What happened to the CABARET movie remake?

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 5/2/07 at 2:02pm

With the talk of CABARET returning to Studio 54, it got me thinking.

I had remembered reading an article stating that Renee Zellweger was rumored to be starring in a movie remake of CABARET. I searched and found the Playbill article from 2005.

No production company was announced or any creative staff. Just Zellweger.

I hope to God someone picks this up. But, I don't want a remake of the 1972 movie. Not at all.

I'd much rather see a movie much closer to the stage version. With the Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz relationship, and with Fraulein Kost and Ersnt Ludwig.

I know Mendes is the man with the talent to bring it from stage to screen. I doubt he'd do it, though.



http://www.playbill.com/news/article/95084.html

Updated On: 5/2/07 at 02:02 PM

[folkyboy]

Posted: 5/2/07 at 2:03pm

i personally LOVE the 70s version. i wish they'd just leave it alone and work on another show.

[Paulyd]

Posted: 5/2/07 at 2:35pm

I agree Folkyboy

Fosse's version may be very different from the original stage show, but i very much doubt a new version would come anywhere close to his brilliance.

Just leave it alone and move on to something else.

As for Zellweger, dont make me laugh. She only has one british accent which she managed to butcher Bridget Jones with and make a mockery of Beatrix Potter.
Updated On: 5/2/07 at 02:35 PM

[ahmelie]

Posted: 5/2/07 at 2:37pm

Agreed, the original movie is one of the greatest films of all time, IMHO. I hope they stay away from this.

Especially with Renee, I'm not a fan of her at all.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Posted: 5/2/07 at 2:40pm

Instead of a film version, why don't they just film the stage version of the revival to appease those who want to see the stage version on film.

I would rather have that than a film that would probably be butchered and can't help but disappoint fans of both the original 70s film and fans of the show.

[Kringas]

Posted: 5/2/07 at 2:49pm

I remember when this was mentioned however long ago. As a fan of Renee and not a fan of the original movie I thought it was a great idea. Alas, I don't think it's going to happen.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 5/2/07 at 3:54pm

I believe this was one of the film projects Rob Marshall was considering (along with a movie of FOLLIES and GYPSY) as a follow up to MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA. It has, of course, since been announced that he's directing a film version of NINE - so I doubt this "remake" (though I doubt it would expressely be such) is going to ever happen.

I actually disagree with most in this thread and think Zelwegger would be a great Sally Bowles. My guess is that she'll end up somewhere in Marshall's NINE instead.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 5/2/07 at 4:00pm

The 1972 film is one of the greatest movie musicals of all time, I'd hate to see them make a pale shadow dwelling remake.

[misschung]

Posted: 5/2/07 at 4:03pm

oh please do not let renee anywhere near cabaret. long live liza and joel!

[MrSweetNAwful]

Posted: 5/2/07 at 4:04pm

I always thought Catherine Zeta Jones would make a better Sally.

I would love to see Mendes bring his vision to the screen. The first movie is a classic, yes, but in relation to the actual stage show, it's an entirely different monster, another (closer) adaptation wont hurt (just like Willy Wonka vs. Charlie).
What I wouldn't give to see Mendes directing Catherine and Cumming on screen, and maybe Ana Gasteyer as Kost and Joel Grey as Schultz!

Updated On: 5/8/07 at 04:04 PM

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 5/2/07 at 4:38pm

I think what happened is someone woke up and realized this is a SUBLIMELY STOOOPID IDEA!!!

Posted: 5/2/07 at 5:11pm

With all the great musicals yet to be filmed that don't have decnet film versions--even if it's true the film and movie versions of Cabaret are very different creatures--this very idea just feels like such a misguided *waste* to me.

Also, while I love the Schneider and Shultz relationship--it's very "musical theatre" and I think works better on stage than it could on movies (Where songs liek Pineapple would fall pretty flat)

[Raspberry]

Posted: 5/2/07 at 5:46pm

I remember when this story ("story," meaning a fictional piece of literature) broke a couple years ago. The original source was the British tabloid Sky News. All other news sites that picked up the story, including Playbill, only cited Sky News. For those of you not familiar with British tabloids, they are filled with what the reporters themselves know to be outright lies, ok?

Some of you may remember that a couple years before this article, Sky News published an almost identical story, substituting Nicole Kidman's name for Renee's. This was shortly following the success of "Moulin Rouge," so Kidman was a natural to shove into this brief, semi-paragraph piece of created gossip that wouldn't hurt anyone. A few years later, Renee was getting attention for starring in a different movie musical, so they published a similar story again to help fill their gossip quota for the day. These A-listers do not grant personal, exclusive interviews to the likes of Sky News (*shudder*) to announce their big new projects.

This is similar to the current Lindsay Lohan "Wicked" rumors. Fake stories, fake quotes, etc. Thanks, British media! You never hear about celebrities challengeing these types of stories about upcoming work because, unlike other lies about abusing people or drugs, the stories aren't harmful to their careers. Just having their name published out there, even if the context is bogus, is helpful publicity.

There may be people out there interested in making a new film of "Cabaret," but these stories about Nicole and Renee are unrelated lies. Just a coincidence that we're all talking about the same film.

(Note: I'm 99% sure it was Sky News that did the Nicole Kidman story; at the time I read the Renee version, I remember thinking how funny it was that it was the same publication with the same story a few years later.)

Updated On: 5/2/07 at 05:46 PM

[Jellylorum]

Posted: 5/2/07 at 7:25pm

I'd be fine with a remake, but not if it's going to include Renee.