James Lapine and INTO THE WOODS

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 5/14/13 at 11:18am

As the sole screenwriter for this upcoming movie version of INTO THE WOODS, I can't help but wonder if there might be some ghost writers involved with this project.

Lapine seems to have a strong grip on this show, being the book writer and only person to have directed the show on Broadway (both the original and revival).

I myself loved the revival, though I know the reviews were mixed; but I think it's mainly because I was wearing rose-colored glasses. It was the my first opportunity to see a beloved show live. I've loved the Peters recording for years and can't imagine how magical it must have been to see it in person.

Still, I wonder, with his extremely limited experience in writing for the screen; I can't imagine Lapine is doing this alone. I think I'd feel more comfortable knowing he were working alongside someone with a bit more experience in transitioning a stage musical to film.

One major fear is that this comes across as far too "stagey" (a la THE PRODUCERS in 2005).

Now Disney being as controlling as they are, I would hope the team is being very meticulous in their efforts to avoid this.

Does anyone else think Lapine may be a little too green for the silver screen?

Updated On: 5/14/13 at 11:18 AM

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 5/14/13 at 11:25am

Years ago he directed IMPROMPTU for the screen. (IMDB says 1991). A weekend-in-the-country kind of drama about Chopin that was really lovely.

Never saw LIFE WITH MIKEY, his next feature. But Lapine did learn his way around a movie set back then.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/14/13 at 11:28am

LIFE WITH MIKEY is one of my favorite movies and it has Cyndi Lauper (who might be fun in WOODS somewhere)!

But that said, I have absolutely no faith that this film will be a good adaptation of my favorite musical. Between the hack director and Sondheim's ridiculous inability to just LEAVE HIS MUSICALS alone, I can't see how this is going to please a hardcore fan like me.

[Musicaldudepeter]

Posted: 5/14/13 at 11:29am

I have no problem believing he is adapting it alone. Look at John Patrick Shanley, who single-handedly adapted his Doubt for the screen and also directed it. And that film was translated beautiful for the big screen from the intimate play that it originally was. I would be more concerned if Lapine WASN'T involved with the adaptation for the movie version of Into the Woods - at least we can trust him with the material, can't we?

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 5/14/13 at 11:32am

Yes, musicaldudepeter. But, Shanley was an Oscar-Winning screenwriter long before he transitioned DOUBT from stage to screen.

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 5/14/13 at 11:34am

You may be right, Jordan. I will say that the Les Miz film proved to many that despite casting clunkers, it was still possible to forge a film musical in 2012 that was essentially true to its theater roots. I have higher hopes for this than I did for the Sweeney Todd transfer-- a debacle of an even greater work to my mind.

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 5/14/13 at 11:35am

He's got DeLuca and Marshall and Disney and other film pro's working with him on this - I'm sure he knws what he's doing. And, he has Sondheim.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/14/13 at 11:38am

I'd trust Chris Columbus to direct this before I'd trust Rob Marshall so that's not really saying much.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 5/14/13 at 11:39am

"a debacle of an even greater work to my mind."

In. Your. Opinion.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 5/14/13 at 11:49am

'"a debacle of an even greater work to my mind."

In. Your. Opinion.'

I second that. It was a masterwork. Not slavish to the stage show, but it's own entity that was thrilling.

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

Posted: 5/14/13 at 11:59am

He did say "to my mind." He was acknowledging that it was an opinion. Get off his case and off of your high horses, people. Jesus.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 5/14/13 at 12:09pm

Really? THAT was high horse?

Just how short are you, darling?

[finebydesign]

Posted: 5/14/13 at 12:11pm

Well as has been mentioned on many threads here, this show is a massive undertaking to translate into a cohesive film. Most of the songs after-all are "park and bark." I'm not sure Jame's is the one that decides how they are going to frame those songs. Outside of flashbacks, how do you turn "Giants in the Sky," "Steps of the Palace," "I know things Now," "Agony" into something cinematic?

Some of the songs will work as afterthoughts "Moments in the Woods" but they don't really propel the story. You can bet there has to be some Rob Marshall "lens" to this project.

[snarkmachine]

Posted: 5/14/13 at 12:18pm

Making things cinematic isn't really that hard, just throw in some sweeping cinematography and some giant set pieces

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/14/13 at 12:23pm

Exactly. Worked pretty good when they threw Julie Andrews up on a hill top.

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/14/13 at 12:29pm

I'm more afraid of Marshall taking an axe to the score, like he did with NINE.

While SWEENEY made some major cuts, especially by cutting all of the choral moments, it was still a pleasant surprise and treat that "Wait" and "By The Sea" were kept, although the latter was truncated.

Updated On: 5/14/13 at 12:29 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 5/14/13 at 12:45pm

I think it's a foregone conclusion we will see major cuts and alterations to the score. This will be undoubtedly marketed to families- they can't produce a two and a half hour fairy tale film.

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

Posted: 5/14/13 at 12:46pm

Marshall got CHICAGO 6 OSCARS and that "hated" man help the film make over $300,000,000 world wide...i think he might be able to make INTO THE WOODS cinematic...and while i "hated" NINE it wasn't because of Marshall it was because the original show sucked bigtime in the first place...

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

Posted: 5/14/13 at 1:00pm

Really? THAT was high horse?

Just how short are you, darling?

Unreasonably so, actually. I've grown a little since then, but in freshman year of high school, I was the shortest in my class.

[aasjb4ever]

Posted: 5/14/13 at 1:04pm

Marshall got CHICAGO 6 OSCARS and that "hated" man help the film make over $300,000,000 world wide...i think he might be able to make INTO THE WOODS cinematic...and while i "hated" NINE it wasn't because of Marshall it was because the original show sucked bigtime in the first place...

Hi, Rob! I liked Memoirs of a Geisha!

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 5/14/13 at 1:12pm

Don't worry, g.d.e.l.g.i.

Pocket gays are all the rage! It's your time!

[best12bars]

Posted: 5/14/13 at 1:15pm

Do we know if the script is using the revised concept of the little boy as the narrator?

If so, that means the story and songs take place in his mind.

Cue Rob Marshall, who is totally in his element ...

[Kelly2]

Posted: 5/14/13 at 3:18pm

To the best of my knowledge, via a friend who has read a draft of the script, the boy as narrator concept is not being used.

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

Posted: 5/14/13 at 3:27pm

Don't worry, g.d.e.l.g.i.

Pocket gays are all the rage! It's your time!

But (to quote Avenue Q) "only for now."

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 5/14/13 at 3:39pm

"a debacle of an even greater work to my mind." ..."In. Your. Opinion."

Thanks, g.d.e.l.g.i., my fellow gay gnome, (I'm actually 5'-5" myself) for coming to my defense a few posts ago.

Must we restate yet again that EVERYTHING we post on these boards is our own opinions?

What I meant to express was actually that I found Sweeney the movie a debacle of a stage work that TO MY MIND was even greater than Into The Woods. I hold Sweeney in the highest pantheon of stage masterpieces shared by A Little Night Music, My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the Roof, Carousel and a select few others. So yes, cutting the title song which to me is the musical throughline of the whole piece for the film is indeed a debacle of the first order. Imagine a film of Fiddler that skipped over "Tradition" to get right to the juicy trio of "Matchmaker, Matchmaker". Imagine an Into the Woods without ITS title song, and you get a sense of what the Sweeney film felt like to me.