Bill Nicholson Talks About Script for 'Les Miz' Movie

[sueb1863]

Posted: 7/17/11 at 11:05am

Found this on a message board, thought I'd pass it along. On Bill Nicholson's website he answered a question about his work on the script for the movie version of 'Les Miserables':



Posted by Ali
July 14th 2011
I heard you are writing the script for the upcoming musical adaptation of Les Miserables! I am absurdly excited, as I've loved your writing for a long time - including your plays and films - and Les Miserables is one of my all-time favorite stories. Just was curious how you become attached to the project and what you're looking forward to most about adapting it.

William Nicholson responded:
I am doing the screenplay for the film version of the musical, yes. It will still be the musical its fans, and I, love - but even better, we hope. The film company involved is Working Title, who know me well, and asked me to do the job. What am I looking forward to? Clarifying and enhancing the motivations of the main characters, making the plot work more simply and powerfully, and creating a result that equals or surpasses the impact of the stage show without anyone really noticing that anything has been changed.

http://www.williamnicholson.com/qa/

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/17/11 at 11:07am

"...creating a result that equals or surpasses the impact of the stage show without anyone really noticing that anything has been changed."

He sounds like the anti-Rob Marshall. I like it.

[JP2]

Posted: 7/17/11 at 12:35pm

Promising.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 7/17/11 at 12:38pm

Respect.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/17/11 at 12:41pm

Good word, Capn. A word Marshall was clearly never taught.

[jo]

Posted: 7/17/11 at 1:08pm

Bill Nicholson has had 2 Oscar nominations - one was for the period piece GLADIATOR.

It seems he shares the love of Les Mis fans for the musical!

[jo]

Posted: 7/17/11 at 1:16pm

I remember reading Mr. Nicholson's reply to a similar inquiry written in by a fan - about a month ago ( June 16, http://www.williamnicholson.com/qa/?offset=13):

>>Posted by Rhys
June 16th 2011
Hi Mr Nicholson, Apparantly you'll be on scripting duties again for a film adaptation of the musical version of Les Miserables. Is this true? And how will you go about adapting it; will you try and keep some of the dialogue or will you do a complete rewrite? I look forward to seeing your efforts (assuming the project goes forward and you are actually on scripting duties!)

William Nicholson responded:

I have been working on the screenplay for Les Miserables, yes. Since the whole idea is to make it close to the musical, with all the songs, it won't of course be a radical rewrite. However, I have been able to develop the story and enhance the characters, in what is already a very powerful piece. Still a long way to go, and many other talents will be at work on the project before it's done<<<



Updated On: 7/17/11 at 01:16 PM

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 7/17/11 at 1:40pm

*crossing fingers*

[rougeduck]

Posted: 7/17/11 at 1:46pm

So there will probably be dialogue? Or will it be like making the lyrics mean different things relating to what is going on onscreen like Tommy or Rent.

[Idiot]

Posted: 7/17/11 at 2:00pm

I must dissent a bit here. I've never found the motivations of the main characters to be in need of clarification. In Hollywood, that really does mean 'dumbing it down'.

[ReggieonBway]

Posted: 7/17/11 at 2:00pm

Sounds like he respects the source material.

[sueb1863]

Posted: 7/17/11 at 7:19pm

In most cases, the motivations in 'Les Miz' are clear. There are a few less-than-clear areas, though, such as as exactly why Javert kills himself. I've seen more than one person wonder about that.

[broadwaybabytn]

Posted: 7/17/11 at 11:19pm

This is promising.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 7/17/11 at 11:28pm

If he can give the character of Cosette (the most underwritten of the main characters) some depth, I'll be happy.

Everyone else's motivations always seemed clear to me.

There are a few less-than-clear areas, though, such as as exactly why Javert kills himself. I've seen more than one person wonder about that.

In letting Valjean leave, Javert compromises his unbending principles, and he's unable to live with himself or his guilt. Updated On: 7/17/11 at 11:28 PM

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/17/11 at 11:59pm

I always thought Javert finally saw that Valjean was actually a good person, and he couldn't reconcile that with his belief that all criminals are bad. He doesn't want to admit that Valjean was actually an honorable man, but he can no longer lie to himself about it, either. He even says that he doesn't want to live in a world where he owes Valjean his life.

It's open to interpretation, I'm sure.

