OLIVER! Film Reboot Thread

I just thought I'd start the thread dedicated to the new film adaptation in the works right now.

Producer Cameron Mackintosh will follow-up his successful film adaptation of Les Miserables with a brand new film adaptation of Lionel Bart's Oliver! He'll be producing along with Working Title and Sony Pictures. Television director Toby Haynes (Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell) will be at the helm with a screenplay penned by Tony-Winner Lee Hall (Billy Elliot).

“Oliver!” is set to be greenlit in a matter of weeks, once rights deals are completed, and the film will start shooting early next year, with a release penciled in for the end of next year. The film, which will be grittier than the original, will shoot on location in and around London.

Haynes and casting director Lucinda Syson have started to scout for the young British actors who’ll play the title character, the Artful Dodger and the other kids in the musical. Working Title has experience in seeking out young talent as it produced the film and stage versions of “Billy Elliot.”

Jeffrey, a thread for the upcoming film already exists. If you are interested in reading others thoughts/opinions on it I am providing you with a link:

Oliver! Movie Remake Thread

I wouldn't mind an Oliver remake. But I'd rather see Miss Saigon first.

Adele as Nancy!

Oliver! Is one of my favorite movie musicals and I don't think it needs to be remade. That being said, the answer to why remake it is simple. That is to bring it to a new audience. In time, films get forgotten by larger audiences. Sure they can rent them or buy them on DVD, but they don't think to go looking for them. When a film is being remade the new film gets a lot of attention from a new generation, but it can also rejuvenate interest in the original film that is being remade.

Another example: my two cats are named Nick and Nora. When I tell friends this, they assume they are named either after a popular YA novel, or after a line of pajamas sold at Target. Sadly, none of then are familiar with The Thin Man film franchise. If the proposed remake of The Thin Man really dies come into fruition, people will no longer look at me blankly when I refer to the title. They will be familiar with the new film, and may have taken time to seek out the original.

I have known several people who love the film Scarface. When they find out it is also a remake they often seek out the otiginal film produced by Howard Hughes. Eleven years ago when The Texas Chainsaw Massacre came out, we all gathered to watch the cult classic before journeying to the theatre to see the new version, the same was true for A Nightmare on Elm Street. For those of us who are fond of the originals remakes rarely live up to our expectations, but that may not be true for the newbies. That is why films should be remade, besides a remake never takes the original away from us.

I'm sure this one will be released right after Mackintosh's My Fair Lady remake.

And it'll be just as successful, I imagine, too.

Godspell was worse than any of the aforementioned.

Examples are Annie ( do not even bring up the recent one)

But it was remade. Twice. The TV version AND the recent remake.

"I am very excited to see this remake, especially that Cameron Mackintosh, producer of the stage version is behind it. It will be great."

That a producer from the stage version is involved in the film version is not the guarantee that the film will be as good as one might think.

Perfect example: A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, which was a Broadway hit back in 1973 and most of the powers-that-be behind that successful production were also involved in the 1978 movie version - - - and we all know how that turned out.

Updated On: 7/27/15 at 02:30 PM

Another possible and wholly unnecessary remake is WEST SIDE STORY. Spielberg has been setting his sights on it for a couple of years now. I don't know if anything has happened past the talking stages at this point.

I actually think the original movie of Oliver was one of the rare times the movie is better than the stage show (Evita being another)

Whilst I understand the idea behind remaking to being to a new audience (llike disney are doing with their old 2d animations) im not sure a young audience will flock on mass to a musical like Oliver, and the older audience will be put off by fond memories of the original

A Little Night Music would be an ideal remake, it it had two of its leads ready to go from the broadway revival.

As for Miss Saigon, I wonder if the disappointing London revival run has made him question the broader appeal of the show

I wouldn't hate a West Side Story reboot. A lot of it hasn't aged very gracefully, not least of all the lead performances from Natalie Wood and whatshisface. A more filmic version with better cinematography/locations instead of looking like it was filmed on a Paramount backlot would be nice too.

Updated On: 7/27/15 at 05:14 PM

Totally disagree re WSS. It is a classic and no way can you improve on a classic

Totally disagree re WSS. It is a classic and no way can you improve on a classic

Well, a reboot would probably cast actual Puerto Ricans instead of white people with tans for one.

Updated On: 7/28/15 at 05:51 PM