Bill Condon to write and direct the movie musical DREAMGIRLS — Page 2

Beaver, I'd LOVE it if Billy did the film.

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I would love to see Billy Porter as Jimmy too, how could I forget him?
I don't mind female pop stars being in it just not Beyonce or Ashantee.

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Beav - she does seem a bit long-in-the-tooth for it. I would imagine the front-runner will be that American Idol girl who's been doing it around the country. Can't remember her name as I've never seen her.

I suppose this is good news, but I can't help but feel a bit ambivalent about it. In the last 20 years, I can remember at least a dozen announcements about a Dreamgirls film being on the horizon, being helmed by all sorts of directors and every R&B sensation to emerge in the past two decades (Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson, most notably). So, assuming this is going to happen at some point, is Bill Condon really the best choice? Now, I know he's a fine screenwriter and I haven't seen Kinsey, yet, but nothing in the clips for it indicated to me that he has the kind of dynamic visual style that will be so crucial for this project.

I'm already getting flashbacks to when it was announced 20 years ago that Sir Richard Attenborough had been chosen to make the film of A Chorus Line -- like Condon, he was a hot, director just coming off of an Oscar-winning film (Gandhi) and looking for a follow-up project that would be completely different in style from his previous one...... an acclaimed historical biopic.
Yes, Condon wrote the script for "Chicago," but he didn't direct it and the stuff he has directed (Gods and Monsters, Kinsey) are small character studies, not dynamic, energetic films that employ fluid camerawork and a great visual flair. Perhaps he'll get a great DP and be fine, but I reserve judgment until I see the finished film.

Dreamgirls had the most cinematic staging of any show I've ever seen, where Bennett, Robin Wagner and Tharon Musser employed a whole filmmaker's bag of tricks -- jump cuts, fades, wipes, dissolves, even zooms (Effie's slowly closing pinspot in "I Am Changing") to achieve one of the most dazzling and breathlessly exciting, productions ever seen on the Broadway stage. There are 20 separate scenes in numerous locations (and even within a given location, Bennett did lightning fast cuts between action happenning on stage and backstage), spanning a seven year period -- a virtual movie on stage. The actual film has to somehow capture the dynamism and relentless pace of that or be doomed.

I wish Condon luck (I'm at least heartened that he saw the original production on stage, so he knows how daunting his task is) and hope he doesn't screw it up -- if ever a show cried out to be adapted to film, it was Dreamgirls and it has the potential to be a great one. But, film or no film, I'm much more interested in the status of the proposed Broadway revival of the show. Creative Battery (producers of Dame Edna and Elaine Stritch) was given the rights to do a revival nearly two years ago and so far -- Nothing. The Bennett estate needs to crack the whip and get this to happen in order to remind people (Condon and everyone else) of Bennett's and the show's genius and how inspiring a piece of theatre can be.

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Wonderful news indeed! And lets hope Condon has the heat to resist the inevitable insane Hollywood suggestions. Like Chicago, this movie has been talked about for every actress that seems even the least bit correct for the role: Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, Oprah...I Shudder to recall.

My fear is that any actress who is "name" enough to be considered for Deena will not be satisfied playing that part. Everyone knows that Effie is THE part: She has all the best scenes, the best songs, and the audience loves her. Is Beyonce going to want to "Star" in this and then see an unknown perform "And I Am Telling You?" I think the only way to make this work is to cast four unknowns as The Dreams. Condon's comment about the Men being the box office names sees to be a great way to handle this. Male stars and female talents.

I can recall Whitney Houston discussing "Dreamgirls" as a posssible follow up to "The Bodyguard" because she was born to sing "And I Am Telling You". Those are the kinds of things that make me worry this could still be screwed up. Remember that "Little Shop of Horrors" had to come up with a happy ending to make it to the screen. Hollywood types might certainly insist that Effie needs to be pretty or that the star of the film sing the hit song. I am sure right now Julia Roberts agent is calling pitching her the perfect casting!

"jump cuts, fades, wipes, dissolves, even zooms (Effie's slowly closing pinspot in "I Am Changing") to achieve one of the most dazzling and breathlessly exciting, productions ever seen on the Broadway stage. There are 20 separate scenes in numerous locations (and even within a given location, Bennett did lightning fast cuts between action happenning on stage and backstage), spanning a seven year period -- a virtual movie on stage." -Margo

Friggin A. I regret not being in that audience more than any other show probably because I always heard about the staging. I'm more interested in a revival mounting too.

I can't wait for this movie

If that's the case, my vote would go to Robert Townsend (The Five Heartbeats)

Bill Condon has A LOT more than one thing over Schumacher: Condon has talent, directorial skill, integrity, talent, vision, can draw wonderful performances from his actors, he is a versatile screenwriter....the list goes on and on.

I've loved everything Condon has done so far (and so has critics), and I'm ecstatic that he's doing DREAMGIRLS.

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