[jo]

Posted: 7/21/11 at 1:29pm

Bill Nicholson has responded to my query --



http://www.williamnicholson.com/qa/?thanks=996#faq

>>quote:
Posted by Jo
July 17th 2011
Thanks for replying to the inquiries on the Les Miserables film project. I am looking forward to the film version very much. My question - will you retain the sung-through format basically? Or will it be part full songs, part recitatives, and part spoken dialog? If completely sung-through, are you also collaborating with the team of Boublil and Schonberg?

William Nicholson responded:

Les Miserables is the creation of Boublil and Schonberg and naturally they remain in key position throughout. We are planning to introduce some spoken dialogue, so not full sung-through as on stage. <<<



I guess that resolves one of the major queries on the film version. There will be spoken dialog -- which I would like to see in some instances because this can heighten the drama of the storyline. It can also highlight the acting chops of the performers for certain scenes.


Updated On: 7/21/11 at 01:29 PM

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/21/11 at 1:49pm

One of the reasons PHANTOM OF THE OPERA was such a hot mess of a movie had to do with the sung-through aspect, it made the whole thing unbearable to watch. Film is just not a medium that lends itself to that type of musical, IMO. Glad to see both Hooper and Nicholson realize this and are making due changes. It could turn out to be quite a special film if they are able to adapt it accordingly while still trusting the fact that it's a musical (unlike say Bill Condon in DREAMGIRLS or Rob Marshall in NINE).

[sueb1863]

Posted: 7/21/11 at 6:59pm

I hope they don't take *all* the recitatives out, I think that helps give the show its unique character. I'm not sure scenes like the bishop's meeting with Valjean would work with just dialogue. Guess we'll see!

[jo]

Posted: 7/21/11 at 7:02pm

On a related matter -- it looks like pre-production is proceeding smoothly because a firm filming date seems to be already in place!

Hugh Jackman has told large crowds at the largest movie convention in America in San Diego, Ca., during a Q&A session, that he is filming LES MISERABLES in February ( 2012), after he completes filming WOLVERINE 2 ( which will start shooting from October 2011, in Japan and North America).

http://screenrant.com/hugh-jackman-wolverine-2-villain-pauly-124738/

[jo]

Posted: 7/21/11 at 7:06pm

>>>We are planning to introduce some spoken dialogue, so not full sung-through as on stage.<<<

That does not sound like they will discard all the recitatives. Maybe they will retain the more effectives ones and introduce "some" spoken dialog for more dramatic intensity in some scenes.

[jo]

Posted: 7/21/11 at 8:17pm

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2017500/Look-Hughs-crooning-now.html?ito=feeds-newsxml


Lots of other info/confirmation on the Les Mis movie from the Baz Bamigboye Daily Mail article link provided by Fan2 elsewhere on this board --

*Confirmation of the casting of Hugh Jackman as Valjean
*Possible choice between Paul Bettany and Russell Crowe as Javert
*Not sung-through, but a combined dialogue/songs/maybe recitatives format
*Filming to start in February 2012.

Things are really moving fast now for this production ( after waiting for close to 20 years since the first filmization announcement by Mackintosh).
Updated On: 7/21/11 at 08:17 PM

[ChiChi]

Posted: 7/21/11 at 8:19pm

I will not get even REMOTELY excited until I am actually sitting in the theatre, or I have the DVD in my hands. They've jerked us around too much with this over the last 20 years.

[Edna Turnblad]

Posted: 7/21/11 at 8:53pm

So, I'm not gonna get excited because I got excited for Nine and we saw how that turned out. However, I'm going to say that I will be very, very interested to see what happens with all of this,

[timote316]

Posted: 7/22/11 at 12:16pm

I feel like we had the same thoughts and sentiments about Chris Columbus when the Rent movie was being made, how he 'gets it' because he's a fan. Let's take a moment to recall how that turned out.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/22/11 at 2:32pm

I'm actually worried about the spoken dialogue. I don't think it will transition well.

And Phantom did insert spoken dialogue, which sounded really jarring. I remember Emmy Rossum speaking "What I once used to dream, I now dread (etc)." It rhymed and everything.

I just wish people would be comfortable putting a full sung-through musical as a movie rather than putting in dialogue that doesn't really fit. IIRC Evita didn't have random spoken dialogue, and I don't remember thinking it was a bad decision.