Les Miz: The Movie -- what happened?

Hello there! I'm new here, so please bear with me. I recently checked out a video from my local library entitled "LES MISERABLES: STAGE BY STAGE" (198 which was, more or less, about the making of the musical. At the end, producer Mackintosh (I hope I spelled that right) mentioned something about a movie version being in the works, set to be released in, I think he said, 1992. Obviously that never happened. Does anyone have any information why?

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In one of my old playbills it says the move is coming in 1993. Ofcourse this is pre evita, and the last movie musicals were chorus line, and lil shop, (if you do not count school daze)so to see news on a movie musical was exciting, but atlas it never happened.

I have heard its back on the radar again.

There was a thread about this not too long ago.

Tri Star was unable to get it all together and they lost the rights to make the movie.

Since then, another Les Miz movie has come out and was not a money maker.

I'm sure the musical will be made one day.

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Updated On: 10/21/05 at 12:31 PM

The movies of EVITA and PHANTOM were not really financial flops (especially with overseas and DVD sales), just somewhat disappointing. I'm not sure LES MIZ would work on film, though. All that misery in closeup for three hours? Plus, I think I would be tempted to start giggling during "A Little Fall of Rain"--even onstage I get that urge, I can't help myself, I want to shout, "The gunshot wound wasn't that serious, she just SUNG HERSELF TO DEATH!"

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Recall the awful, I belive non-singing, version that was released a few years ago. I think that it made producers nervous to make another one.

http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/les%20miserables%20hits%20hollywood

They're probably going to give it another try.

As for the 1992 version, I didn't know there was supposed to be a film then. Interesting.

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They've been in the planning process since like 1985.

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Catherine Zeta Jones would be sooo great in that! I hope this goes through

Cheers,

C.

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I have read so many different 'visions' for a film version including one that wanted to 'minimize' the singing. What the frack? I mean what would make it then different from all the other bloody Les Mis movies out there?

Catherine Zeta Jones isn't emaciated enough to play Fantine. Considering the state of the Hollywood movie musical these days, they'll more than likely get someone like Linsday Lohan to play Eponine and Hillary Duff to play Cosette. They're emaciated though.
I personally think it's a **** idea. We'll get the same crowd of people who thought the Phantom of the Opera was a masterpiece and Emmy Rossum is like, oh my god, the best actress EVERRRR- squealing in cinemas whenever Marius (hmm, possibly played by Justin Timberlake?) comes onscreen. I don't want to sound elitist (or do i?) but it is called musical theatre for a reason. I'm not surprised it never got off the ground. Les Mis is so sacred to most people, actors or not, that directors will back away from it for fear of angering many musical lovers. I really think it's best left as is.

We'll get the same crowd of people who thought the Phantom of the Opera was a masterpiece and Emmy Rossum is like, oh my god, the best actress EVERRRR- squealing in cinemas whenever Marius (hmm, possibly played by Justin Timberlake?) comes onscreen.

Wow, come on, have a LITTLE faith, at least.

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