Nine Casting
Nine Casting
areyoukiddingme
Swing Joined: 10/30/06
#1Nine Casting
Posted: 8/21/07 at 12:55am
Is it possible I got here before anyone else?
Rob Marshall and Harvey Weinstein have begun assembling the cast for "Nine."
The Weinstein Co. is in talks with Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard and Javier Bardem to star in the musical.
Marshall, who wanted to set his cast early to custom-fit the roles to the strengths of each performer, is also courting Sophia Loren and his "Chicago" star Catherine Zeta-Jones. Marshall will produce and choreograph with John DeLuca, his partner in Lucamar Prods.
Bardem just got the offer to play director Guido Contini, who experiences a creative and personal crisis as he tries to balance all the women in his life. That includes his wife, mistress, his film-star muse, agent and even his mother. Raul Julia originated the role onstage, and Antonio Banderas played it in the revival. The musical was inspired by the Fellini film "8 ½."
Cruz is in talks to play Carla, Contini's mistress, while Cotillard is to play his wife, Louisa. Although they have not yet committed, Zeta-Jones is being courted to play the director's muse, and Loren his mother, who appears as a ghost.
Michael Tolkin is adapting the script, with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston, the composer and lyricist of the original production. Mario Fratti adapted the original Broadway production; Arthur Kopit wrote the book. TWC acquired rights from Kopit and Yeston, who will be exec producers.
The combination of the sexy subject matter, and the fact Marshall is making his first musical since directing "Chicago" for Harvey Weinstein at Miramax, has made the four female roles enticing to many actresses with vocal and dancing ability.
Cruz is starring alongside Bardem in the film Woody Allen is shooting in Spain. Cotillard made her breakthrough playing Edith Piaf in "La Vie en Rose."
Bardem will next be seen in the Coen Brothers-directed adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy novel "No Country for Old Men," and helmer Mike Newell's adaptation of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's novel, "Love in the Time of Cholera."
VARIETY ARTICLE
#2re: Nine Casting
Posted: 8/21/07 at 1:00amI have trouble picturing Penelope Cruz doing "A Call from the Vatican". The other choices make sense to me though.
#2re: Nine Casting
Posted: 8/21/07 at 1:01amI SO called Loren as the mother!
"Picture "The View," with the wisecracking, sympathetic sweethearts of that ABC television show replaced by a panel of embittered, suffering or enraged Arab women" -the Times review of Black Eyed
#3re: Nine Casting
Posted: 8/21/07 at 1:02am
I don't know how well the film will sell with Bardem as the lead, but he seems like a great choice.
I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.
Updated On: 8/21/07 at 01:02 AM
#4re: Nine Casting
Posted: 8/21/07 at 1:03amLord, if Bardem is cast I would die. From happiness of course. He is definitely my number one choice and to have Penelope Cruz, Sophia Loren, and Zeta Jones co-starring sounds pretty stellar. Now is Zeta Jones perfect for Claudia? No, but I'll deal.
#5re: Nine Casting
Posted: 8/21/07 at 1:04am
Whoa, that's nothing like the early reports.
Penelope Cruz would be an ideal Claudia, not Carla (though she is miles better than Zellweger). Zeta Jones is much better fit for Luisa than Claudia.
Sophia Loren is a perfect choice for Guido's mother.
I haven't seen LA VIE EN ROSE so can't talk about Cotillard.
Bardem is such an inspired choice for Guido, I'm glad he is even being talked about.
It's so exciting to know they are pursuing stars who seem to actually be right for each role.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
bwaylvsong
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/28/05
#6re: Nine Casting
Posted: 8/21/07 at 1:08amI think they are very smart in casting a relative unknown as Guido (who will shoot to stardom) and surrounding him with famous AND talented women.
Heybeenfood
Broadway Star Joined: 5/15/06
#7re: Nine Casting
Posted: 8/21/07 at 1:11amBardem is hardly an unknown. He is an Oscar nominee and is starring in "No Country For Old Men," which got raves at Cannes. He is not an unknown.
bwaylvsong
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/28/05
#8re: Nine Casting
Posted: 8/21/07 at 1:17amThat's why I used the term "relative". Yes, he is known and well-regarded in the business, but if I polled average people on the street, maybe only 5-10% would know who he is.
Heybeenfood
Broadway Star Joined: 5/15/06
#9re: Nine Casting
Posted: 8/21/07 at 1:19amYes, he is certainly not a "box office draw", but he is certainly not a "relative unknown."
