boheme. (Not Baz Lurmann's - all of his stuff IMO is too over the top and gaudy).
07-01-03, 12:24 PM
#16
DVD Talk Legend
"Rent" would be totally butchered for TV due to its content. I too hope it doesn't happen. All they could do is sing "Seasons of Love" over and over until everybody got sick of it.
While I can never forgive Schumacher for Batman and Robin, I honestly think he might be the best choice for Phantom. Watching hie Batman movies really look like you're watching some overblown stage production on-screen, which is what Phantom will need to get people into theaters as opposed to just buying tickets to the play.
Trust me, the kind of people that go to see musicals as movies are the same that would pay a little extra to see it on stage.
While I can never forgive Schumacher for Batman and Robin, I honestly think he might be the best choice for Phantom. Watching hie Batman movies really look like you're watching some overblown stage production on-screen, which is what Phantom will need to get people into theaters as opposed to just buying tickets to the play.
Trust me, the kind of people that go to see musicals as movies are the same that would pay a little extra to see it on stage.
07-01-03, 12:30 PM
#17
Moderator
In regards to "Phantom"
the casting is such (from IMDB):
Gerard Butler .... The Phantom
Emmy Rossum .... Christine
Patrick Wilson .... Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny
Principal filming will begin in October 2003
the casting is such (from IMDB):
Gerard Butler .... The Phantom
Emmy Rossum .... Christine
Patrick Wilson .... Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny
Principal filming will begin in October 2003
