Rent Movie

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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)

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.

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!

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.

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.

"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.

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

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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.

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