MungoGypsy8232
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/8/07
#10re: Nine Casting
Posted: 8/21/07 at 1:45amI think Zeta-Jones would be a better Luise, but I may be surprised. Can Penolope Cruz sing well?
#11re: Nine Casting
Posted: 8/21/07 at 7:56amPoor Laura Benanti.
"I am a camera with its shutter open, quite passive, recording, not thinking...someday all of this will have to be developed, carefully printed, fixed." - Christopher Isherwood
#12re: Nine Casting
Posted: 8/21/07 at 8:52amWhile I absolutely ADORE CZJ, I agree she's much more suited for Luisa. I was hoping that Anne Hathaway for Claudia rumor would happen. Too bad.
#13re: Nine Casting
Posted: 8/21/07 at 9:10am
Ooh, interesting. I had been picturing Penelope for Claudia and Catherine for Luisa, though. I'm not familiar with Cotillard, so I can't really have an opinion on her as Luisa.
I had been hoping for Banderas as Guido, but Bardem certainly looks the part, and his resumé is impressive.
#14re: Nine Casting
Posted: 8/21/07 at 9:12amDamn...Bardem and Cotillard would burn up the screen with pure unbridled sexuality. They are two truly magnetic performers. I love the cast so far, although Zeta-Jones does seem a bit old for Claudia. She's definitely more of a Luisa.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
#15re: Nine Casting
Posted: 8/21/07 at 9:16am
It's not what I was expecting, but I think it could work!
I called Sophia Loren as Guido's mother too.
But... Why is she a ghost?!
GUIDO:
LUISA:
CLAUDIA:
CARLA:
GUIDO'S MOTHER:
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
Updated On: 8/21/07 at 09:16 AM
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
#16re: Nine Casting
Posted: 8/21/07 at 9:21amIs Liliane going to be a character in the film?
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
#17re: Nine Casting
Posted: 8/21/07 at 9:27am
I would assume so, but I would assume they have no idea who they're casting yet.
My choice is still Leslie Caron! Perfect in every way.
I really like the idea of Marion Cotillard as Luisa. She is going to be VERY hot this coming Oscar season as a front-runner for Best Actress in "La Vie En Rose." She'll be the "buzz du jour" by the time the cameras start rolling on Nine.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
Updated On: 8/21/07 at 09:27 AM
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
ashbash1990
Broadway Star Joined: 10/15/06
#18re: Nine Casting
Posted: 8/21/07 at 10:15amso, no italians in this, huh...
What a night! I was in more laps than a napkin!
robbiej
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
#19re: Nine Casting
Posted: 8/21/07 at 10:28am
Why is she a ghost?
Cause she's dead. She's dead in the musical, isn't she? At least that's my recollection of it.
"I'm so looking forward to a time when all the Reagan Democrats are dead."
#20re: Nine Casting
Posted: 8/21/07 at 10:31am
God, it's been a thousand years, but I seriously didn't remember that she was dead. I do remember she's in some flashbacks with little Guido.
Then why the hell is she old? Why wouldn't she be in her 30s or 40s? Taina Elg was no spring chicken on Broadway.
And no, no Italians in this! Except Ms. Loren.
It's kinda like Pacific Overtures, where everyone in it is either Chinese or Filipino.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
Updated On: 8/21/07 at 10:31 AM
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
#21re: Nine Casting
Posted: 8/21/07 at 10:39am
I think Bardem is a perfect choice. Nine is one of my favorite musicals and I'm psyched they're casting it this way.
Any ideas for Saraghina?
....but the world goes 'round
robbiej
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
#22re: Nine Casting
Posted: 8/21/07 at 10:41am
I'm not so sure why she's cast as old either. But I don't remember there being anything in the show indicating that she died when he was young. Also, the lyric about him being the 'ninth son' leads me to believe she was no spring chicken when she popped him out. Those wacky Eyetalians! Baby Machines, I tell ya!
robbie
5th of 5 from his Eyetalian Mama.
"I'm so looking forward to a time when all the Reagan Democrats are dead."
#23re: Nine Casting
Posted: 8/21/07 at 10:53am
I've got another good choice for Liliane La Fleur...
As for Saraghina...
I doubt we'll see a lone American actress thrown into the mix for that part, so I'm not sure.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
#24re: Nine Casting
Posted: 8/21/07 at 10:56am
When do they say she's dead? I don't remember, Mr. 5 of 5!
(My Eyetalian honey is 3 of 6!)
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
Videos