SWEENEY TODD movie "in production"- Page 2

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 5:16pm

As much as I love Meryl Streep, she would be TOTALLY miscast as Lovett. Meryl Streep's best talent is making you cry. Lovett isn't one of those women. I COULD, however, see Glenn Close pulling Lovett off.

[Piazzaslight]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 5:17pm

There was a thread on imdb that JACK BLACK should play Sweeney Todd. PLEASE, GOD, NO!!!!!

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 5:20pm

I'd kill myself.

And glen, I have to agree. Toni Collette would be STUNNING.

[fiatlux]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 5:27pm

"Can Emma Thompson sing? "

She was in Me and My Girl in the West End, she sang in Tutti Frutti and in some of her own shows.

Much as I like Colette, Streep and Close - they don't have it to play a Cockney - it really doesn't bear thinking about. Give it to Staunton or Thompson they can at least do it properly.

Such a shame Julia McKenzie can't do it she was the best Lovett

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 5:30pm

I think Streep can do comedy very well and Mrs.Lovett has many aspects to her that I'm sure she could explore. Toni Collette could give it a try, I haven't seen her do a character like Mrs.Lovett before but she deserves a shot at it. I personally think that the best suited actress for this role is Ms.Bernadette Peters, and I don't understand why she's not doing it on Broadway in the new revival (not dissing Patti LuPone here).

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 5:31pm

It's definitely not "in production." It's not even in pre-production. Correct show biz venacular is "announced." There has been some movement on the project though -- the script has definitely made the rounds to film front runners like Russell Crowe and Meryl Streep, Freddie Highmore and Natasha Richardson.

[pab]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 5:33pm

IMDB has been wrong so many times. This is just another example.

[Isabella2]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 5:36pm

exciting, althught i have a feeling that i'll be dissapointed by the singing quality, although it may make some great eye candy.

I just can't wait to see if a dvd of the current broadway version is coming out.

[fiatlux]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 5:39pm

As of July 2005 there was no release date or schedule. According to Logan, Sam Mendes has talked about doing a filmed workshop production before filming proper starts....
Updated On: 10/19/05 at 05:39 PM

[wickedfan]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 5:45pm

I don't feel Toni Collette is old enough to play Lovett. Streep, Close, Peters, either one of these women would be prefect for Lovett. I'm also all for Kevin Kline for Sweeney and Emma Thompson for The Beggar Woman. I doubt, though, that filming will start until mid-2006 and probably later than that.

[fiatlux]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 5:54pm

Surely Kevin Kline is too old for the part - he'll be almost be sixty....he might be more interesting as the Judge - that would be anti-type he's just not Sweeney. Close is too elegant and ditto Streep - I can't see it - they don't have the range, and rely too much on technique to get them through, when they can't get it.

Imelda Staunton was so good as the Baker's Wife and Miss Adelaide - so funny and such a good singer....

Updated On: 10/19/05 at 05:54 PM

[wickedfan]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 6:02pm

Close and Streep can act in any kind of role.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 8:15pm

I would love to see this happen, and if they do, maybe acahnce for Toias, Billy Boyd. He can sing from the third Lord of the Rings movie, and he has a good accent. But I'm not sure if he could handle Sweeney. I guess we just have to wai until the cast is announced. Sigh.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 8:33pm

Tobias is a child -- at least in the last draft he was.

[Plum]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 8:41pm

Thank you, Michael Bennett, for inserting some actual sense into this discussion. A Sweeney movie was announced, with a director attached. That doesn't mean much, guys. Hey, anyone remember when the Rent movie was supposed to be directed by Spike Lee? How long was that thing "in production", anyway?

IMDB takes user input, and that's just plain unreliable. Even I've gotten stuff changed there- I was doing it based on official quotes, but you get the idea.

[jo]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 8:48pm

>>Hugh Jackman wouldn't be menacing enough<<

Have you seen an XMEN movie - especially XMEN2?

Although I doubt that he has room for that one on his schedule - he has the Disney commitments and other non-musical movies forthcoming.

