FOLLIES Movie Adaptation in the Works!!

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

Posted: 12/8/21 at 2:07pm

FOLLIES Movie Adaptation Is In the Works

Follies originally played on Broadway in 1971.

by Nicole Rosky Dec. 8, 2021  

        

Here they come, those beautiful girls! According to the New York Times, a film version of Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman's Follies is "in active development" with Heyday Films. A timeline for the movie has not yet been announced.

When former members of the "Weismann Follies" reunite on the eve of their theater's demolition, two couples remember their past and face the harsher realities of the present. Reminiscing of their younger selves and the years gone by, the crumbling theater brings back memories for both couples of good times and bad. Follies echoes the songs, exuberance and romance of the vaudeville days between the two World Wars. The score features some of Stephen Sondheim's best-known songs, including "Broadway Baby," "I'm Still Here," "Too Many Mornings," "Could I Leave You?," and "Losing My Mind."

Follies - featuring a book by James Goldman and a score by Stephen Sondheim - was originally produced on Broadway by Harold Prince with orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick. It opened on April 4, 1971 at the Winter Garden Theatre where it ran for 522 performances and received seven Tony Awards, including Best Original Score.

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

Posted: 12/8/21 at 2:09pm

Casting ideas?...

Nicole Kidman as Phyllis...

 

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/8/21 at 2:46pm

FYI, this is the Dominic Cooke version that’s been in the works for a couple years. I wish Sondheim was still here to be involved.

Updated On: 12/8/21 at 02:46 PM

[Theatrefanboy1]

Posted: 12/8/21 at 3:22pm

I’m really hoping that they use this as an opportunity to showcase the talent of stage and screen through the generations. 
 

Julie Andrews (yes I know here voice is very limited. But there would have to be a small role. I’m trying to think right now)

Angela Lansbury 

Dame Judi Dench

Bernadette Peters

Patti Lupone 

Barbra Striesand

Donna Murphy

Meryl Streep 

Audra McDonald

Imelda Staunton


Cate Blachett

and then as much as I hate to suggest. But yes. Like Nicole Kidman, Catherine Zeta Jones

and then younger performers like Laura Osnes, Annaleigh Ashford. 
 

I would love to see Brian Stokes Mitchell and Brian Darcy James 

 

 

OR the other thought I had was go more Hollywood/rock and roll

 

cher

bette midler

Stevie nicks 

olivia Newton John 

Meryl Streep 

barba Streisand 

dolly parton

reba McEntire

julie andrews 

[Theatrefanboy1]

Posted: 12/8/21 at 3:22pm

I’m really hoping that they use this as an opportunity to showcase the talent of stage and screen through the generations. 
 

Julie Andrews (yes I know here voice is very limited. But there would have to be a small role. I’m trying to think right now)

Angela Lansbury 

Dame Judi Dench

Bernadette Peters

Patti Lupone 

Barbra Striesand

Donna Murphy

Meryl Streep 

Audra McDonald

Imelda Staunton


Cate Blachett

and then as much as I hate to suggest. But yes. Like Nicole Kidman, Catherine Zeta Jones

and then younger performers like Laura Osnes, Annaleigh Ashford. 
 

I would love to see Brian Stokes Mitchell and Brian Darcy James 

 

 

OR the other thought I had was go more Hollywood/rock and roll

 

cher

bette midler

Stevie nicks 

olivia Newton John 

Meryl Streep 

barba Streisand 

dolly parton

reba McEntire

julie andrews 

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 12/8/21 at 3:25pm

Honestly I think Gwyneth Paltrow as Phyllis. 

It's REALLY fitting and she can sing it. 

Steve Carrell as Buddy

Laura Dern as Sally

Hugh Jackman as Ben

I think Rita Moreno singing "I'm Still Here" would be chilling and wonderful. As well as Lily Tomlin, Julie Andrews, Jane Fonda

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

Posted: 12/8/21 at 3:33pm

i love the idea of BETTE MIDLER singing "I'm Still Here"

[nealb1]

Posted: 12/8/21 at 3:38pm

Catherine Zeta-Jones as Phyllis

Richard Gere as Ben
Ann-Margret as Carlotta

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 12/8/21 at 3:45pm

If Ann Margret can sing it- also an amazing choice. 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 12/8/21 at 4:08pm

rattleNwoolypenguin said: "If Ann Margret can sing it- also an amazing choice."

