Kidman drops out of Producers film!- Page 4

[nycdncr]

Posted: 12/10/04 at 5:15pm

With the magic of film, anyone can be tall....it's all about camera angles. Tom Cruise is short....do you ever notice that? And Jane Krakowski isn't the shortest thing in the world either....she's on the taller side of an average height for a woman. She's beautiful, she can dance, and she can belt her ta-ta's off. And she's nice....I sold her a pair of character shoes when I was working at Capezio. Jane, if you're out there....I'm rooting for you!!!!

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 12/10/04 at 6:33pm

I'm sure a lot of people here would love to see Cady get the role, but honestly I think they are going to give it to someone who has "star power" equivelent to what they thought Nicole Kidman would bring. Not saying that Matthew and Nathan won't give the movie "star power," but they probably want some famous celebrity who has done 29342059830 movies that everyone knows about.

[musicalfandukie]

Posted: 12/10/04 at 7:35pm

aww this makes me sad..i love nicole

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 12/10/04 at 10:14pm

Someone prob already mentioned this. I think Kate Winslet could do it. Despite being a little short, and I don't think she's much of a belter. But she got the dancing skills and the boobs. I love her, I think she could do it.

[Greekmusicalfan]

Posted: 12/11/04 at 6:46am

I love Nicole too and i can't understand the negativity against her. I mean, she has proven to be a wonderful actress and, come on guys, Ula is not such a hugely demanding part. And she was fantastic in Moulin Rouge ! And if people think she can't make it as Ula, well did anyone think Catherine-Zeta would make it as Velma ? She did, though !

Take care

[SamIAm]

Posted: 12/11/04 at 8:55am

Actually Faith Hill did a creditable job in Stepword Wives. She isn't a skilled actress but Ulla is simple and sweet and not a complex turn.

This is all wish list stuff anyway, until Mel decides what to do and something tells me that at this late date, they may cast Cady if they run out of options.

[nycdncr]

Posted: 12/11/04 at 10:00am

yeah...simple and sweet until you throw in a swedish accent.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 12/11/04 at 10:04am

(envisioning Cady luxuriating in a bubble bath and shipping champagne while on the phone with Mel: "Hello, Mel? Well, this IS a surprise! How ARE you, darling?....")

[MaTakeALookAtMe]

Posted: 12/11/04 at 12:39pm

I vote Cady!

Nicole is is great. I love her to pieces, but not as Ulla. She is too much model and not enough t & a

[CurtainUp]

Posted: 12/11/04 at 1:28pm

I agree that Nicole is great but just not for this role. I would like to see someone who exudes warmth (LIKE SJP but not her). The role may not look demanding, but I think comedically it is. Good comedy is harder than good drama.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 12/11/04 at 5:37pm

I read a suggestion about Renee and I think she would be great in the role but its possible that she cant be that ditzy. Well then again, look at Brigid Jones..who knows? I just think that Britney, Christina, and Jessica are all HORRIBLE ideas. IMHO

[Lorelai]

Posted: 12/11/04 at 6:40pm

"there were many of us who felt she really wasn't all that interested if it wasn't going to be a big role"

With all due respect, I disagree. Through friends and other people in the industry I've worked with I have heard that she really doesn't give a sh*t about the size of a role (or the $$ for that matter) if she likes a project, she takes it. The thing with her is that, as successful as she has been in film she's always made it perfectly clear that her career as an actress it is not a priority and she would have no problem giving it up (which is what she plans to do in the future in favor of getting married and concentrate on having a family (she already has 2 kids and has said numerous time that she wants more).
However, all that aside, I respect Ms. Kidman as an actress, she is definitely one of my favorites but when I read she had signed on to play Ulla...I just didn't see it happening. Yes, she can sing but there is a huge difference between the vocals she did for Moulin Rouge or in her duet with Robbie Williams and the vocal strength needed for this role. I don't know, maybe they were hoping vocal lessons would help with her voice.
I doubt it was the choreography though. It's common knowledge that Ms. Stroman will adapt choreography to suit the performer - she pretty much finds a performer's strengths and works with it. Plus even Matthew Broderick has commented on her ability to teach pretty much anyone how to dance and Ms. Stroman herself has said that as long as someone has a sense of rhythm, they can be taught to dance (she wasn't talking about her ability to teach, just teaching in general.
It seems that the show has had some trouble in the past month or so. Richard Dreyfuss in London and now Ms. Kidman....but it seems that they are handling it well. I was impressed how they held it together and didn't cancel a single performances in London after Mr. Dreyfuss pulled out. Yes, there have been a couple casting problems but given "Stro's" (not to mention Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan) record, I think the odds of this working out are in their favor...just my opinion tho

[MaTakeALookAtMe]

Posted: 12/11/04 at 7:21pm

Renee Z is a horrible choice. She is not a bombshell at all.

Krakoski, after some thought, I like...

