More RENT MOVIE News (i.e. more Columbus quotes that should temper some of the hysteria here)

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 5/30/04 at 7:14pm

From a Canadian newspaper:

Sun, May 30, 2004


Rent & rave

Harry Potter filmmaker bringing Broadway musical to screen

By LOUIS B. HOBSON

HOLLYWOOD -- Filmmaker Chris Columbus has secured the rights to what he considers one very hot property. "I'm going to direct and write the screenplay for the film version of the Broadway musical Rent," says Columbus, who directed the first two Harry Potter movies.

"I have been obsessed with Rent for six years. It's the best musical I've ever seen. I think it's as timely, important and moving as it was when it debuted in New York in 1996."

He says he has no intentions of updating the musical.

"It has to be a period piece. It has to be set in the early days of the AIDS crisis."

Columbus says he hopes to begin shooting Rent on location in New York in December and January because the story is set in a New York slum over the Christmas holidays.

"We'll then move to soundstages in San Francisco, where I live, so I can be near my family."

Columbus, who has not cast the film yet, says he will be looking for singers who can act.

"The music is the important thing in Rent. The songs must be sung by trained singers."

He has already received word from several pop stars -- including Justin Timberlake -- who are interested in being part of the project. But Columbus isn't so sure.

"I think there is room for one or two pop stars in the cast, but I told Justin he will have to go through as rigorous an audition process as everyone else."

[WhatDoINeedWithLove?]

Posted: 5/30/04 at 7:18pm

Idina better be Maureen!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/30/04 at 7:22pm

He does realize that the early days of the AIDS crisis were not the early-'90s, right? There were no "AZT-breaks" in the early days.

Still, he speaks of the piece with a reverence not unlike PrincessMimiChica's herself.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 5/30/04 at 7:25pm

Well, good. I'm glad to hear he's a fan and that he's taking it seriously. One or two popstars, huh? That means he's definately thinking about box office but also limiting that so that it's not another CROSSROADS. It will be interesting to see what is actually released next year.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/30/04 at 7:25pm

Hmmm... while I'd HATE to see this thing invaded by popstars, I'm trying to be realisitic in knowing that we probably won't see any big Broadway names in it either, especially the OBC. That article does make me feel a little bit better about the whole thing though. At least it sounds like the guy has some respect for RENT, and isn't just trying to make it a huge, money-making film. I mean, I'm sure he is, but at least it's not just that.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 5/30/04 at 9:12pm

Trained singers who can act? Oh please!

If he was so moved by the musical, ask the OBC to do the movie.

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 5/30/04 at 9:16pm

What if he saw a different cast?

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 5/30/04 at 9:17pm

Maybe he is Princessmimichica.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 5/30/04 at 9:20pm

He didn't see the OBC if he's only been obsessed with it for 6 years.

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 5/30/04 at 9:26pm

It's still possible he might cast some of the OBC.
I mean, he did a movie with Anthony Rapp.

[nystateomind04]

Posted: 5/30/04 at 9:42pm

what was that?

[CapnHook]

Posted: 5/30/04 at 9:43pm

The point is he should consider hiring/requesting musical theater actors to audition, OBC would be very much unlikely.

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 5/30/04 at 9:43pm

Adventures in Babysitting was the movie that Columbus did with Anthony Rapp (way back in the 80s, when Rapp was probably almost the age of his character in Rent).

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 5/30/04 at 9:56pm

You folks do realize that producers also have say, many times FINAl say, on who gets cast in movies, right? Columbus knows going in he'll have to get his cast past the producers and they care even less about Broadway stars than most other people.

[~FloweryFriend~]

Posted: 5/30/04 at 10:45pm

Namo, are you up to channelling PrincessMimiChica?

[CapnHook]

Posted: 5/30/04 at 10:48pm

Right, but I though Columbus WAS producing? Hmm...

[nystateomind04]

Posted: 5/30/04 at 11:11pm

timberlake just wants to outshine joey fatone in the big screen version of something he did on broadway. i cant think of a single role he could pull off, and i could care less how bankable he is. he's no roger, nor mark. perhaps he is considering angel. his voice would be closer to that role at least.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 5/30/04 at 11:17pm

You're absolutely right. His voice doesn't even come close to being right for either of the leads. But with Jai Rodriguez's popularity now, I really do hope they consider casting him as Angel.

[nystateomind04]

Posted: 5/30/04 at 11:46pm

leaving j.t. on his ass (or doing another multi-million dollar album- regaurdless, away from this movie where he belongs!)

[GovernorSlaton]

Posted: 5/31/04 at 12:40am

That article did make me feel a bit better...

Oh, I hope they don't mess this up!

[WhatDoINeedWithLove?]

Posted: 5/31/04 at 2:26am

I could see Jai being casted bc of Queer Eye acclaim....Taye Diggs is famous, maybe he could be considered...And Idina is fa fetched but she just got a major role in Colin's film so maybe that could happen...I could deal with a few pop stars if Idina Jai and Taye were in it

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 5/31/04 at 3:46am

I think Brittany Murphy might make a fine Maureen, but as for Mimi... please, don't forget that the girl's last name is Marquez, that she sings of "Spanish babies" and that her mother greets her on the voicemail in Spanish. One thing that will probably rub a lot of fans the wrong way is making the cast more "sellable" by deliberately making it less diverse.

I would also like to learn through the film why (or how) 19-year-old Mimi is living in an apartment in the East Village and still maintains a phone line with voicemail despite financial difficulties. The girl is so mysterious.

[wickedfan]

Posted: 5/31/04 at 9:39am

sorry to dissapoint people but it's a 95% chance Idina WON'T be in the movie. Not because of Mr. Colombus and who's bankable, but because she's too old and won't do it. I quote from broadway.com in Ask A Star:
"Would you ever go back and play Maureen again?

Idina responds: No, I would not unless it was something we did all together as an original cast. It was a special thing back then, and I would always feel uncomfortable unless it was my friends from the beginning."
Really none of the people from the original cast has a chance to be in it except maybe Taye. Daphne is way too old to play a 19 year old. And whatever happened to the guy who played Angel? Really, we need to slide away from the original broadway cast, unless you're thinking of cameos, like with Chita in "Chicago"

[BillyLawlor]

Posted: 5/31/04 at 12:02pm

I think there's a chance that Jai and Taye will be cast, and I like the idea of Brittany Murphy as Maureen, and I think Queen Latifah should be cast as Joanne. There is no part for Justine Timberlake in this movie; he's not right for anything.

[TheGirlinTheFrock]

Posted: 5/31/04 at 1:19pm

"but I told Justin he will have to go through as rigorous an audition process as everyone else."

Well thats good. If there are 'pop stars' atleast they wont get the part soley on their name and would have to fit the part AND be good in it. Oh, i also agree w/ the casting of Taye and Jai, and if all of you are right about Murhpy's voice then she could be good as Maureen. BUT i was thinking that Usher could be a def. possibility. He has acted in alot of movies (most of which are slipping my mind at the moment). Maybe put Taye as Collins and Usher as Benny. Just a thought.