Joe Wright to direct My Fair Lady film, Knightley and possibly Craig to star

[TalkinLoud]

Joe Wright to direct My Fair Lady film, Knightley and possibly Craig to star#1

Posted: 10/24/09 at 2:25pm

Seems like perfect fits to me. I know Daniel Day Lewis's name was thrown around a while back. He would be great, but so would Daniel Craig!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/6418265/By-George-shes-got-it-Keira-Knightley-beats-Scarlett-Johansson-to-be-My-Fair-Lady.html

[Jon]

re: Joe Wright to direct My Fair Lady film, Knightley and possibly Craig to star#2

Posted: 10/24/09 at 2:29pm

Hugh Laurie would be better.

[Michael Bennett]

re: Joe Wright to direct My Fair Lady film, Knightley and possibly Craig to#2

Posted: 10/24/09 at 2:41pm

Hugh Laurie is not a movie star. And I will be in the minority by saying I think Knightly is a great choice - better than the BWW favorite, Anne Hathaway for this one.

[TalkinLoud]

re: Joe Wright to direct My Fair Lady film, Knightley and possibly Craig to#3

Posted: 10/24/09 at 2:43pm

I love Hathaway, but Knightley is basically a perfect choice.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

re: Joe Wright to direct My Fair Lady film, Knightley and possibly Craig to#4

Posted: 10/24/09 at 2:44pm

I would have preferred Emily Blunt, or the new sensation, Carey Mulligan (too young, I know).
Craig will be fine. Wright is a bit of a predictable choice, but he'll serve the piece well, hopefully this will be more ATONEMENT, less THE SOLOIST.

"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"

[Michael Bennett]

re: Joe Wright to direct My Fair Lady film, Knightley and possibly Craig to#5

Posted: 10/24/09 at 2:56pm

Emily Blunt is more Major Barbara than Pygmalion. Carey Mulligan would be lovely (if she could sing). Can Blunt sing?

[TalkinLoud]

re: Joe Wright to direct My Fair Lady film, Knightley and possibly Craig to#6

Posted: 10/24/09 at 2:58pm

Blunt can sing.

And ray, I think it's pretty obvious this will be much more Atonement than Soloist.

[Kad]

re: Joe Wright to direct My Fair Lady film, Knightley and possibly Craig to#7

Posted: 10/24/09 at 3:07pm

I like Knightley, but that is an incredibly unflattering picture of her.

"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."

[noradesmond]

re: Joe Wright to direct My Fair Lady film, Knightley and possibly Craig to#8

Posted: 10/24/09 at 3:09pm

I like Knightly but this is a rehash of the first movie where the leading lady has very limited vocal chops. She even has a physical resemblance to Audrey Hepburn. Why bother remaking it if they aren't going to correct the mistakes of the first version.

I'm very dubious. And more than a little disappointed.

[Broadwaywest2]

re: Joe Wright to direct My Fair Lady film, Knightley and possibly Craig to#9

Posted: 10/24/09 at 3:42pm

Knightly actually has a pretty little voice. She sang in The Edge of Love, and it was actually quite nice. She needs some more vocal training. I'm not a fan of the original movie, so I am looking forward to this.

[TheActr97J]

re: Joe Wright to direct My Fair Lady film, Knightley and possibly Craig to#10

Posted: 10/24/09 at 3:47pm

I kind of love the idea of Emily Blunt. And dear God, please, PLEASE let them dub this. I need a real soprano singing this score.

I'm not sure how I feel about Daniel Craig as Higgins...

"I seem to have wandered into the BRAIN load-out thread... "
-best12bars

"Sorry I am a Theatre major not a English Major"
-skibumb5290

[degrassifan]

re: Joe Wright to direct My Fair Lady film, Knightley and possibly Craig to#11

Posted: 10/24/09 at 3:57pm

Everyone I tell about this remake thinks Knightley is a perfect choice, and I agree. I think Wright is a good choice too. P&P and Atonement were beautiful films!

[Mr Roxy]

re: Joe Wright to direct My Fair Lady film, Knightley and possibly Craig to#12

Posted: 10/24/09 at 4:09pm

The only question is why?

Poster Emeritus

[Pgenre]

re: Joe Wright to direct My Fair Lady film, Knightley and possibly Craig to#13

Posted: 10/24/09 at 4:10pm

WHO will want to see this?! Who is their audience?!

Certainly not me!

One MFL film is enough! I'd honestly prefer MM2... at least it's something new!

P

[violet72]

re: Joe Wright to direct My Fair Lady film, Knightley and possibly Craig to#14

Posted: 10/24/09 at 4:16pm

I will only want to see this if Hugh Laurie is Higgins

"Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life. Define yourself"

[binau]

re: Joe Wright to direct My Fair Lady film, Knightley and possibly Craig to#15

Posted: 10/24/09 at 5:05pm

"WHO will want to see this?! Who is their audience?! "

Well I am looking very forward to seeing it. Personally, I've tried to get though MFL twice now and I just can't (in terms of Boredom).