[SamIAm]

Posted: 12/12/04 at 5:36pm

Ummm. Excuse me but the Henry Goodman, Richard Dreyfuss and Kidman casting debacles are all on the books...and Kidman DID have the choreography and music dumbed down for her so if she doesn't care how big the role is (and that must be true because they could NOT have made the Producers into the Ulla show or it would not have worked) then that still leaves the fact that she obviously didn't account for the prep time required to learn EVEN THE DUMBED down dance steps etc...or she would not have quit and said that she didn't have time to learn it.

I guess she just wasn't all that interested. But not to worry...the project will be the better for it. I like her acting in other types of roles but an ULLA she was NOT...good riddance I say.

[Lorelai]

Posted: 12/12/04 at 7:20pm

"I guess she just wasn't all that interested."


Um, perhaps. But you don't sign contracts or commit to projects when you are not interested. It's just common sense. If an actor isn't "all that interested", they pass on it. For someone to commit to a project, sign a contract and have Variety (plus all the other industry papers) announcing the commitment and then decide you are not interested....you are not only in breach of contract, but you also lose credibility in the industry. Ms. Kidman, having great success as an actress is surely knowledgeable of the industry in which she works and supposedly being extremely intelligent (I read somewhere that her IQ is like around 130?) she knows the game. When you commit to something and sign a contract, you do what your job, it's that simple.
It seems that she is leaving the production pretty easily (Legally, that is. The media, on the other hand, is having a field day) so it's my guess that she couldn't didn't have what it takes to perform the role. And looking at past project, I do not think it was due to lack of effort, she's known to totally immerse herself in a role.
Lastly, Ms. Kidman has said NUMEROUS times that mentally she never really thinks she has what it takes to perform a role and as the production date nears, she often calls her agent saying she doesn't think she has what it takes. The best example of this is "The Others", I believe she called her agent to try to pull out and even suggested future castmate Julianne Moore for the role, who I believe was fiiming Hannibal at the time.
Again I think she's a great actress, just not the right actress for this particular role. I'm sure she'll have plenty more brilliant performances in the future.

[SamIAm]

Posted: 12/12/04 at 7:45pm

Bronte, SHE approached Brooks about the role so whether you interpret her dropping out as just not being that committed or that she didn't think she could do it...hardly matters. The fact is that she IS a professional but she is also known for going after every role that is juicy in Hollywood whether she is right for it or not...and often on a whim. It seems to be a competition in her mind. So, it's doubtful she gave this much thought until the work was coming up soon and then decided she couldn't cut it or didn't want to do it. Either way it is unprofessional.

But as for her getting out of it legally, all contracts have a bail out clause up until a certain date and this date would have been coming up soon for her so if she was going to get out she had to tell them quickly. ALSO, Brooks also worked with Dreyfuss to negotiate something amicable after his disasterous departure which was sometimes called 'because of physical disability' and sometimes said to be that he was dreadful in the role and to his own admission couldn't sing or dance.

BOTH of these and the Goodman casting were bad mistakes on the part of Brooks and both Dreyfuss AND Kidman should have known they were not right for these roles. You can be a great actor and not be right for every role...that's all there is to it...but there is a lot of blame to be placed in this case on a number of sides.

They'll get it straightened out but I wonder when someone will realize that Brooks should be told to leave the casting to the casting directors.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 12/12/04 at 8:19pm

"And a great belt. Not an easy thing to find on Broadway. "

When does Ulla even actually sing once throughout the show? She doesn't. She belts the life out of her song on the CD, and then on stage she barely speaks it. It's a waste of a song. And being that it's a song that's not really sung, Renee Z. would be fine.

[nycdncr]

Posted: 12/12/04 at 10:38pm

why would you settle for renee z. in this role when you could have jane krakowski blow the house down? and look pretty damn amazing in that white dress.

[joe g]

Posted: 12/12/04 at 10:44pm

put leigh zimmerman in the movie

[Sumofallthings]

Posted: 12/12/04 at 10:49pm

In case you hadn't noticed Munk, this is not the stage version.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 12/12/04 at 10:58pm

Oh, my mistake - I thought Nicole Kidman dropped out of the STAGE production, sorry!

Thank you, I'm well aware of that but I meant if the character/song are performed they way they are on Broadway. That's all we have to base it on now.

[littlelotte]

Posted: 12/12/04 at 11:01pm

I really wish Jessica would do it. She's dumb enough. I though Nicole was just too serious and frankly, bright for this particular role.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 12/12/04 at 11:03pm

Nicole is too bright to take on this movie! I think it's going to be a trainwreck.

I really want Jessica Simpson.

[Sumofallthings]

Posted: 12/12/04 at 11:07pm

The tone of your post was that of a person who didn't realize that the stage version can be very different from the film version. A rather close minded view.

[Corine2]

Posted: 12/12/04 at 11:14pm

Kristin Chenoweth would be outstanding.
Kristen could pass for a voluptuous sweed more then Kidman.
With a long high slit dress Kristin can appear tall.
Susan Lucci, who is 4 feet tall played a model on All My Children and they shot at different angles.
Believe me she could pull it off. And she has a magnificent voice.
I have seen her at many award show and she looks stunning.
Put her in 5 inch heels and some good camera work.
Updated On: 12/12/04 at 11:14 PM