DEAR EVAN HANSEN Film In The Works- Page 2

[barcelona20]

Posted: 6/11/20 at 5:48pm

Hot Pants said: "barcelona20 said: "What happened to diversity?

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Kaitlyn-Dever-In-Talks-For-Film-Adaptation-Of-DEAR-EVAN-HANSEN-20200611"

You do realize that the role was originated by a white actress, right?

I sure do, but what does that have to do with anything?

[gypsy101]

Posted: 6/11/20 at 11:08pm

actors in their 20s play teenagers on tv and film, get over it people.

[Hot Pants]

Posted: 6/12/20 at 12:58am

barcelona20 said: "Hot Pants said: "barcelona20 said: "What happened to diversity?

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Kaitlyn-Dever-In-Talks-For-Film-Adaptation-Of-DEAR-EVAN-HANSEN-20200611"

You do realize that the role was originated by a white actress, right?

I sure do, but what does that have to do with anything?"

I figured the connection was pretty obvious. Why would you bemoan the lack of diversity when the part was originally played by a white actress, with most of the following actresses playing Zoe being white? I can understand bringing up diversity if they cast a white actress as Alana, who’s always played by a person of color, but why is there the need to act like Zoe’s rumored actress in the movie being white is some problem?

[blaxx]

Posted: 6/12/20 at 2:31am

gypsy101 said: "actors in their 20s play teenagers on tv and film, get over it people."

Unless the actor already looks 40.

Platt already played a teenager in a major movie franchise years ago, are we to believe he stayed there forever?

Updated On: 6/12/20 at 02:31 AM

[persephone88]

Posted: 6/12/20 at 4:48am

They filmed the stage version, and honestly, I'd rather they released that to cinemas and charged a premium the way National Theatre Live does. Or sell the Broadcast rights to Disney (or HBO) like Hamilton for broadcast now when folks are missing going to the theatre / movies. You'd be seeing Ben and that wonderful cast in their prime, playing those roles as intended. Frankly, I'm afraid it will lose some of the magic on film, though the choice in director gives me hope. But if they don't get RBJ, ☹️. And I can't imagine anyone doing a better Connor than Mike Faist. Just show the stage version!

[barcelona20]

Posted: 6/12/20 at 8:37am

Hot Pants said: "barcelona20 said: "Hot Pants said: "barcelona20 said: "What happened to diversity?

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Kaitlyn-Dever-In-Talks-For-Film-Adaptation-Of-DEAR-EVAN-HANSEN-20200611"

You do realize that the role was originated by a white actress, right?

I sure do, but what does that have to do with anything?"

I figured the connection was pretty obvious. Why would you bemoan the lack of diversity when the part was originally played by a white actress, with most of the following actresses playing Zoe being white? I can understand bringing up diversity if they cast a white actress as Alana, who’s always played by a person of color, but why is there the need to act like Zoe’s rumored actress in the movie being white is some problem?"

You realize that this mindset is part of the problem. Who cares how it was cast in the past?  It's about how it's cast in the future, and there would be nothing wrong with a POC playing Zoe. In fact, why not just make her whole family POC?

[chewy5000]

Posted: 6/12/20 at 8:51am

The Murphy family is a modern white stereotype

[barcelona20]

Posted: 6/12/20 at 9:21am

chewy5000 said: "The Murphy family is a modern white stereotype"

It's not even close to the family in Jagged Little Pill.  There's absolutely no reason why they couldn't be a POC family.

[Wick3]

Posted: 6/12/20 at 9:31am

gypsy101 said: "actors in their 20s play teenagers on tv and film, get over it people."

I agree.

Also ---- I think Ben Platt can look like a high school student if the other actors don't look too young when standing next to him. Yes, Ben will look 'old' if they cast Zoe, Jared, Connor, and Alana to 15 or 16 year old actors. However if the other actors are in their 20s, I think the film will be fine. 

When I last saw Dear Evan Hansen last year, I loved Andrew Barth Feldman (who was 17 at the time) as Evan but when he stood next to Alex Boniello (who was 29 at the time and portrayed Connor Murphy) it just looked odd.  Alex was clearly a lot older than Andrew from the looks department.

 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/12/20 at 9:31am

I’ve actually always wanted to see the Murphy family as an Asian American family.

[Wick3]

Posted: 6/12/20 at 9:35am

or have the Murphy family as an inter-racial family. I feel it's rare to see inter-racial marriages on film/tv/theatre.

[Hot Pants]

Posted: 6/12/20 at 9:46am

barcelona20 said: "chewy5000 said: "The Murphy family is a modern white stereotype"

It's not even close to the family in Jagged Little Pill. There's absolutely no reason why they couldn't be a POC family."

You’re being ridiculous. Yes, the Murphys can be cast with people of color, but their race is completely irrelevant to the story, and it’s not like there was some big rumor about a POC portraying them in the film, so why are you getting so upset about the mere possibility of them being white? Just because a role can be played by a minority doesn’t mean a white person playing it is some kind of grave injustice.

[Valentina3]

Posted: 6/12/20 at 9:51am

I personally think this property will not work at all on film. The scrutiny it was given for portrayal of mental illnesses when it first came out will be 10x worse. But I suppose we'll find out. I just hope they don't try to shoehorn Emily Blunt in somehow (although... should they shoehorn Emily Blunt in this? God knows she can do vulnerable like nobody's business).

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/12/20 at 9:55am

If we’re not getting the “Next To Normal” movie with Toni Collette, then I want her as Heidi in this film.

