Is The NEXT TO NORMAL Movie Still Happening? — Page 5

"It's also a reason Madonna is in the running because she is HUGE overseas and will sell tickets to a film."

It's hard to judge since her last film was in 2002, but Madonna is not really considered box office gold in terms of Hollywood. That last film (Swept Away) bombed abysmally and Evita was considered an under-performer, even factoring in the overseas gross.

Madonna ALONE would never sell a film, but you get her on a marquee with Jackman and some marketable teens and you will have a winner. As I've said before, Madonna does well in music videos-she is very compelling. She is also a mother and understand grief and loss on a primal level-it has informed some of her work. I think she could be effective.

Spork, I hear you on the mania piece. I guess people just connected to the story of having an unstable parent and trying to make sense of that. Most of us have some issue when reflecting on our parents and I think N2N touched the right nerve with many people. Also many women I know love the piece because it accurately depicts the emotional challenges of motherhood and loss.

It's a very rich musical-true, not accurate, but very complex and moving.

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God, I hope the Madonna thing isn't true. AS well as some of these casting ideas. Considering the movie probably wouldn't get released until 2015 should it happen at all and they start moving on it by the end of this year, the ages alone would be a big issue:

Madonna - 55
Hugh Jackman - 45
Aaron Tveit - 30
Anna Kendrick - 28
Hunter Parrish - 26

Now, I know Hollywood can sometimes get away with taking some liberties on age depending on the appearance of the actor (or in the case of Grease, just ignoring them completely), but I mean, come on. How about Streisand for Diana and Al Pacino as Dan! And Betty White as Natalie!

Actually, I can't imagine anyone other than Madonna thinking she would be right for this part. Perhaps she should just sabotage the entire project completely and talk Chris Columbus into directing.

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If they were to racebend it like with ANNIE, I think Keke Palmer would make a better Natalie than Brandy and Jennifer Hudson as Diana would even blow Alice Ripley out of the water.

However, I don't think that's likely to happen so my Caucasian dreamcast would be:
Diana Goodman: Idina Menzel
Dan Goodman: Nathan Fillion (Listen to Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog if you want proof he can sing)
Natalie Goodman: Anna Kendrick
Gabe Goodman: Chris Colfer (He's actually said he'd love to play this role if he got the chance and since his work on Glee proves he can handle it both vocally and acting-wise, I say give him the chance)
Henry: Hunter Parrish

All are reasonably big stars but they (at least in my opinion) actually have the talent to pull off the roles, and not just sell tickets. Also, age doesn't matter as long as it's not like Mister Matt's satirical suggestions and there's a big enough age gap between actors playing parents and children to make it believable.

Exactly. I hate to impose the 'heteronormative values' on N2N but I think a point of the role is that Gabe is actually somewhat masculine and the family is an archetypical American suburban family - not a 'modern' family. He plays football!

I've seen N2N with someone who couldn't convincingly act masculine and the show felt odd. Back away Chris Colfer, back away.

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Updated On: 8/24/13 at 06:28 PM

I hate to crush you but Colfer can't handle it vocally unless you count his autotuned caterwauling singing.

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Chris Colfer makes Sean Hayes look like Sylvester Stallone.

Yeah... Gabe's character, who was known as "Superboy" in earlier drafts of the show, has to be not only masculine but extremely so. He exists both as dream-son and dream-lover, slowly replacing Natalie AND Dan in Diana's world.