Andrew Llloyd Webber's Next Film?

[Fan2]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 8:48am

http://www.moviehole.net/news/5000.html

Webber on Sunset Boulevard and Cats pics
Posted on Sun, 6-Feb-2005

Andrew Lloyd Webber talked to the Philippine's INQ7.net to promote the release of "Phantom of the Opera" there, and mentioned a meeting he'd had that day with Paramount to get another of his plays converted into 35mm.

Can we expect more movie adaptations of your musicals? And what are you planning to do next?

If "The Phantom" is just a little successful, that makes it much easier for the next one. For example, Paramount owns the fundamental rights to "Sunset Boulevard" because it was originally a Billy Wilder movie. I spoke to Sherry (Lansing, Paramount head) this morning and it's very clear that they are interested. "Cats" is owned by Universal. It was sold years ago and there is, in fact, a Tom Stoppard screenplay of "Cats" which I was very happy with. I'd love to get the movie done.

As for a new subject, I haven't found anything at the moment that I particularly want to do. [Although] there's something that recently came my way. It's an extraordinary [collection] of poems written in the Warsaw ghetto. It was buried for ages and has just been found. The widow of my old manager found it and sent it to me. They touched something of the nerve that touched me when I wrote "Requiem." When I get free from all of this, I am going to seriously look at those [poems].<<<

The whole interview is at
http://news.inq7.net/entertainment/index.php?index=1&story_id=26546

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 8:50am

Only if Patti LuPone gets to play Norma in the film...

[sharon1]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 9:15am

She would be great, but don't hold your breath. There are a few out there who could do serious justice to the leads. But ALW won't go with them.

[Marquise]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 9:33am

maybe he'll cow down to the director and "go younger" for Boulevard and search the latest abercrombie & fitch catalogue for his new leads regardless of whether they can sing the roles or not. Updated On: 2/6/05 at 09:33 AM

[bronxboundexpress]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 12:36pm

I feel like ALW needs just one movie that goes all the way and tops the Oscars like CHICAGO did. I think SUNSET BOULVARD should be it. That would make up for the stage show not being produced long enough. And Phantom is the most successful stage show so it doesn't need to be the most successful movie.

A movie of CATS? I thought that couldn't be done. Would it be animated? How can you do a movie of CATS or STARLIGHT EXPRESS?

[CapnHook]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 12:43pm

SUNSET BLVD was supposedly to have been in the works for years. Perhaps he cast it aside temporarily to work on the PHANTOM film and see how that went.

[Sant]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 12:55pm

As for Patti playing Norma - I don't think so. After what took place in London in 1992-93 I don't think she will ever do another ALW show, stage or film.

I really hope they won't cast Liza or even Barbra as Norma, it would be too hard to take the role seriously and forget about the actress playing her. I'd love to see someone like Meryl Streep tackle the role!

As for CATS, the last I heard of the movie version was it will be an animated film. But that was even before the CATS dvd came out, so it was a while ago and the plans may have changed... But after releasing the dvd (which is the stage show filmed) I don't see any point making another film verion of CATS with humans.

[Mahatma Kane Jeeves]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 2:03pm

There is absolutely no way LuPone would even be considered for the film version of "Sunset." She's a great, well known and respected stage actress; but she has no box office name whatsoever.

[WISHIHADATONY]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 2:10pm

I heard a while back that Webber wanted Liza Minnelli to star in the film version of his musical SUNSET BOULEVARD.

This would be reflective of the original film which starred Gloria Swanson. At the time Ms. Swanson was kind of past her glory days and in some ways the charachter seemed to echo parts of her own life.

Clearly, casting the glorious Ms. Minnelli as Norma Desmond in the film musical SUNSET BOULEVARD, would be a similar happenstance as to when Ms. Swanson was cast in the film on which the musical was based.

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 2:17pm

Tom Stoppard wrote a screenplay to CATS????

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 2:25pm

Patti Lupone does have Box Office name, the lay person isn't hip to a lot of things, but I'm sure they've heard of Patti LuPone before, if not, well I don't think it matters because Glenn Close does have the name, and she's the best in the role because she won the Tony Award :)


Anyways I want a Les Miserables Movie Musical so bad.........

[Mahatma Kane Jeeves]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 2:47pm

My choice for "Sunset" would be Liza. I think she would be amazing as Norma, and it would be the perfect comeback film for her. Also MTVMANN, if you can name a famous Patti LuPone film, please let me know; actually i'll accept ANY Patti LuPone film cause for the life of me I can't recall any.

