REEFER MADNESS: Showtime producing a movie musical based on the campy 1936 classic Reefer Madness about the evils of marijuana, starring Alan Cumming, Steven Weber and Neve Campbell, per the Hollywood Reporter. It is expected to air in 2005.
Showtime Thinks 'Reefer Madness' Is Dope (Friday, January 30 12:20 PM)
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - The off-Broadway musical "Reefer Madness" is coming to television, thanks to the hopped-up folks at Showtime. The comedic adaptation of the unintentionally hilarious, 1930s drug-scare movie won a number of awards following its initial run in Los Angeles in the 1999. It moved to New York in 2001, where it received strong reviews.
Production on the movie is scheduled to begin in April; an airdate hasn't been set.
HOLLYWOOD -- Alan Cumming and Steven Weber have inked to star in the original Showtime movie "Reefer Madness," based on the off-Broadway musical. Meanwhile, HBO has firmed up casting for its upcoming epic series "Rome," slated to debut next year. "Reefer" is the first to be given a go by Showtime entertainment topper Robert Greenblatt.
Neve Campbell will also star in the musical adaptation alongside Kristen Bell ("Deadwood"), her brother Christian Campbell (Company Member - Valerie Theatre) and Ana Gasteyer ("Saturday Night Live" and most recently in "ROULETTE"). In addition, John Kassir and Robert Torti will reprise their stage roles in the telepic.
The screen adaptation of the show, based on the 1936 anti-pot propaganda film, is described as a cross between "Grease" and "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Production begins in April.
Cumming will star as an anti-marijuana authority figure while Weber will play town's pot pusher. Campbell, meanwhile, will play the owner of a risque swing spot where the local kids indulge.
Exec producers are Andy Fickman, who will also direct, and Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney, who penned the adaptation. Jim Veres and Jan Korbelin also exec produce. Dead Old Man/Apollo Screen will produce in association with Showtime.
I love that John Kassir and Robert Torti are going to reprise their roles... but I wish they had got someone else to play Jimmy other than Christian Campbell... yawn. They should have got Michael Cunio who also did the role in LA...he was juch better than Campbell.
Didn't Paula Abdul do the choreography for that? How was it?
"Get me a reefer, Joan!!!!"
"Faster....play it faster....Faster!! Faster!!!!"
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