Les Miz Movie Cut Songs

Has anyone discussed what songs will be cut from the Les Miz movie?

I think the stage show when performed in its entirety runs 3 hours and 20 minutes. I don't see the movie running over 2 1/2 hours and I think that's pushing it for modern audiences.

What gets cut?

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Here's Les Mis Q&A with the screenwriter (he does answer questions):

Posted by Rhys
June 16th 2011
Hi Mr Nicholson, Apparantly you'll be on scripting duties again for a film adaptation of the musical version of Les Miserables. Is this true? And how will you go about adapting it; will you try and keep some of the dialogue or will you do a complete rewrite? I look forward to seeing your efforts (assuming the project goes forward and you are actually on scripting duties!)

William Nicholson responded:
I have been working on the screenplay for Les Miserables, yes. Since the whole idea is to make it close to the musical, with all the songs, it won't of course be a radical rewrite. However, I have been able to develop the story and enhance the characters, in what is already a very powerful piece. Still a long way to go, and many other talents will be at work on the project before it's done.

Posted by Ali
July 14th 2011
I heard you are writing the script for the upcoming musical adaptation of Les Miserables! I am absurdly excited, as I've loved your writing for a long time - including your plays and films - and Les Miserables is one of my all-time favorite stories. Just was curious how you become attached to the project and what you're looking forward to most about adapting it.

William Nicholson responded:
I am doing the screenplay for the film version of the musical, yes. It will still be the musical its fans, and I, love - but even better, we hope. The film company involved is Working Title, who know me well, and asked me to do the job. What am I looking forward to? Clarifying and enhancing the motivations of the main characters, making the plot work more simply and powerfully, and creating a result that equals or surpasses the impact of the stage show without anyone really noticing that anything has been changed.

Posted by Jo
July 17th 2011
Thanks for replying to the inquiries on the Les Miserables film project. I am looking forward to the film version very much. My question - will you retain the sung-through format basically? Or will it be part full songs, part recitatives, and part spoken dialog? If completely sung-through, are you also collaborating with the team of Boublil and Schonberg?

William Nicholson responded:
Les Miserables is the creation of Boublil and Schonberg and naturally they remain in key position throughout. We are planning to introduce some spoken dialogue, so not full sung-through as on stage.

Posted by Sarah
July 26th 2011
For the Les Miserables movie, are the barricades and the revolutionaries going to get screentime? A lot of adaptations of the story tend to cut them out and they're an enormous part of the plot.

William Nicholson responded:
Yes, there'll be a revolution. Just think of all the wonderful songs that happen on the barricades.

Posted by Jess
October 21st 2011
Mr. Nicholson, I was curious about your project of Les Miserables. You say you're adapting the story so it improves character feelings and motivations (Hopefully actually have Valjean and Marius actually talk before Valjean decides he's in love with him in "Bring Him Home") Nevertheless, I was curious whether you were going to adapt the narrated sections of the musical, which would work onstage, but wouldn't translate to film too well. (Ex. The Prologue where Valjean narrates his actions) Thank you for your time. -Jess

William Nicholson responded:
Your understanding of Les Mis is subtle. All I can say is we (I'm part of a team that includes the original writers) are indeed doing our best to fill gaps and heighten characters; but at the same time, we want to maintain the experience of the stage show that so many love. It's tricky and fascinating.

Posted by Theresa Hardman
October 22nd 2011
Is it true that you will be writing the screenplay for the film version of the musical "Les Miserables"?

William Nicholson responded:
I am doing so right now, though not on my own. I'm working with - you could even say, for - the creators of the show, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg, and of course for the director, Tom Hooper. We're having fun, and I think the film's going to be amazing.

Screenwriter Q&A

I agree that "Dog Eats Dog" is a likely cut.

I think they film "Drink With Me" and then decide to cut it. It either works as a nice relief from tension - or could be laughable. But, I think they have to film it and edit it in before deciding.

"Turning" likely gets cut. Or truncated.

I think the negotiations over Cosette become dialog - rather than song.

I'm very nervous about "A Little Fall of Rain" because people belting out while dying works on stage, but on film..... same with Gavroche's fate and final bit of song - pf course, Gavroche may be subject to the Frankenstein rule - kids do not get killed on screen - (Spielberg took a lot of flack for the child death in Jaws) - so maybe he just gets knocked unconscious and scampers away. Hugo be damned!

Of course, it all depends on the director and vision - People laughed at "Family" in "Dreamgirls" because it was a sudden change in the way the film had been progressing with song - But, no such laughter at characters breaking into song in "Hairspray".

Agreed: the Dreamgirls/"Family" laughing was at least partially because the movie had gone on for what, 30-40 minutes, before a song was sung outside of a stage performance. Was pretty jarring... Hairspray had characters singing from the opening scenes on.

And was Les Mis ever really 3 hrs 20 minutes (NOT including the intermission, maybe with it...)? I thought recently it's been about 2 hrs 50 including the 10-15 min. intermission, so maybe just over 2.5 hours.

Didn't know Nicholson was scripting. Interesting choice; makes me think things might turn out well.

I think Dog Eats Dog won't get cut just shortened a tad.

Castle on a Cloud WILL NOT GET CUT!!!! Whoever suggested that is NUTS!!!!!

If there is a theatre god in heaven, Little People will be cut. Or better yet, deleted completely from history.

I wouldn't think CoC would be totally gone, but maybe more realistically incorporated- I could see it being hummed or something. But it is a bit of a standstill plot-wise.

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How are they going to do the epilogue/finale, will it be like the stage show with the 3 leads joining the ensemble or after fantine and eponine take vajean to heaven, will there be a montage of some sort?

It would be pretty ludicrous for them to talk about rain falling -- nay, since an entire song about it -- and have it not be raining.


SPOILER:

It was not raining!
The "something wet upon Eponine's hair" was blood.
And it was "everywhere!"

All of the rain talk flows from that - a dying, wet girl (in confusion) speaking of rain, with Marius comforting her.


p.s. While the rain is imagined, Valjean's broken window pane and stolen loaf of bread probably were real. I would much rather see some glimpse of those during his early recitative.

That's crazy, p.s. Not once have I ever made that metphorical leap. In that case, you make a totally fair assessment, which I mis-read to be more about preserving the traditional of stage action in favor of cinematic realism. No rain it is, then.

And I still think that "CoaC" will stay, not because I think it's an important or particularly good song, but because it's one of the show's most well-known and popular songs. Also, it's the introduction to Cosette's character. It's sung by the little girl on the poster, for criminy's sake.

Those are my reasons.

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No. That was cut from the movie.

???

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I doubt Castle on a Cloud will be cut entirely. It will probably be truncated and/or sung while other things are happening on screen.

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I was hoping it would be sung by a little animatronic mouse in a very high pitched voice who's living in poverty in the walls but comes out to get a piece of cheese and sings a song of hope for a better life.