Catherine Zeta-Jones in the FOLLIES film?

Sondheim recently said that a FOLLIES script by Aaron Sorkin is in final negotiations on getting both his approval and a green-light for the project to move forward and a director and casting to begin. He also said that a very exciting movie star was attached to the project for Phyllis, even at this early stage. Given the fact she was his personal choice for Desiree in the ALNM revival and called her himself to ask her to play the role....

Could Catherine Zeta-Jones be Sondheim's personal choice for the film version of FOLLIES?

I realize this is a highly speculative subject at this point, particularly since a director for the project has not yet been officially announced, unless we count the Sam Mendes interview from a year or so ago (but, then again, he was also originally slated to direct SWEENEY and even had casting sessions).

There is a thread on ATC about this as well and I must say the pieces seem to fit together. And much as I love Meryl, she is more a Carlotta at this point than a Phyllis.

Thoughts/opinions?

P

Please do not let Rob Marshall & his oversized garden shears anywhere near this.

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Updated On: 12/9/09 at 06:53 PM

Zeta-Jones is not a big enough B.O. draw to warrant the casting.

Cause you know... starring in a film of the same genre you won your Oscar for means absolutely nothing these days.

ljay is right...if this film does happen the cast is SURE to be star-studded. And since when is CZJ not a box office draw? Everyone knows her from Chicago, everyone knows she won an Oscar for it, and everyone loved her in the film. Why would people not love to see her in another movie musical?

I think she would be terrific!

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Ya but, if she played Carlotta...She would only Dazzle us with one song. Unless they added more, like The boy can Foxtrot....Just a thought

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OMG....I was just thinking Kathy Bates for Stella

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Maybe Christine Baranski could do Carlotta in the Movie?.....What do you think?

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Take that as a you don't like the idea...lol

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We I did, and yes it was not her best, but that is also only 2-3 weeks of rehearsal...Maybe with more time....Come on i am trying to be an Optimist...I am told I need to be more optimistic....:)

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I think most stars would be able to handle the vocals of Phyllis, Ben, and Buddy. But if a non-singer is cast as Sally, her music will certainly be heavily altered. Sally has the hardest music in the score.

Sally certainly has to be an amazing actress who can sing. Ben is probably the second hardest role vocally. As for the secondary ladies, Justine Johnson with One More Kiss is a bear to handle, but the others are doable with capable singers (like the before mentioned Kathy Bates-who is a fine singer, and 100% appropriate for the show and most of the roles.)

I think Follies could work on film, it would be tricky, but as we are seeing in recent years, musicals need to reworked for the screen. Gone are the days of basically putting the stage show up on the screen (or you try to like with The Producers and it bombs.)

Chicago, Dreamgirls, Sweeney Todd-all were successful enough and were re imagined greatly from the originals. I think NINE will be the same-movie going audiences are not normal theatre audiences. Truth be told-we would go see almost ANY musical that was turned into a movie-so for it to work for the mass audiences-it HAS to be a drastically imaginative concept-and that is how Follies will have to be.

And did I mention that Kathy Bates really should play Stella?

Backstory, yes, but the danger is that more plot will just make the four main characters even more unpleasant.

It will never happen, but I would love for them to put back into the score the duet for Ben and Sally on "All Things Bright and Beautiful." I have loved that yearning melody ever since I first heard it in the overture. Then it was part of "Marry Me a Little." But the most exquisite version of the song is sung by Brent Barrett and Sally Mayes on her CD "Boys and Girls Like You and Me."

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