It's probably strange for me to think this since apparently it's one of the 'greatest musicals of all time', hopefully this new 'remake' will spark my interest.

Give me claws and a hunch, just away from this bunch.

[millie_dillmount]

re: Joe Wright to direct My Fair Lady film, Knightley and possibly Craig to#16

Posted: 10/24/09 at 5:11pm

I don't care if Hugh Laurie isn't a movie star. He would be great.

"We like to snark around here. Sometimes we actually talk about theater...but we try not to let that get in our way." - dramamama611

[Pgenre]

re: Joe Wright to direct My Fair Lady film, Knightley and possibly Craig to#17

Posted: 10/24/09 at 5:12pm

"Well I am looking very forward to seeing it. Personally, I've tried to get though MFL twice now and I just can't (in terms of Boredom)."

THERE'S a good reason if I ever heard one!

LOL!

P

[SporkGoddess]

re: Joe Wright to direct My Fair Lady film, Knightley and possibly Craig to#18

Posted: 10/24/09 at 5:51pm

Add me to the list of people hoping they dub it. Of course, I don't even like Keira Knightley's acting, so I am unhappy with this casting choice.

Jimmy, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? It's almost 9 PM!

[fashionguru_23]

re: Joe Wright to direct My Fair Lady film, Knightley and possibly Craig to#19

Posted: 10/24/09 at 6:04pm

A Musical is a musical. I totally disagree with one who ask why they are remaking this. IMHO, producers could make 50 film version of a show I would see them all. I'm very excited!

[wickedfan]

re: Joe Wright to direct My Fair Lady film, Knightley and possibly Craig to#20

Posted: 10/24/09 at 6:09pm

I'll probably see it out of curiosity. If I end up hating it, then I can always go home and watch my dvd of the original.

"Sing the words, Patti!!!!" Stephen Sondheim to Patti LuPone.

[CAX]

re: Joe Wright to direct My Fair Lady film, Knightley and possibly Craig to#21

Posted: 10/24/09 at 7:04pm

Why are they doing this? Really?

[bythesword84]

re: Joe Wright to direct My Fair Lady film, Knightley and possibly Craig to#22

Posted: 10/24/09 at 7:16pm

Rayandallthatjazz- Carey Mulligan and Keira Knightley are the same age, Carey (who was nothing short of brilliant in An Education) just looks a lot younger. Age wise though, she's no different from the casting of Keira.


That said, I think Keira will be fine, but I like her. (Though I also loved the Mulligan suggestion as she's just adorable.)

And hang on, when did you win the discus?

[peerrjb]

re: Joe Wright to direct My Fair Lady film, Knightley and possibly Craig to#23

Posted: 10/24/09 at 7:21pm

Hugh Laurie is also a song-and-dance-man with amazing comic timing. Daniel Craig, whom I think is a wonderful actor, hasn't shown that particular "fizz". And what with "House" invading the world, I think he's a big enough name to carry. Besides, all of Europe knows him from his earlier work in comedy. It's just the USA that has to catch up!!! (Craig Ferguson would also be a hoot and a half, although he's more "Doolittle" than "Higgins".)

[Plum]

re: Joe Wright to direct My Fair Lady film, Knightley and possibly Craig to#24

Posted: 10/24/09 at 7:47pm

Hugh Laurie is pretty much an ideal Higgins. I have all the respect in the world for Craig's acting, but I've never seen him in a part that's remotely like Higgins - does anyone have a viewing suggestion for me? Because otherwise, the only advantage I can see Craig having over Laurie is that the former is closer to Keira Knightley's age, should Knightley be cast. Which I hope she isn't.

I would take a dubbed Carey Mulligan in a heartbeat over Knightley using her own voice. Mulligan has never been anything other than utterly charming and radiant in any part I've seen her in (except possibly Pride and Prejudice, but she was supposed to be annoying in that), she doesn't look skeletal, and she's a better actress than Knightley is. She's not as famous as Knightley, but she's set to be a new critical darling and "it" girl thanks to An Education. Why not hire her?

Finally, I wouldn't dismiss Hugh Laurie's fame so easily. He's not a movie star, but in terms of face recognition? House is the most popular show in the world, and one of the most popular in the U.S. According to Wikipedia, 81.8 million people watch the show. That's got to rival the number of people who watch Bond films.

People know who Laurie is, and they know he can act. He's also just so right for the part I can't let go of the notion - he's got the posh accent, the utter mastery of verbal evisceration through sarcasm, and the experience playing an overly clever bastard. And he's approved by the screenwriter! Who's admittedly an old friend of his, but still. :)


(Okay, a little math on Quantum of Solace: It made $586 million worldwide. Assuming $5 movie tickets, that's over 117 million viewers. But movie tickets cost more than $5, and some of those were repeat views, so there's a fair chance that Laurie and Craig have had about an equal number of eyes on them lately. The TV/movie fame divide doesn't mean nearly as much as it used to, but I'll give Craig a slight edge there just to be fair. Laurie is still far better for the part. And yes, I am taking a break from my statistics homework for this. *headdesk*)

Updated On: 10/24/09 at 07:47 PM