[jasonf]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 8:53pm

You know, my gut reaction to Russel Crowe is it's a horrible idea -- but I've been thinking about it - I can actually kind of see it if he has the proper singing chops.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 10/20/05 at 12:02am

I guess if a "star" Hollywood actor had to be used, Hugh Jackman is the only logical choice, due to lack of any real competition. But he's too "pretty," I think, and although he has a good voice, it's doesn't have the richness required for the operatic music.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 10/20/05 at 12:11am

Jackman is indeed the obvious choice, but I'm sure there's other good performers in Hollywood, I mean most people didn't know Richard Gere could do musical theatre before Chicago. Just not Russel Crowe as Sweeney, please!

[Starburst]

Posted: 10/20/05 at 1:13am

It would make my life if Neil Patrick Harris was Tobias. I mean, he can still pull off child-like!

...with makeup and digital touch-up!

[MrBundles]

Posted: 10/20/05 at 1:38am

We have Angela and George on dvd....that's good enough for me. besides, I enjoy filmed stage shows over musical movies.

[HouGuy77002]

Posted: 10/20/05 at 10:03am

Kind of OT:

There has been discussion of the ages of the characters. Most people think Toni Collette too young for the role of Mrs. Lovett, but I disagree.

I've always thought of Mrs. Lovett as younger than Lucy. Perhaps they were at school together, or knew each other growing up. This is all speculation, but what if Nellie was always jealous of Lucy. This jealousy would come into play when she recounts the story of Lucy's breakdown and "poisoning" to Sweeney. She was likely always jealous of Lucy and Benjamin's relationship, as she secretly loved Benjamin and longed for his affection.

As to the ages of Lucy and Sweeney, in Victorian England, young married couples would not wait long to have children. Sweeney would have been slightly older than Lucy...probably no more than 5 years. I would argue that Sweeney was max 25 and Lucy was no more than 22 when Joanna was born. Sweeney was likely to be no more than 30 when he was sent away by the Judge...making him max 45 at the time of the action. This would make Joanna max 20 yrs old, but most likely she is around 18 at the time of the action.

If Nellie was say 5 yrs younger than Lucy, then it is not unreasonable to assume that she could easily be in her mid to late 30s at the time of the action. Toni Collette will be 33 on 11/01/2005. I think a lot of the actors mentioned on these boards might be a bit too old for the role, unless you think Nellie is actually older than Lucy.

Also...what about Mandy Moore for Joanna? She may not be a true soprano, but she is beautiful, a decent actor, good singer, and she has a background in musical theatre.

Thoughts? Please be kind.

[Plum]

Posted: 10/20/05 at 10:14am

If Dan Fogler got a movie role, why not Celia Keenan-Bolger for Johanna? She's definitely got the voice for it, and she did it at Lincoln Center. Kelli O'Hara would work, too.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/20/05 at 10:30am

"Meryl Streep's best talent is making you cry."

Streep has never made me cry. But I didn't realize how good she was with comedy until I saw Death Becomes Her. She would be a pretty good Lovett. But I agree that Collette would be a PERFECT choice for the role. Should a film version come along, I've complete faith in Hollywood to completely miscast the film to a degree of ridiculousness. I urge everyone not to get their hopes up. This isn't like Rent or The Producers where the original cast is readily available and Broadway performers will most likely not be considered marketable, especially since the show is not widely known outside the world of theatre enthusiasts. If we're lucky, we might get Nick and Jessica.

[JoshuaEads]

Posted: 10/20/05 at 2:44pm

HouGuy77002,

Great thoughts! Not trying to be "picky" or critical, just thought I would point out that Joanna is sixteen years old at the time of the action. Mrs. Lovett sings: "Leaving her with nothing but grief and a year old kid..." then Sweeney clearly states: "Fifteen years..."

I always assumed that Mrs. L would be a bit older than both Benjamin/Sweeney and Lucy. I would assume that she's had the pie shop for quite awhile since she had access to obtain Benjamin's razors and the two seem to know one another fairly well. The other "clue" that comes to mind is that Lovett makes reference to her husband having passed seventeen years ago. Not saying that he couldn't have met with an untimely/early death, etc., but assuming that he lived a fairly typical lifespan then the two would be somewhat older than Lucy and Benjamin.

Sorry if this sounds incoherent and monotonous ... it's that time of the year and I'm pretty doped up on cold medicine.

Take care all!
~Joshua

P.S. - I vote for Kevin and Meryl!

Updated On: 10/20/05 at 02:44 PM