Updated On: 2/6/05 at 02:47 PM

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 2:50pm

Apparently, nobody picked up on the sarcasm in my remark.

Patti was the best Norma ever, though.

[loudasthehelliwant]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 3:00pm

OMG. If they do a movie of Cats... I'll... I'll... I'll have a mental breakdown. That's the stupidest idea I've heard all week. *bangs head on desk*

Boulevard, on the otherhand, might be ok.

[Fan2]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 3:11pm

I am re-posting two things re Sunset just to remind us of the gossip surrounding this. I hope Jo doesn't mind, but the first one is something she posted a few weeks ago on another thread - BTW, I also read somewhere that Glenn Close has an "option" for Sunset through 2006. The second one appeared in Playbill online on Feb. 9, 2004.

FIRST ONE:

>Copyright 2004 Associated Newspapers Ltd.
Mail on Sunday (London)

December 12, 2004
SECTION: FB; Pg. 20
LENGTH: 1505 words
HEADLINE: William: It's over for good, Kate
BYLINE: KATIE NICHOLL

... NEVER one to miss a trick, I hear Andrew Lloyd Webber is already planning his next musical movie following the success of Phantom Of The Opera.

The musical maestro has signed actors Anthony Hopkins and Hugh
Jackman for Sunset Boulevard and is trying to convince Glenn Close, who played fictional screen legend Norma Desmond in the Broadway hit, to reprise the role.

'Andrew is trying to persuade Glenn to play the part again.
He's also in talks with Meryl Streep. My bet is he'll go with Glenn if he can convince her to do it,' said a source..."

SECOND ONE:

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/print/84281.html

Are Minnelli and Jackman Ready for Their Sunset Boulevard Close Ups?

By Andrew Gans
February 9, 2004

Will Liza Minnelli and Hugh Jackman star in the film version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard?Gossip columnist Liz Smith writes that casting rumors indicate that Minnelli is the top choice to portray the faded silent-screen star Norma Desmond in the film of the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Don Black-Christopher Hampton musical. Hugh Jackman, Smith adds, is being sought to portray Joe Gillis, and Martin Scorsese, who directed Minnelli in "New York, New York," would like to direct. Jackman, currently wowing Broadway audiences in The Boy From Oz, portrayed down-and-out screenwriter Gillis opposite the Norma of Debra Byrne in the musical's Australian debut.

Tony and Olivier Award winner Patti LuPone created the role of Norma Desmond for the musical's world-premiere production in London. Glenn Close played the role in Los Angeles and later in New York, where she won a Tony Award for her performance as the aging, deluded actress. Other musical Normas include Elaine Paige (London and New York), Betty Buckley (London and New York), Diahann Carroll (Canada), Petula Clark (London and U.S. tour), Debra Byrne (Australia), Helen Schneider (Germany) and Linda Balgord (U.S. tour).

Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard is based on the 1950 movie of the same name, which featured Gloria Swanson as the reclusive Norma Desmond who falls in love with an unlucky writer — Joe Gillis — who happens upon her home by accident. William Holden played Gillis in the film, which was directed by the late Billy Wilder. Swanson, Holden and Wilder all received Academy Award nominations for their work.

Liza Minnelli, an Oscar winner for her performance in Cabaret, was last on Broadway in a tribute to her late father entitled Minnelli on Minnelli; she returned to New York City's Beacon Theatre with her acclaimed concert Liza's Back! In addition to her Tonys for Flora, the Red Menace and The Act, Minnelli was awarded a special Tony in 1974 for "adding lustre to the Broadway season." Her film credits include "The Sterile Cuckoo," "Arthur," "New York, New York" and "Stepping Out." The singer is also a Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actress. Her newest album, "Liza's Back!," is available on the J Records label.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 3:16pm

I think Sunset Boulevard would make a wonderful film.

Of course, it worked before.

So many people that could play the lead.
But I must be one of the few who felt that Glenn Close was not good in the part. I just did not like her.

I did get to see others and thought they were wonderful.
Petula Clark and Elaine Paige were both excellent.

[Caleb]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 3:21pm

A film of Sunset Boulevard could be very good, although I think it would be even harder for the film to get good reviews because it started out as film. The problem is, it's not even an obscure film. It's a highly respected, Oscar winning film (although All About Eve won the majority of Academy Awards that year). I don't think that means they shouldn't go ahead with a musical version, but it's something to keep in mind.

