Filmmakers Who You Think Should Tackle Movie Musicals

[non-stop26]

Posted: 8/31/17 at 9:10pm

Who do you think should take on a film adaptation of a musical and what should they do regardless of musical experience?

I personally would love Christopher Nolan to tackle Next to Normal as I feel it fits his twisty style of movies, and while I love Stephen Spielberg, he needs to steer clear of West Side Story as it already has a perfect adaptation. Instead, I think he'd do a lavishly amazing Follies as long as it followed the original book, and a fun and complex Company if he kept it a period piece or put a twist on it (ex. Bobbie).

 

Bonus: dreamcast!

Updated On: 8/31/17 at 09:10 PM

[hork]

Posted: 8/31/17 at 9:23pm

My dream movie musicals:

Les Miserables directed by Steven Spielberg

Chess directed by Martin Scorsese

Jesus Christ Superstar directed by Lars von Trier

In the Heights directed by Spike Lee

American Idiot directed by Terry Gilliam

Rent directed by Wong Kar-wai

I'd also like to see Julie Taymor make another musical. I freakin' loved Across the Universe.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 8/31/17 at 9:23pm

A Tim Burton Matilda might be too on the nose.

julie Taymor directing a great comet adaption may be interesting. 

Updated On: 8/31/17 at 09:23 PM

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 8/31/17 at 9:28pm

I know they did it onstage, but heck Rob Marshall and Sam Mendes need to get going with a cabaret remake...

 

are there any other examples like Billy Elliot where the director of the original film also directed the stage adaptation?

[SidebySidebyLogan]

Posted: 8/31/17 at 9:36pm

Follies is the movie musical I most want to see made but it's also the show I least want to see desecrated in an attempt to pull in audiences that were never going to show up to a cinema for it in the first place. Darren Aronofsky, David Fincher, or Alejandro González Iñárritu would be interesting choices. Aronofsky in particular intrigues me. Think of the visuals he captured in Black Swan but also his unflinching yet reverential take on midlife crises in The Wrestler. 

I know that between The Act and New York, New York Scorsese is probably blacklisted from musicals for most people but I wouldn't mind seeing him take another crack. I'd love to see him helm City of Angels.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 8/31/17 at 9:48pm

Ang Lee

 

[darquegk]

Posted: 8/31/17 at 10:48pm

I'd like to see Matthew Weiner develop a film of Company- give him and the Mad Men team free rein with the book, and don't let him cut much music. 

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 8/31/17 at 11:05pm

Steven Spielberg has for years been wanting to do a movie musical. I think it would be amazing if he were to bring Beautiful, Miss Saigon, and/or Ragtime to the big screen.

I also think it would be pretty cool to see indie film adaptations of Dear Evan Hansen, Next to Normal, and Spring Awakening from filmmakers among the likes of Spike Jonze or Marc Webb.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 8/31/17 at 11:17pm

I think Alfonso Cuaron could do something great with the right material. 

Ang Lee would also be a great choice as would Wong War Kai. 

I want someone whose has a knack for pacing and natural rhythm. Someone with a real artistic eye and style but with real maturity and depth aka not someone who is trying too hard (trying to be too hip or clever) and forgets to stay grounded and ignores real characterization and development.

Side note: I know a Tim Burton Matilda would be appealing to a lot of people, but I would absolutely hate it.

Updated On: 8/31/17 at 11:17 PM

[BakerWilliams]

Posted: 9/1/17 at 12:16am

Todd Haynes, Terence Malick, Peter Strickland, Paul Thomas Anderson, Leos Carax, The Coen Brothers, Nicolas Winding Refn, Sean Durkin, Steve McQueen.

 

Also, Henry Selick should do Matilda as claymation.

[The Josh]

Posted: 9/1/17 at 3:21am

Alfonso Cuaron 

Edgar Wright

Ava DuVernay

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 9/1/17 at 7:55am

Danny Boyle - was super excited about that rumor regarding Miss Saigon, although now I'm guessing it wasn't true or it didn't pan out.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 9/1/17 at 8:14am

After seeing Baby Driver, I'd love to see Edgar Wright take on a movie musical. The way he was able to incorporate music in Baby Driver alone was brilliant. I know it's a different way of using music, but I bet he could do a great job with it. 

[jtishere]

Posted: 9/1/17 at 9:29am

Co-sign on Ang Lee. He could do wonders with Company, Follies and A Little Night Music.

[thirtythirtyninety]

Posted: 9/1/17 at 10:00am

Ryan Coogler

Rian Johnson

Barry Jenkins

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 9/1/17 at 10:07am

Dee Rees directed the Queen Latifah HBO bio pic Bessie, and I think she could do something interesting. 

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 9/1/17 at 10:07am

The Ang Lee Little Night Music idea is great.  Would love to see him reteam with Emma Thompson writing.

Updated On: 9/1/17 at 10:07 AM

[Valentina3]

Posted: 9/1/17 at 10:38am

Been saying this for a while now, but I'd LOVE Amy Sherman-Palladino to do a movie remake of A Chorus Line, with Sutton Foster as Cassie. After having seen Bunheads, there's literally no one I can think of who can capture the hope and desperation of a dancer's life without the fear of embracing the dark parts when the material demands it. And this is one material which really demands it.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 9/1/17 at 10:53am

hork said: "Jesus Christ Superstar directed by Lars von Trier"

Got to be the worst idea since Lost Horizon.

[jtishere]

Posted: 9/1/17 at 11:03am

Joe Wright (Atonement) could be great too