Disney will release 2-disc deluxe INTO THE WOODS soundtrack

Yes, I know of the 1,000,000+ timed viewed ITW thread, but this is about the soundtrack which is on everyone's mind I'm sure...

"Are you ready to experience the soundtrack and movie musical of the holidays? Enter into a magical journey and the fantasy world of Disney’s new film, Into The Woods, a modern twist on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales!"

Soundtrack available Dec. 16, 2014, pre-order here: http://smarturl.it/itwsama1

Didn't they cut a bunch of songs? Why do they need two discs?

Remember how bizarre the SWEENEY TODD soundtrack was? There were standard and extended editions but they were both just one disc anyway?

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They will probably have that new song for Meryl Steep on the recording as well if it was recorded but never used.

Updated On: 10/23/14 at 08:35 PM

"Rainbows" got cut or a different song?

I don't remember if it was a 2-disc edition or not, but the CHICAGO soundtrack included a bunch of numbers, including some of the instrumental music and the jewel that is "Class" with the lyrics that John Kander and Fred Ebb always wanted for the song. I couldn't be more exciting about all things involving this movie.

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Was I Move On used in the film? I can't remember. It's probably the worst song written for the show.

No, Eric, Ballad was cut because Depp's daughter was hospitalized with a serious illness and it was touch and go whether she would survive. He left the set for three or four days to be with her and his wife at the hospital in London. Burton shot around him for one day but then had to shut down production until Depp returned. Burton is famous for bringing his films in on time and on budget -- it's why he gets so much borderline commercial material into production. The money people tell him how much he can spend and he sticks to it. Sweeney was budgeted at $50 million, an incredibly small amount for what you see and hear onscreen. To make up for the lost days and money involved in the delay, he looked through the unshot portions of the script and literally tore out the pages with the Ballad. It was to have been sung as either a quintet or a sextet by the ghosts of Sweeney's dead customers with some minor special effects. But I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't too upset by its loss. At any rate, the film came in early and on budget.

Updated On: 10/24/14 at 11:01 PM

NoName--I had no idea. Why couldn't they film it without Depp? I always assumed it was one of the casualties when the film changed direction after cutting all the chorus numbers.

I don't know the details, Eric. It was discussed in one of the many short documentaries about the film that were released at the time of the film's release, some of which are on the DVD and Blu-ray. There were also some press reports about it. Maybe the actors weren't scheduled to be around then and couldn't be assembled that quickly, or those sets weren't ready at that point? Burton did shoot around him for one day but then had to shut down. Cutting the scene meant not having to extend the shooting schedule (which Burton just doesn't do) when Depp did return, and kept the film on budget (which he always, always does), is the way it was explained.

The documentaries were also on youtube and at the film's website, which was quite elaborate. I have no idea if any of that material is still online.

I always thought that they were more obscene throughout the whole song, and that only the ending was reinstated for the movie.

I, too, was under the impression that "The Ballad..." was cut for strictly artistic/cinematic reasons (4th wall breaking narrative not traditionally well served by film technique, etc.) I've heard many mentions, including Sondheim's. If anyone has definitive footage that explains it was budgetary, I'd like to hear/see it. It seems odd that such a decision would be made based on an actor's emergency. I am ready to be convinced, I'd like to know the facts.

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