Casting the Sweeny Todd film....

[iliketheater]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 5:55pm

Who do you guys think should/will play Ms Lovett? Updated On: 1/8/06 at 05:55 PM

[Scottie310]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 7:04pm

I think of course Patti would be incredible as would Carolee Carmello but they don't have the name value to draw a crowd to see the movie. Meryl Streep would be incredible. She can sing and there really aren't any actresses around as versitile as her. Toni Collette would also be wondeful

[aspiringactress]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 7:07pm

I think Toni Collette would be interesting. Didn't they metion a prospective Ms. Lovett in the first Sweeney movie thread.

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 7:08pm

B-E-R-N-A-D-E-T-T-E

[GClef2]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 7:09pm

Glenn Close could be really funny, as would Annette Benning. I would love to see bernadette do it though... i love her.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 7:09pm

Helena Bonham Carter

[Dirty Rotten Scoundrel]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 7:11pm

I was about to say..no matter who is right for the part, Burton will cast Helena Bonham Carter.

[MarkCohen]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 7:13pm

Angela Lansbury!!!

haha, no but seriously, the only person that would redeem this for me and make me want a screen adaption is Bernadette. I just want to see her Lovett, no matter where it is.

[Isabella2]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 8:10pm

i don't think bernadette is right for the part at all. Neither is angela lansbury, because now she's too old... especially if depp is playing the part. I say that they do the movie with the cast on broadway... that would be pretty sweet, cerveris would look good in that movie. Donna Murphy would also be pretty sweet too in lovett.

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 8:15pm

Cerveris and LuPone wouldn't sell tickets. It's sad to say but it's true.

And Bernadette's name is slightly more recognizable amongst the general population.

And she could play the HELL out of Lovett.

[Plum]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 8:27pm

I've never seen Bernadette Peters play a role as gleefully amoral as Mrs. Lovett, but she definitely has the vocal and comic chops for it.

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 8:31pm

if burton has his way-

johnny depp- sweeney
miss pyle- mrs lovett (violets's mom in willy wonka)
helena bonham carter- the beggar woman
freddy highmore- toby

[timote316]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 8:42pm

I can actually picture Missy Pyle as Lovett... I don't know how she'd be, but I can picture her.

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 8:44pm

Tobias- See FOAnatic's icon.

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 8:47pm

Listen to FOAnatic!

Bernadette Peters ALL THE WAY.

[aspiringactress]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 9:04pm

I'm pulling for Bernadette, but I don't think that Burton will do it. Maybe if we all cross our fingers.

[lovinlovett]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 9:13pm

How about Jim Carrey as Pirelli? (played like in the Broadway DVD)

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 9:17pm

Well, much as loved seeing Angela Lansbury on stage and later on screen as Mrs. Lovett, she'll be 80 this year, so we can forget that one.

Lupone and Peters barely sell tickets on Broadway let alone at cineplexes around the country (GYPSY barely broke even most weeks and SWEENEY'S houses are a third empty most of the time). When's the last time you heard anyone saying they were planning to go out and see the new Bernadette Peters or Patti Lupone movie that weekend? Um...... NEVER.

Glenn Close's name seems to get trotted out for every movie musical. Whatever. She can't really sing and is no longer a box office draw. She could probably pull off Mrs. Lovett but excuse me for not being excited to see her do it.

Toni Collette is WAY too young -- and what's she been up to in the last several years? When's the last time she headlined a movie? She's another one who has zero box office draw.

Helena Bonham Carter? Um, OK. Are we trying to ensure the movie flops before it even starts filming? Huh?

Streep -- I suppose. Could probably play the heck out of the role acting-wise and even singing-wise. Not sure if she's "box office" enough to get the film made, though.

I guess I'm just missing the point of bothering to film this as a wide release movie. It will NEVER be a hit with mainstream audiences no matter who stars in it, so why do it? If PHANTOM or RENT, a couple of the longest running shows in Broadway history, couldn't sell as a film musical, why would SWEENEY TODD, an esoteric quasi-opera which has never had widepsread appeal and that has flopped twice, so far on Broadway, be anything but a flop as a movie?

The original story might attract people as a Tim Burton-Johnny Depp gothic tale -- and maybe it could be successful JUST as that -- but as soon as you add in the Sondheim score, you'll lose most of your potential audience (and very likely, Burton would end up cutting most of it in order to make the show work as a film). Do we actually think that Hollywood would ever properly adapt the show in its full form and not somehow screw it up? We should thank our lucky stars that we have a film of Prince, Lansbury and Hearn brilliantly doing the entire show on stage and just leave it at that.

[lovinlovett]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 9:21pm

Good point MargoChanning.

I'd hate to see this masterpiece butchered. Just leave it alone.

[Broadway_Boy]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 9:46pm

I think it's going to be Cyndi Lauper, isn't that why she wasn't put into the broadway revival?

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 9:47pm

if Jamie Bell can sing, put him on as Tobias.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 9:57pm

Freddie Highmore was actually the favorite to play Tobias when this project was Sam Mendes. In the John Logan script the character is apparently a child.

Not sure I like the idea of Burton directing SWEENEY. He has vision and imagination, but he's let those things take over his film making skills at the expense of the actual films. He just hasn't made a great live action film in a very, very long time.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 10:05pm

Bernadette Peters will NEVER get cast as Mrs.Lovett in a film that is hard enough to sell as it is. Unfortunately, Bernadette Peters' career on TV/movies has not been that successful, which is not a bad thing because she just needs to stand on a stage to create true theatrical magic. So I think we should root for her to replace LuPone as Lovett when her stint is done, and that's it, I insist she'd be ideal as Mrs.Lovett (not saying better/worse than LuPone).
If Tim Burton actually directs this film, he better stays away from Helena Boham Carter. In looking for actresses to play Lovett against a 40 year old Johnny Depp, then they have to stay away from casting Glenn Close or Meryl Streep, it'd be more like a story of older woman corrupting a younger guy than revenge, obsession, etc.
Would Cyndi Lauper sell tickets? Probably not. I think Catherine Zeta Jones would actually be quite cruel and sexy as Lovett, she sure can sing and she's a great actress. What about Bette Midler? If she didn't play it doing Mrs.Lovett as performed by Bette Midler, but actually embraced the role, she'd be good in my opinion.
I do want this movie made, just because I'm always interested in different approaches to a certain fictional story and Sweeney is probably one of the best musicals.

[ljay889]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 10:13pm

Lauper has auditoned for Sondheim. I think if he was impressed with her - he will push for her as Lovett in the movie.

[Isabella2]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 11:23pm

now that i think about it bernadette of catherine zeta jones would be pretty good for the part. but honest;y, i don't want burtom to do the musical, and i'm sure sondheim wouldn't allow it. we should just leave it alone for now.