[VotePeron]

Posted: 6/12/20 at 9:57am

Valentina3 said: "I personally think this property will not work at all on film. The scrutiny it was given for portrayal of mental illnesses when it first came out will be 10x worse. But I suppose we'll find out. I just hope they don't try to shoehorn Emily Blunt in somehow(although... should they shoehorn Emily Blunt in this? God knows she can do vulnerable like nobody's business)."

I agree, that likewise with The Prom, once the story is laid bare and exposed to millions of non-theater going people, it will be ripped apart for its extreme shortcomings on its subject matter and the dangerous messages they preach. The extremely liberal audiences of broadway are much more forgiving to these wide swathes of stories than i expect many people to be. 

[barcelona20]

Posted: 6/12/20 at 10:06am

Hot Pants said: "barcelona20 said: "chewy5000 said: "The Murphy family is a modern white stereotype"

It's not even close to the family in Jagged Little Pill. There's absolutely no reason why they couldn't be a POC family."

You’re being ridiculous. Yes, the Murphys can be cast with people of color, but their race is completely irrelevant to the story, and it’s not like there was some big rumor about a POC portraying them in the film, so why are you getting so upset about the mere possibility of them being white? Just because a role can be played by a minority doesn’t mean a white person playing it is some kind of grave injustice."

Do you have a clue of what's going on in the world and in the theater world right now? My goodness. I never said it was a grave injustice, but it is an opportunity to have a more diverse cast of actors.

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 6/12/20 at 10:07am

There is absolutely no reason the Murphy family has to be any specific ethnicity.  While I 100% agree POC need more visibility in media and would 100% be on board if Zoe was cast with a non-white actress, there's also nothing that says the role has to be played that way and that there's something wrong with a white actress playing it.  This is not a case of whitewashing a role.  This is a case of "this role can believably be played by any actress, regardless of race, and this is the actress we landed on".

[Hot Pants]

Posted: 6/12/20 at 10:15am

Broadway61004 said: "There is absolutely no reason the Murphy family has to be any specific ethnicity. While I 100% agree POC need more visibility in media and would 100% be on board if Zoe was cast with a non-white actress, there's also nothing that says the role has to be played that way and that there's something wrong with a white actress playing it. This is not a case of whitewashing a role. This is a case of "this role can believably be played by any actress, regardless of race, and this is the actress we landed on"."

I’m just gonna let this end the argument, cause things are only gonna get worse if I respond again.

[barcelona20]

Posted: 6/12/20 at 10:41am

Hot Pants said: "Broadway61004 said: "There is absolutely no reason the Murphy family has to be any specific ethnicity. While I 100% agree POC need more visibility in media and would 100% be on board if Zoe was cast with a non-white actress, there's also nothing that says the role has to be played that way and that there's something wrong with a white actress playing it. This is not a case of whitewashing a role. This is a case of "this role can believably be played by any actress, regardless of race, and this is the actress we landed on"."

I’m just gonna let this end the argument, cause things are only gonna get worse if I respond again."

Come onnn, respond!

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 6/12/20 at 11:06am

On the Broadway for Black Lives Matter forum last night,  one of the panelists, Amber Iman essentially said 'white allies who endlessly focus their energies on how traditionally white casting can be diversified are completely missing the point.'  

Why don't we instead hope the people behind the film add some POC to the production team and see what naturally extends from that from that rather than just hope the film adds a little token diversity to its cast list?

[joevitus]

Posted: 6/12/20 at 11:08am

Perfectly stated, both Broadway61004 and Queen Alice.

[Hot Pants]

Posted: 6/12/20 at 11:55am

barcelona20 said: "Hot Pants said: "Broadway61004 said: "There is absolutely no reason the Murphy family has to be any specific ethnicity. While I 100% agree POC need more visibility in media and would 100% be on board if Zoe was cast with a non-white actress, there's also nothing that says the role has to be played that way and that there's something wrong with a white actress playing it. This is not a case of whitewashing a role. This is a case of "this role can believably be played by any actress, regardless of race, and this is the actress we landed on"."

I’m just gonna let this end the argument, cause things are only gonna get worse if I respond again."

Come onnn, respond!"

[lemiz3001]

Posted: 6/12/20 at 1:36pm

QueenAlice said: "On the Broadway for Black Lives Matter forum last night, one of the panelists, Amber Iman essentially said 'white allies who endlessly focus their energies onhow traditionally white casting can be diversifiedare completely missing the point.'

Why don't we instead hope the people behind the filmadd some POC to the production team and see what naturally extends from that from that rather than just hope the film adds a little token diversity to its cast list?"

Exactly. During one of the panels on the forum last night I also heard "diversity is NOT equality". This was a really eye opening moment for me. BIPOC actors of color don't want to be shoe horned into shows/movies/etc as a signal of diversity. As Queen Alice said, let's focus on a top down approach of producers, managers, agents, and production teams of color to try to create more equality in what we see on stage.

[Andres_Zayas]

Posted: 6/12/20 at 1:39pm

Jordan Catalano said: "If we’re not getting the “Next To Normal” movie with Toni Collette, then I want her as Heidi in this film. "

I SECOND THIS!!!!

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 6/12/20 at 2:13pm

Why don't we instead hope the people behind the film add some POC to the production team and see what naturally extends from that from that rather than just hope the film adds a little token diversity to its cast list?

A huge emphatic YES for this idea.