As far as Normas go, does anyone honestly believe Liza Minelli could still sing the role? Maybe if they moved all the songs down an octave (I'm not kidding), but there's no way she could sing the score as is. Besides, not to be cruel, but I don't want to hear her sing "Azh If We Never Shed Goodbye".

Barbra has much the same problem. Listen to one of her old albums and then listen to her Movie Album. The voice is still there, but it's not what it used to be, and who would expect it to be? The main advantage to casting someone like her would be a remarkable voice, and that's not really there anymore. Besides, while I think Barbra is beautiful in her own way, she does not look like a great silent film beauty, which like it or not is a huge prerequisite to the role.

Glenn could do the role well. Her acting is top notch, and while her singing has never been extremely strong, she's definitely better than Hollywood stars who can merely carry a tune. She would be a solid choice. I haven't heard her sing in a while (she is ten years older than she was when she first did the role), so let's hope she can still hit the notes.

I've never heard Meryl sing, but I've heard from others that she's talented. God knows she could act it (although I'm not sure she has quite the edge that Glenn does), so I'd be willing to let her have a pass at it.

I'd like for the score to be changed slightly. I'm a huge fan of Lloyd Webber's, and a big defender of his. One of the biggest complaints about him is that he reprises too much, which I've also contested, but I can't contest it with Sunset. The first act is fine, but the second act only has two new musical themes (As If We Never Said Goodbye, which is NEVER reprised except for an instrumental when Joe begins to leave, and Too Much in Love to Care, which is only reprised when Betty arrives at Norma's mansion). Almost the entire second half is themes from the first. I'm fine with reprisal, but this is admittedly too much. Change some of it to dialogue, or add a new song, or rewrite the recitative. Also, give the music the lavish reorchestration that Phantom got, which was so beautiful to hear despite some of the singing over it.
Updated On: 2/6/05 at 03:21 PM

[Fan2]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 3:26pm

I forgot to mention in my last post - Hugh Jackman *did* mention in an interview in USA Today recently (I think it was around May) that he had spoken to Lloyd Webber re Sunset, so at least we know they've been in contact.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 3:28pm

Patti LuPone Films :

Driving Miss Daisy
State and Main
Sweeney Todd (2001)

Again, I was being sarcastic...

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 3:33pm

SUNSET is one of the favorite ALW musicals, and I think it would work spectacularly as a film...and I can see Liza in the role, if she lays off the drugs and booze and conditions her voice - or tries. I think ALW should lay off and keep away from the production of his next movie- I think he generally makes some bad decisions and should leave it up to people who actually know how to put together a great movie - that was the problem with EVITA and PHANTOM, in my opinion. I would love to see Sam Mendes direct SUNSET.

[apdarcey]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 3:58pm

fan2 i was just going to post all that when i saw this post. i think anthony hopkins (if he can sing well) and hugh jackman would be really amazing. i actually really love glenn's performance and think this would bring her the full on acclaim for a huge leading role that has eluded her. however, meryl could be great too. either of those two would be great. meryl can sing, i've heard her. and let's remember that she was in the world premiere of the frogs when it was performed in the pool at yale. but, let's speculate on who should play betty, right? i think martin scorcese would be a brilliant director for this piece and alw should stay away (but reorchestrate).

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 4:01pm

Am I the only one who is never impressed by Scorcesse's work? I think he makes the most bland movies.

I'm still going for Sam Mendes, who is a brilliant director.

[Marquise]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 4:09pm

martin scorcese bland?

what have you been smoking?

[Sant]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 4:11pm

Caleb, you can hear Meryl sing in at least two of her films: A Postcard From The Edge (co-starring Shirley MacLaine) and in Death Becomes Her (co-starring Goldie Hawn). In DBH her singing is good but the song is nothing special, but she really gets to show what she can do with her voice in APftE. Especially the final song "Heartbreak hotel" or whatever the song is called, is brilliant.

Streep was the other choice to play Norma in the original production of SUNSET BOULEVARD. But LuPone played the part in ALW's Sydmonton festival where an early draft of SUNSET was first performed and she won the part with that performance. I hope this time they will cast her. Streep, that is... Updated On: 2/6/05 at 04:11 PM

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 4:14pm

Marquise, the only Scorcese movie I enjoyed was GANGS OF NEW YORK. His work just does nothing for me - I ofted find them disorganized with not a single through-line, and I'm often bored by them. I think that's why he's never won an Oscar, so maybe they all agree with me as well. And only cigarettes, but thanks for your concenr.