Rob Marshall to Bring FOLLIES to the Big Screen?

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 7:30am

He is at least interested...

[After Eight]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 7:34am

Please, no.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 7:35am

Crucify me if you will but I really don't think FOLLIES would make for a successful movie musical and it's one of those musicals that while it is one of Sondheim's best does not have a universal across-the-boards appeal. It's one of the (many) reasons I also feel NINE failed on the big screen as well.

[ShakinBaconGirl]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 7:39am

Oh god

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 7:44am

But it will give you a thread to post a whole lot in...

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 7:46am

The idea of a Follies film is nothing new. I'm not quite sure how it would work without being an unfaithful disaster like Nine.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 7:58am

Well, Marshall's certainly the wrong director. It seems like he's becoming the go-to musical-to-movie guy, and that's a mistake. With ITW, when he was announced, I remained cautiously optimistic, but for FOLLIES? No. He's just the wrong choice.

Why don't really terrific and versatile directors touch musicals, especially good musicals?

I want a FOLLIES by PT Anderson.
I want an ASSASSINS by David Lynch.
I want a Coen Brothers ANYONE CAN WHISTLE.
I want a SUNDAY by Mike Leigh.
I want MERRILY by Wes Anderson.
I want a PASSION by Alfonso Cuaron.

Is this so much to ask?

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 8:21am

Oh, for crap's sake.

[The Other One]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 8:27am

"I want a FOLLIES by PT Anderson."

This is literally the worst suggestion I have ever seen anywhere. Rob Marshall could not have asked for a better recommendation.

My God, PTA's FOLLIES would be the whiniest, most self-indulgent movie of all time.

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 8:27am

Um...I don't know...I like Marshall as much as the next gal but I agree that Follies is too "stagey" (so to speak) to work on film. It's magical in a theatre, and I think some of that would be lost onscreen.

Although I'd LOVE if they did what they're doing with Into the Woods and cast some lesser-known stage actors in the smaller roles because most of them get their own song.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 8:28am

"This is literally the worst suggestion I have ever seen anywhere."

You are literally everything wrong with everything.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 8:32am

"Why don't really terrific and versatile directors touch musicals, especially good musicals?

I want a FOLLIES by PT Anderson.
I want an ASSASSINS by David Lynch.
I want a Coen Brothers ANYONE CAN WHISTLE.
I want a SUNDAY by Mike Leigh.
I want MERRILY by Wes Anderson.
I want a PASSION by Alfonso Cuaron."

Here's my response to that:
Beautiful-Ron Howard
Company-David O. Russell
Miss Saigon-Steven Spielberg
Next to Normal-Spike Jonze
Spring Awakening-Marc Webb
Wicked-Francis Lawrence

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 8:36am

"Miss Saigon-Steven Spielberg"

That's kind of perfect.

[HorseTears]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 8:37am

I'd actually love to see David O. Russell direct a musical one day. But definitely not Company.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 8:42am

Michael Bay is the only director who should touch FOLLIES.

[ShakinBaconGirl]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 8:53am

I think David O. Russell would do great with a Next To Normal film.

[icecreambenjamin]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 9:43am

I could see Rob Marshall directing Follies. He's probably the only person who would dare do it.
He also has an excuse for the actors to be singing. I know he looks for those things when directing a musical. Follies is a really great piece that could use a little tweaking. With a good team working on it, it has the possibility of becoming a great film that could win major awards.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 9:48am

Follies? Rob Marshall? No. Baz Luhrmann, maybe, if he could lose the Bazmark imagery that fills his Velvet Curtain series.

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 9:51am

But would it be "Stephen Sondheim's Follies" or "Baz Luhrmann's Follies?"

All joking aside, I can only imagine how lavish Mr. Luhrmann would make the Loveland sequences.

[icecreambenjamin]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 10:09am

I honestly thought that Luhrman would be the best fit. Follies needs subtle moments and big lavish moments. I don't think that the score should be tampered with at all though and I'm not sure that, that would happen under Luhrman's direction.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 10:12am

All joking aside, I can only imagine how lavish Mr. Luhrmann would make the Loveland sequences.

And they would be utterly and entirely wrong.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 10:43am

At least we'd be assured Streep would be Phyllis.

[tazber]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 10:50am

Yea, I don't think Luhrmann is the right fit for the material at all.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 10:55am

Almodovar is the only person I want to see touch FOLLIES.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 10:55am

I'd be interested in Luhrmann's take on something like SPRING AWAKENING.