Les Miserable Movie

[actorgaedu]

Posted: 3/18/05 at 8:18am

With all the movie musicals being planned and some actually being made, why has this one not resurfaced? I think it could be an incredible movie musical and truly moving if captured right. Does anyone have any insight into why this one has been pushed aside?

Updated On: 3/18/05 at 08:18 AM

[shameless]

Posted: 3/18/05 at 8:23am

hi actor,
they did make a movie a few years back, not sure if it was musical though. i think liam neeson and claire danes were in it, and i don't think it got much attention, but i agree, a movie version of the musical has the potential to be great.

[baddadnpa]

Posted: 3/18/05 at 8:47am

Truthfully, unless they plan on releasing a 3.5 hour movie, I'd rather see it get done on pay tv.

[mominator]

Posted: 3/18/05 at 9:38am

The one with Liam Neeson was not a musical

Posted: 3/18/05 at 9:43am

No, but it was very good.

[DancerGirl16]

Posted: 3/18/05 at 9:50am

They made a movie of it that wasn't a drama, in my opinion it was just not as accessible. Because Les Miseables without music....its not Les Miserables.

I think that THAT is the reason that they have not made it a movie musical because despite the fact that they did have Sweeney Todd, non-musical filmed, they didn't really make sweeney todd the movie they just taped a performance and put it on DVD

[trpguyy]

Posted: 3/18/05 at 9:52am

Actually, some may say that Les Miserables WITH music is not Les Miserables. Let's not forget that it was a BOOK (ya know, the kind you read) for a looong time before it was a musical.

[Adam Chris]

Posted: 3/18/05 at 11:11am

Hi guys... when I first saw the tour of Les Miz in my city I bought a program. On the back of the program there was an advertisement for the Les Miserables --- THE MOVIE! It had the pic of cossette holding two movie tickets. The caption read " In 1992 she'll be going to the cinema". It was going to be released by Columbia and Tri Star pictures. I don't know what happened to that...but they need to jump start that project.

Updated On: 3/18/05 at 11:11 AM

[keggss23]

Posted: 3/18/05 at 11:18am

I was just about to post that because I have that program too!! I really, really wish they do a movie or tape a fully staged show and release it.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 3/18/05 at 11:18am

The film version of the musical has been on again/off again for YEARS now. I don't even know who owns the rights to it anymore. The last I heard was that it was being considered again now that so many other musicals are in the works.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 3/18/05 at 11:20am

I don't know. I think that Les Miserables has been filmed so many times, it would take a really amazing director to to make it unique visually and artistically. Just another film adaption "with songs" isn't going to be very interesting.

There is also the problem that mostly sung musicals like EVITA and PHANTOM tend to be less effective on film then more conventional book shows like CHICAGO or WEST SIDE STORY.

Frankly, I think MISS SAIGON would be a more interesting film -- perhaps with someone like Ang Lee at the helm.

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 3/18/05 at 11:21am

Didn't they do a fully taped version of the show? I know they did the 10th Anniversary concert, but I could have sworn I saw an advertisement of the show like what was done with Into the Woods.

[keggss23]

Posted: 3/18/05 at 11:25am

Other than the 10th anniversary concert, I don't think so. But, if I'm wrong, please accept my apologies!

[Matt_G]

Posted: 3/18/05 at 11:30am

No, the anniversary concert is the only commercially available video of the musical. I think done right, the film could be very good, but being very good is very different than being a box office success.

[boatsintheghetto]

Posted: 3/18/05 at 11:43am

yeah there's the 10th anniversery and then there's a movie about the making of the 10th anniversery... i own the movie and the cd of the 10th ann. But i havnt seen the thing about it for years.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/18/05 at 12:51pm

Alan Parker has turned down doing the movie.

Also (although this may have been the same time) there was to be a deal with Tri-Star in 1992. Anyone who saw the show around 1989 probably had an ad for the film in their souvenir brochure.

Poke around usenet in the archives from the late '80s and you can see mention of filming locations and upcoming auditions for the film.

In 1997, John Caird told Variety (in their 10th anniversary B'way issue) that once they found a director, they could start casting. Hmmm...

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 3/18/05 at 12:57pm

There are more film adaptations of Les Miz than any other. And, yet, I do think that the musical would make a great film--and do very well--if it holds true to be "the world's most popular musical".

[Adam Chris]

Posted: 3/18/05 at 4:40pm

Ever since that advertisement in the program...I felt like they kinda owe it us.

[kangaroo]

Posted: 3/18/05 at 4:51pm

Keep watching for details of a big Les Miserables 20th Anniversary Concert due to take place at Wembley Stadium on October 8th 2005..

There has had to be a little shuffling to fit in the royal performance. The West End show, at the Queen’s Theatre, has been brought forward by 75 minutes. For one performance only the curtain will raise at 6.15pm. The cast will then receive a police escort to Windsor where they will be joined by members of the Royal Philharmonic and a choir of 25 to provide some after dinner entertainment.

Les Mis producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh reflected that “this will undoubtedly be the most intimate yet grand performance we have ever undertaken” and said the invitation was “a thrilling honour. Les Misérables is probably the most successful Anglo-French theatre production ever, and it seems both appropriate and a wonderful way to start the celebrations for our 20th anniversary year.”


Maybe they will tape that... {teh 20th anniversary... where Michael Ball [the 10th anniversary Marius] is supposed to be playing Valjean}

[wickedfan]

Posted: 3/18/05 at 5:33pm

They did tape the final performance of Les Miserables (and not just a little crappy version, this went full out with four-six different camera angles). It is not out commercially, but it probably is available for viewing at the Licnoln Center Library. I don't know if it is ever out commercially so that's probably your only safe bet of watching it.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 3/18/05 at 5:37pm

Yeah, there is no legal video ou for sale that includes the full show.

The Les Mis movie with Liam Neeson was DREADFUL! Which is sad, since it had a pretty good cast. I am comparing this to the book. I mean, hell, if they made a written form of the musical it woul dhave been closer to the book!

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 3/18/05 at 5:43pm

I found that the Neeson film version began well (Uma Thurman was astonishingly perfect as Fantine), and held to the book very closely. But halfway through the movie, when Valjean and Cosette escape to Paris, it all goes haywire. It's as if the writer(s) suddenly realized a faithful adaptation would run too long, and had to quickly scrounge something up to finish the screenplay.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 3/18/05 at 5:46pm

Yes, BlueWizard - exactly.

To me, that constitutes HORRIBLE! I mean, the beginning of the book/movie isn't where the power of Les Mis is...

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/18/05 at 5:46pm

"Ever since that advertisement in the program...I felt like they kinda owe it us."

Er, that's really...out there. Fans shouldn't have an entitlement complex when it comes to stuff like this.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 3/18/05 at 5:48pm

YOu obviously have NO idea what a true fan of Les Mis is...