Miami Herald on the RENT Movie

Oh, please. Listen- when it comes to movies that aren't in production yet, believe nothing. Don't believe quotes from "someone in the studio," don't even believe quotes from prospective directors. And especially don't believe aintitcool. :) Sites like comingsoon try to be as accurate as possible, but in the end all they have is rumors as well.

I also find it rather sad that an actual newspaper would run a story that's little more than rumor like that. But I guess expecting the fine folks at the Miami Herald to actually, you know, investigate is a bit too much to ask for.

I still want to see John Reznick of the Goo Goo dolls play Roger-- maybe it could still happen!

But I'm not believing anything until the movie comes out.

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I know it's been expressed countless times before, but I'd like to add my voice to the legions who think Columbus is an awful director. Has anyone ever made so many mediocre movies? No. No one has.

I don't think it's the right time to make a movie of Rent. It should have been made a few years ago, or sometime in the far future, but right now, Rent is in that strange midpoint of no longer being fresh, but not yet a classic either. I love Rent, but it does feel somewhat dated now, with its end-of-the-Millenium reflection and heart-on-its-sleeve rage (times are much more cynical now).

Having said that, though, if I was producing a Rent movie I'd consider Darren Aronofsky as director. He directed 'Requiem For A Dream' and 'Pi', and has a really edgy, intense style with lots of snappy editing that I think would work for Rent.

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BlueWizard, I totally agree. I am a huge RENT fan, and they are probably going to only get one shot to make the movie the right way. They should make it in the future, maybe when the revival is on Broadway (and their hopefully will be, but not for a while) It worked VERY well for Chicago, and now it has gained a new energy. They might also want to get a director who has a more creative mind, because for RENT to work as a movie, the direction must be excellent. I'm not bashing Columbus, I'm just saying there might be other people who could do a better job with it (just look at Harry Potter 3).

Slaton, OUT!

More legitimate article from the San Francisco Chronicle:

(on Chris Columbus and Harry Potter) But he won't be around for future installments. "I'm ready to move on," said Columbus, who can be found most days at his North Beach office (except for the hour he takes off for a run through Crissy Field "to clear my head'').

"Even though I work for Hollywood, I still want to maintain a sense of integrity. I don't want to just have my name on the fourth film if I'm not creatively involved. I can't be the kind of producer who just comes in, says hello and eats some free coffee cake.''

Harry's loss is San Francisco's gain. Columbus has put his prodigious energy into developing compelling arguments for film crews to work in his adopted city, where hardly any movies are shot anymore. "I think it's time to get into giving filmmakers incentives for coming here -- tax breaks on hotels, being able to use the facility at Treasure Island for a price that's not prohibitive. The single most important thing is to get access to stage space. I've had a couple of conversations with the mayor, and Gavin (Newsom) is very anxious about getting film production up and running.''

The director hopes to set an example by shooting the interiors of his next movie, "Rent," around here. The Broadway musical about disaffected young people was "one of the most moving experiences I've ever had in the theater," said Columbus, who was galvanized to fight for the screen rights after hearing that "Rent" was on the verge being sold to television.

"I couldn't see it homogenized and watered down for TV, particularly in this post-Janet Jackson age. It's such a timely piece about everything we are going through in San Francisco -- tolerance and acceptance of all people. But a lot of studio executives were scared by the dark subject matter dealing with junkies and drag queens and same-sex unions. Studios don't find that stuff commercial. But I think it is a commercial project with an important message.''

Columbus finally persuaded Warner Bros. and Miramax to back him and is working full tilt on the script. As for casting, "I've considered pop stars, but I'm more interested in finding either completely new people or actors you wouldn't expect to be able to sing."

You can read the rest of it at the following link:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/06/04/DDGID6VMUV1.DTLhttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/06/04/DDGID6VMUV1.DTL>http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/06/04/DDGID6VMUV1.DTL