Rent Movie

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 5/7/04 at 7:22am

Well looks like the rent movie is back on track. I wanted to post it first to spite the rentheads! This thread was inevitable so I thought I'd get the ball rolling. Thoughts, comments? https://www.broadwayworld.com/l.cfm?id=30979https://www.broadwayworld.com/l.cfm?id=30979>https://www.broadwayworld.com/l.cfm?id=30979

Updated On: 5/7/04 at 07:22 AM

[mominator]

Posted: 5/7/04 at 7:31am

This would be great, but I could live w/o Justin.

[mmFan]

Posted: 5/7/04 at 8:23am

I would love them to make a Rent movie. Would it be a musical?

[BroadwayBound06]

Posted: 5/7/04 at 8:33am

Why not get the original cast to do it? Well I guess they've changes since 1996. But they still gotta be better than Justin.

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 5/7/04 at 9:24am

Folks, you will never (and The Rock means NEVER) see a movie with the original Broadway cast. 'The Producers' is probably as close as you'll ever see.

And it hasn't been open for eight years (or however long 'Rent's' been open. I'm sure someone will tell me the exact amount of days.)

But, really, get over it. You'll never see a full Broadway cast -- or even ALL the principals -- cast in a movie, unless there's no money behind it.

[Karma76]

Posted: 5/7/04 at 9:28am

The saddest casting choice i heard (from her mouth in an interview) Brittany Murphy as Mimi...i KID you not. She said I was just cast in the film version of rent. This was when it got axed. Do not get me wrong she has a GREAT voice and everything but Mimi??? what?? Updated On: 5/7/04 at 09:28 AM

[jezzebelle]

Posted: 5/7/04 at 9:45am

Well, before RENT was overrun with people like Joey Fatone and Scary Spice, brought in to bring numbers up, I was fiercely against a RENT movie, because to me, that would have just killed the entire concept of the show. Plus, it just doesn't seem to be adaptable into a movie musical...Hairspray, yes, RENT, not so sure. Now that they've resorted to stunt casting, nothing would surprise me about who they choose to cast in a movie version.

-Jess

[Ruffian]

Posted: 5/7/04 at 10:13am

It would be great if Esparza would still be involved

Time will tell how it unfolds.

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 5/7/04 at 10:22am

There's nothing in 'Rent' that would be violated in putting the show on film. It's not like the show uses certain stage conceits to tell its story (a la 'Chicago,' for example.) It's straight-up linear storytelling, no reason it can't be filmed.

[Janki]

Posted: 5/7/04 at 10:46am

Brittany Murphy would be a great Maureen though...think Daphne R.V should be cast as Mimi for the film as well....just as long as it's not someone like Mel B or Samantha Mumba (don't get me wrong..love them to bits...but not in a musical!!)

[StraightToHeaven]

Posted: 5/7/04 at 10:51am

Taye Diggs would be a big enough name to put in as Benny. They could get various celeberties to play some of the ensemble cameo roles (Mark's Mom, Alexi Darling, etc) I don't know...

I think if they put some great minds together then they can make it into a good movie. I just hope that they cast well and they don't do things they were originally going to do before it got originally axed (i.e cut Over The Moon, take the music away from Light My Candle)

[GirlfriendFromCanada]

Posted: 5/7/04 at 10:51am

Daphne Rubin Vega should absolutely NOT be cast as Mimi. I have an open mind to basically anything they want to do with this thing, but please. She, and a lot of the OBC, would not work in the film version. In more ways than one.

[Al Dente]

Posted: 5/7/04 at 11:03am

Didn't we do this "who was supposed to be in the Spike Lee Rent movie" thread a million years ago? Or was that the good old Broadway.com mess board? Anyway, it was Esparza, Billy Porter as Tom Collins and Orfeh as Maureen (Lee's first choices, don't know if they were going to get an o.k. from the studio). As for the OBC being in the movie, it'll never happen. Most of the OBC is pushing 40 and beyond and we all know how much Hollywood values youth above anything as mundane as talent and worthiness.

[Ruffian]

Posted: 5/7/04 at 11:06am

I agree....doubtful the studio will want all of Spike's choices

Posted: 5/7/04 at 11:22am

If they're gonna go completely forward with this they need to get people who can sing and not just stand there looking pretty. Also, they need to again get people who can SING and not just act. Don't do what they did for Jekyll & Hyde on HBO...they added script!!! WTF!?! The character would basically speak what they were then going to sing about! It needs to stay the same...there's nothing wrong with it on stage, it's perfect, don't ruin it!

