Marshall in contention for WICKED film — Page 2

SNAFU, Depp will want to play Glinda so he can stretch himself...

Marshall should do it. God knows we are going to need HEAVY editing to keep 3/4ths of the musical numbers interesting.

Well as I've said before, the "Ga" is silent so her name really is just Linda.

I'd like to see what Tarantino or Robert Rodriguez would do with it.

Waters has said WICKED is too trashy even for him.

Yeah... what happened to Baz Luhrman? It was officially confirmation some time ago that he was the director attached to the film-version of WICKED, whenever it got the okay from Universal Pictures to begin production.

Rob Marshall can learn from his last mistake and go back to the traditional movie musical format and film WICKED like a traditional musical. Heck, it worked for HAIRSPRAY and SWEENEY TODD and the success of his ABC TV Movie version of ANNIE is what initially gave him his start as a film director.

My thoughts were: 1. Marshall who?
2. Rob Marshall?
3. No.

Granted, as you all have said, he has done other work that didn't use the "It's all in me 'ead" idea, but his last to musicals have been that way. He needs to go the traditional route with Wicked, when it ever gets made, have them actually sing it in real life. The movie wouldn't work otherwise.
Also, the musical work before it could be a mildly good movie. (Like cut "Something Bad", "A Sentimental Man"; and they need to make it make more sense why SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!! Fiyero is the Scarecrow. It never made much sense.)

Back on topic...

I feel that Rob Marshall would be ok with allowing the characters in Wicked to come right out and sing without a framing device. The fact that it's already set in a fantasy land is framing device enough.

Ray, it's more the fact that Marshall has said numerous times that character in movie musicals can't just come out and sing, they can only do it in their imagination because it's not believable any other way.

If they wait for tickets to plummet, they'll be waiting a long time. Give it three or four years and they'll decide to go ahead with it.

JJ Abrams sound like the riskiest of the choices...but possibly the best choice.

For those talking about it happening in "Elphaba's head," for what it's worth I thought I'd point out that the book (and the musical, to a smaller extent) provides whoever directs the film with a great device: the traveling puppet show with the dragon set. Seems like Marshall would jump on that option in an instant.

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Honestly, I'd like to see Rob direct Wicked as a movie. I don't think Wicked the music would translate to film well enough. The novel is very popular, as is the musical. But a big budget Hollywood movie is not only going to have to appease the SMALL musical theater community, but also the larger community that is fans of the novel.

And Universal Pictures doesn't have a good track record of keeping their stage musicals true when taken to the screen. Did anyone see Whorehouse? I love the novel and I love the stage show separately... but honestly, when I've thought of the piece as a movie, I've seen it more along the lines of the quite brilliant novel. "No One Mourns The Wicked" as a montage over the credits showing a brief glimpse into the amazingly odd childhood of Elphaba that is sooo amazingly shown in the novel and not addressed in the musical, and less musical numbers... or more streamlined ones in the film as well.

I feel like Boq would take his rightful position as Elphaba's ali and friend in the film because his character is very watered down in the musical and in a film, smaller characters will need more development... his has plenty to take from in the novel.

I don't know if Rob Marshall is the "best" choice... but I think if Wicked's going to work on the big screen, it's going to take someone with the balls to pick and choose from both mediums to create an amazing film that will appease both audiences. Let's face it, the Broadway community doesn't foster a blockbuster film audience. If so, Phantom and Rent should have been financial treasures.

Wicked is an epic story (as written in the musical), and they need an epic director to tackle it.

They need to bring in the "Lord of the Rings" crowd into the movie theatres. It should be heavy with effects and a large-scale CGI Land of Oz, with impressive locations, plenty of eye-candy, and as much "action" scenes as they can depict (flying monkeys, a flying witch, minions of soldiers and "townsfolk" hunting for Elphaba with torches and pitchforks, etc.).

If they just make it "High School Musical" Shiz-style, with green faces and pink dresses, it will fail, big time.

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Peter Jackson is my number one choice as well for all of Besty's reasons. But I can't say I don't like the idea of Baz Luhrman. I adore Moulin Rouge. (If Wicked had been made in the 1980's or even 90's, definitely Spielberg....)