Glenn Close and Ewan McGregor in Sunset Blvd!- Page 2

[Pinguin]

Posted: 7/9/05 at 11:35pm

While I was secretly rooting for Hugh I don't think Ewan is a tragic choice; he's a good actor and he'll do well with Glenn Close.


And I will agree that Ewan is a bigger box office draw -he has a much wider fan base than Hugh. Hugh's film career is sort of limited, he really hasn't done that much; X-Men is by far his biggest big screen deal.

[SallyBrown]

Posted: 7/9/05 at 11:37pm

Acting chops goes to Ewan hands down.



And I will agree that Ewan is a bigger box office draw -he has a much wider fan base than Hugh. Hugh's film career is sort of limited, he really hasn't done that much; X-Men is by far his biggest big screen deal.

yuh huh!

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 7/9/05 at 11:44pm

Ewan is definitely the better actor. He should have received an Oscar nomination for MOULIN ROUGE. His final scene is extraordinary.

He also has a handful of pretty big films coming out including THE ISLAND which is a high profile action film. I actually don't think Hugh Jackman is necssarily a box office draw because of X MEN. Most of his other films haven't been tremendously successful.

All this said, there isn't even a director or a screenwriter attached, which makes a Christmas 2006 release just a little optomistic.

Who knows, it could be just a PR move to keep the project in the press. But fun to know another movie musical is in the works (even if its fairly unnecessary like SUNSET).
Updated On: 7/9/05 at 11:44 PM

[More Cowbell]

Posted: 7/9/05 at 11:56pm

Ewan = better actor. Hugh = better singer. While they're both great, I'm a diehard Ewan fan and would LOVE to see him in this. I also agree he'd be a better box office draw - he has an almost cult-like following. Not to mention I think he's (a bit) better looking than Hugh.

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 7/9/05 at 11:56pm

YaYYY!!!

Don;t get me wrong, I love Hugh. But for this, I definately want Ewan.

[SallyBrown]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 12:06am

"His final scene is extraordinary."

YES! YES IT WAS!! I'm really surprised he doesnt have an Oscar nomination at least yet, although his roles aren't really Oscar type. I read this article though that said if "Stay" is a hit it could mean a nomination for him.

Anyhoo.


Cult-like following YES. I once met this girl with Ewan tattoes all over her arms. They said "EWAN MCGREGOR IS MINE. MINE MINE MINE" with a heart. Now, I'm a huge huge huge die hard fan of his, but the tattoe thing freaked me out.

[TennesseeTwang]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 12:19am

The choice of leading man is really a choice between apples and oranges.

But at least this may finally win Glen Close an Oscar.

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 12:34am

I'm not sure that the musical Sunset Boulevard is that much better than anything else Webber has written (I hope it's better than Phantom), but I'll definitely see the film now that I know it's starring Close and McGregor. McGregor is key.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 9:38am

Wonder what numbers will go from the score when it is transfered to film ?

I was thinking Jackman & Liza but...

[cserannie]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 9:41am

I think it would be awesome. I have heard Ewan singing and he is pretty good.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 9:45am

I wonder if Babs was even considered for the role or if she even wanted it - Ditto for Liza

[Sant]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 9:59am

"Wonder what numbers will go from the score when it is transfered to film ? "

'Eternal Youth... ' might go. 'Every Movie's A Circus' might go too - if something even gets cut. And the opening ensemble number could be shortened as well.

I'm really happy with this casting. I was hoping to see Meryl Streep play Norma, but...

[kidmanboy]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 10:00am

can someone fill me in as to when it became the prevailing thought that ewan mcgregor wasn't a good singer? His voice was heavenly in moulin rouge and the end of down with love. If that's only because of studio editing, he's going to receive the same treatment for this movie. Personally Hugh Jackman's voice irks me after awhile...i find it rather nasal.

[JenD512]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 10:18am

His singing has not been getting particularly good reviews for G&D, although his acting deservedly has.

I think they're both on the same level as far as acting...they've both made the geeks (including me) happy as Obi-Wan and Wolverine--which is NOT easy, they're both good in dramatic roles.