[AdamM]

Posted: 5/7/04 at 12:24pm

I think the movie could definitely have a lot of potential... but PLEASE... no Justin Timberlake. I don't see him fitting any of the roles at all... and it could be a huge mistake. Raul would be awesome though... but I think they're gonna be looking for Catherine Zeta Jones/Renee Zellweger type people to follow Chicago's success, which seems to cheapen the messages behind rent. who knows.

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 5/7/04 at 12:28pm

If Daphne gets cast in the Rent movie I will never ever go to see it. I can't stand her. She reminds me of a monkey with dangle earrings. They need to cast some A List celebs if they want it do do even decently at the box office.

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 5/7/04 at 12:36pm

GOOD LORD! Not again!
Sorry you guys but I'll believe it when I see the trailer.

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 5/7/04 at 12:40pm

Keep in mind, 'Rent' is almost 3 hours long. They're going to cut at LEAST 40 minutes worth of material. If not an hour.

Posted: 5/7/04 at 12:44pm

3 hrs. long...I've seen plenty of 3 hr. long movies in the theater, no problem there.

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 5/7/04 at 12:56pm

"3 hrs. long...I've seen plenty of 3 hr. long movies in the theater, no problem there. "

It won't be that long.

The handful of 3-hour movies are big-budget costume epics. There's a big difference between 'Lord of the Rings' and 'Meet Joe Black' and Hollywood learned a lot from the failure of the latter.

2 hours 20 minutes, tops. And that's if the director picks that particular battle.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 5/7/04 at 1:12pm

The most disappointing aspect of this movie announcement: That Chris Columbus will write and produce it. Columbus made the first two POTTER films with a very literal mind. Nothing was re-conceived with a fresh, imaginative eye. Spike Lee was inspired, but Columbus may give us THOROUGHLY MODERN MIMI. The show has a great emotional core -- a very sentimental one at times. But it should be set in a gritty context, the reality of the lower east side life for struggling artists palpable. If it's done up in a "cute" palate, we'll get a gooey tale without much bite. I'd take Alan Parker over Columbus. He at least made FAME look like NY, and Evita reflect a real Argentina.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 5/7/04 at 1:16pm

Don't forget that they cast mainly unknowns in the PHANTOM movie that's filming now. The biggest "movie" star they have in there is Minnie Driver. They did choose a Broadway star (Patrick Wilson) for one of the key roles, so there's a bit of hope there.
If you look at the OBC, Taye Diggs is a big enough star to be in it. Jesse L. Martin has become quite famous since joining the Law & Order cast 4 years ago. Idina has reached an almost cult like status since joining the cast of WICKED, Adam Pascal just appeared in SCHOOL OF ROCK which was an enormous hit and Daphne won a Blockbuster award for WILD THINGS a few years ago and has appeared with the likes of Robert DeNiro in other films. Let's not count out the filmmakers approaching Jai Rodriguez to be in it, too. They would be stupid not to with the success of QUEER EYE. Looking at it like that, the cast is a lot more well known than a lot of people would think and they would definately pull in the crowds.
Plus, this is a film that can really be made on the cheap, not like THE PRODUCERS or HAIRSPRAY.
-Matt

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 5/7/04 at 1:27pm

Matt, totally agree with you on the cast. The only one I've every seen was Jai as Angel when Joey Fatone was Mark and he was amazing!!! Jai I mean. This was before Zanna Don't and long before QE too. That would be a smart move for the film producers...if the film was to happen.
Sorry, I just remember last time with all the hype and I'd really have to see solid proof before I'd believe it.
Al:"Most of the OBC is pushing 40 and beyond" where on earth did you pull that number from??? Taye & Idina are 33, Adam's 34, Daphne's 35, Jesse's 36, they're not ancient for goodness sakes!

[Matt_G]

Posted: 5/7/04 at 1:33pm

And seriously, if you're saying that at 35 they can't play 20 somethings you haven't turned on your TV lately. Do those kids on THE OC look like they're 15????

Plus, if anyone has seen Daphne lately, she still looks like she did on the first day of RENT. The woman is stunning. There's no reason with movie makeup that she couldn't do that role. She's the only one I would ever want to see as Mimi, anyways.