 

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 12/8/21 at 4:18pm

I know the want for this is to cast a bunch of Broadway legends. But I actually think it's more poignant for this medium to cast Hollywood legends (who can of course sing) cause there's a poignancy and sadness to how Hollywood specifically treats women. It's very similar to the plight of the Ziegfeld girls.

[The8re phan]

Posted: 12/8/21 at 4:48pm

Michelle Pfeiffer as Phyllis.

The rest are debatable, but I want, no NEED, to see her in this film

 

[MarkBearSF]

Posted: 12/8/21 at 4:52pm

broadwaybabywannabe2 said: "i love the idea of BETTE MIDLER singing "I'm Still Here""

One word. Cher.

...and if it's not too cringey, Donnie & Marie as the Whitmans
Bernadette as Hattie Walker

[JSquared2]

Posted: 12/8/21 at 4:59pm

If she can still sing it, Shirley MacLaine as Stella singing "I'm Still Here".

 

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 12/8/21 at 5:03pm

The8re phan said: "Michelle Pfeiffer as Phyllis.

The rest are debatable, but I want, no NEED, to see her in this film

I think she might be a little too old for Phyllis now. Aren't they all supposed to be in their 50's ish at oldest? I always got the sense is they all have just entered the empty nest portion of parenthood.

 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 12/8/21 at 5:14pm

Phyllis and Sally are about 48-49 in FOLLIES.  It’s mentioned in the book.  

[Dolly80]

Posted: 12/8/21 at 5:19pm

Cate Blanchett as Phyllis.

Can everyone please not tell James Corden about this. He’ll only show up on set and demand a role.

[JasonC3]

Posted: 12/8/21 at 5:36pm

No Corden. No Kidman.

[JSquared2]

Posted: 12/8/21 at 5:42pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "Phyllis and Sally are about 48-49 in FOLLIES. It’s mentioned in the book."

It's not a documentary.

 

[Georgeanddot2]

Posted: 12/8/21 at 5:44pm

Cate Blanchett as Phyllis.  Apparently she's got a pretty strong singing voice, but I've never seen her showcase it onscreen.  Would also love to see her play Desiree in Night Music.

Sally is the harder role to cast.  Olivia Colman would be my choice of actress and she can kinda sing. Not sure well enough to play Sally.  Imelda is probably getting cast.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 12/8/21 at 6:30pm

Can we hire vocal coaches for Viola Davis, Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, and Regina King and ask them to pick a role?

[MichelleCraig]

Posted: 12/8/21 at 6:44pm

While I’d like to see this happen, I think the chances of it materializing are right up there with a film version of   Andrew Lloyd Webber’s SUNSET BLVD. 

Rumors and trade speculation about a FOLLIES movie have been around since the 1970s.

If the prospects were really viable, the mention of it would’ve happened way earlier than in the closing sentence in this latest New York Times piece.

Perhaps the National Theatre’s capture from London is the closest we’ll get to having FOLLIES preserved. It’s just a shame that the rights were never cleared for a physical release.

I’d love to be proved wrong, though.

[UrNotAMachine]

Posted: 12/8/21 at 10:46pm

I'd love to see Toni Colette as Sally, she played Petra in the Sydney production of A Little Night Music, and I think she'd nail Sally's breakdown over the course of the film.

[sng]

Posted: 12/9/21 at 12:40am

Hannah Waddingham - Phyllis

Amy Adams - Sally

Hugh Jackman - Ben

??? - Buddy

 

 

Angela Lansbury - Hattie 

Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkins - Emily and Thedore

Bette Midler - Solange

Patti Lupone - Carlotta

Chita Rivera - Stella

 

[SweetLips22]

Posted: 12/9/21 at 3:36am

BrodyFosse123 said: "rattleNwoolypenguin said: "If Ann Margret can sing it- also an amazing choice."

A lot of these 'oldies' have had so much surgery that they are just a characteristic of their former self. They have to look 'untouched'.

"