Into the Woods film (that was planned)

[AngusN]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 7:51am

I remember reading some years ago about a film version of 'Into the Woods' with an all star cast. So I searched the net to see if I could find it again, here is what I found:

INTO THE WOODS film (199?; Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel)
In October 1994, and all-star reading of the script was held
at the home of Penny Marshall. Participating in the reading
were:
Robin Williams (the Baker),
Goldie Hawn (the Baker's Wife),
Cher (the Witch),
Steve Martin (the Wolf),
Danny DeVito (the Giant),
Elijah Wood (Jack),
Roseanne (Jack's mother),
Bebe Neuwirth (Cinderella's stepmother),
Mayim Bialik (Little Red Riding Hood),
Samantha Mathis (Rapunzel),
Brendan Fraser (Rapunzel's prince),
Moira Kelly (Cinderella),
Kyle MacLachlan (Cinderella's prince) and
Michael Jeter (Cinderella's father).
Marshall is attached as director, though an item in Marilyn Beck's gossip column in February 1995 reported that a co-director may be brought in because of the size of the production. No cast nor start date has been announced.

I would have loved to have been there.

It also has:

SWEENEY TODD film (199?; no screenwriter announced)
Tim Burton plans to direct a movie version of SWEENEY, possibly
after the completion of his current movie, MARS ATTACKS! Sondhiem
will write new songs and update older ones for the SWEENEY movie.

The website is:
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/theatre/part2/

[ChiChi]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 10:02am

Some potential members of the Into the Woods film looked okay, others would make it so that I probably would not want to see it.

[AngusN]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 10:06am

I don't think it was going to be a live action film. I think they it was an animated version.

[ruthiefan_felix]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 10:19am

I really like the idea of Tim Burton doing the Sweeney Todd film!

[HunterFosterIsMyGod]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 10:56am

ELIJAH WOOD AS JACK!!! AHAHHAHAHAHHA!!!

he is so great, i can actually see that one.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 11:00am

I'd like to see Jake Gyllenhall as Jack and Heath Ledger as Milky White.

[AngusN]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 12:02pm

I would love to have seen Robin and Goldie as the Baker and his wife. Goldie has impeccable comic timing and apparently her voice is supposed to be pretty good, she initially penned to play Velma alongside Charlize Theron, as Roxie in Chicago.

[insomniak]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 12:07pm

I love Tim Burton, but I'm not sure his whimsical sensibilities would work well with Sweeney. It needs to be gritty; the humor stems from the characters, not their surroundings. The fairy-tale thing would fail miserably.

I'm hoping for Mendes to direct this at some point. I've heard it's possible.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 5:13pm

I think Tim Burton should direct Into the Woods, he'd create such a magical world. As I suggested in another thread, Peter Jackson would probably do wonders with this show as well.
I remember reading an interview with Rob Marshall in which he said it was time a Sondheim musical (that is composer/lyricist Sondheim) made it to the screen, he said he was interested in Into the Woods, Sweeney, or Follies.

[Jon]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 6:07pm

I know that at one point, Jim Henson's company was contracted to create the cow, hen, harp, birds, etc. for an Into The Woods film. It was definitely going to be live action.