And they've both done clunker movies with Ashley Judd--"Eye of the Beholder" for Ewan, and "Someone Like You" for Hugh.

Hugh played the part on stage, he won the MO award for it in Austraila...he IS a better singer than Ewan. He should be the one in the movie.

[Demitri2]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 11:05am

I still wish Babs was doing it. It would have been her perfect swan song musical. There aren't really any musical leads left for a woman her age to portray on the screen. Besides, I already know what to expect from Close in the role. Her mediocre voice doesn't need to be imortalized in the film version. Close I'm afraid is too campy for me. Streisand could be truly frightening in the role with the right director. As for Joe Gillis, I would have prefered Jackman but Ewan is just fine with me. It's Norma's movie anyway. William Holden was great in the original but at the time Glenn Ford, Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas or any other of the male heart throbs could have played the role. It was Swanson's movie.

[JoeGillis]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 11:32am

Over all the best sung norma that I have seen was Betty Buckley, acting wise hands down it was Close. Everything about her screamed tortured, desperate it was nothing short of fantastic! I believe that Glen was the obvious choice. At frist when I read that Ewan was cast over Hugh I was in shock - especially b/c of the fact that Hugh had played the part - I'm over it now I'm sure it will all work out.

I wonder who will play Max, Betty, Arti and DeMille. . . .

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 12:14pm

I am so glad that Ewan was chosen over Hugh. I mean, Hugh has a good voice, but I have heard clips of him singing in the Australian production and thought he sounded off. Plus, you have to think of the crowd who goes to musical movies. Hugh Jackman is best known for Wolverine, while the people who flock to musical movies know Ewan as the singer/dance guy from Moulin Rouge. Personally, I think Ewan has MUCH MORE singing ability than Hugh and I believe that they made the right choice.

[Gelfling]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 2:41pm

*Puke*

I was expecting so much from this movie ever since ALW decided to screw Phantom with bad acting and worse singing... I was glad they were talking about Glenn Close but of course they HAD to find a way to screw this one too!!
Bleh.... another one I won't see!!

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 3:10pm

Why are they making this into a movie? It was a flop on Broadway (and everywhere else, for that matter), the last two Webber movie musicals haven't been very successful, and the original Billy Wilder film is an unmatched classic. Why develop another filmic (and now musical) interpretation?

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 3:45pm

You know, I'm not a fan of this show (Andrew Lloyd Webber - need I say more?)...but had it been anyone else in the role of Norma, I might have considered seeing it - now I won't, because Glenn Close, though a good actress, cannot sing the role. Period.

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 3:50pm

Most people are saying McGregor's singing is horrible right now in Guys and Dolls. They'll sure be using studio tricks on his voice for Sunset.

[IveGottaBeME]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 3:55pm

love Ewan and his voice in Moulin.. he's such a diverse actor.

[bdwybug55]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 4:22pm

I am actually very excited about this casting. Glenn Close was pretty good as Norma in the stage production (although of course I was much fonder of Patti Lupone) and I just can't help but love Ewan McGregor. Hugh Jackman is fantastic but he looks much too old for me for this role. There will be something much more suited to him that will come along and hopefully that something will be back here in NYC. I just wish that with so many movie musicals coming out that they would make use of more NYC musical theatre actors. At least "Rent" is doing that to some extent.

[SallyBrown]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 5:30pm

"I was expecting so much from this movie ever since ALW decided to screw Phantom with bad acting and worse singing... I was glad they were talking about Glenn Close but of course they HAD to find a way to screw this one too!!
Bleh.... another one I won't see!!"



Sheeh is there really reason to be that harsh? I know it's all diverse opinions and what not but I highly doubt that this movie is going to be screwed up because of Ewan, and I'm not saying this just because I'm a fan. Ewan's gonna kick ass as always and you'll all be biting your tongue I say that in the highest respect for you other BWWs

[SallyBrown]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 5:38pm

p.s. I agree with whoever said Ewan will be a bigger catch with the whole Moulin Rouge thing. Find me average movie goers besides real Hugh fans that know that Hugh was ever in a musical, compared to the people who know Ewan from Moulin Rouge or his other movies.