SWEENEY TODD film- Page 3

[wildcat]

Posted: 2/24/05 at 8:58am

She's nominated for an Oscar for VERA DRAKE, she played Gwyneth's nurse in SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE and she was terrific as the Baker's Wife in the London INTO THE WOODS. She's really good value as a singer and character actress.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 2/24/05 at 9:01am

Wait, wasn't Tracey Ullman already cast in this along with Kevin Kline?

[Fan2]

Posted: 2/24/05 at 9:29am

Kate Winslet was mentioned on this board - FYI for people who don't know - she's married to Sam Mendes.

[JoshuaEads]

Posted: 2/24/05 at 12:54pm

Hmmm - Tracy Ullman is an interesting choice for the role. I'm very interested in seeing/hearing her as Winnifred in the new "Mattress" movie.

~Joshua

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/24/05 at 12:58pm

I think there's a lot of gossip, but has anyone even "officially" announced any of these names?

[Plum]

Posted: 2/24/05 at 1:02pm

No. This could easily turn into a situation like the Rent or Phantom of the Opera movies- talked about but left undone for 10+ years.

[WISHIHADATONY]

Posted: 2/24/05 at 3:44pm

I suspect if this film is made we will see Russell Crowe as Sweeney and Meryl Streep as Mrs. Lovett.

A few years ago, wouldn't it have been thrilling to see Julie Andrews take on the role of Mrs. Lovett. There were some talks when Sweeney was originally on Broadway, about Julie Andrews taking over for Angela Lansbury, but alas, those negotiations broke down. Dorothy Loudon was indeed a sublime replacement as Mrs. Lovett.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/24/05 at 3:45pm

Possibly Streep, but I disagree about Crowe - can he sing? I think Mendes would go more for theatre folk.

[WISHIHADATONY]

Posted: 2/24/05 at 3:49pm

joekv99, in the original Broadway productin of SWEENEY TODD, Angela Lansbury was certainly older than Len Cariou and she did indeed also Look older than he did.

As long as both Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett are both over 35ish(giving enough time for the events that would have evolved) I think the ages of Lovett vs. Sweeney are not terribly important to the story.

Mrs. Lovett can be 25 years older than Sweeney, the same age, or a number of years younger. I have indeed seen all sorts of age variances in different productions.

[Fan2]

Posted: 2/24/05 at 3:59pm

Russell Crowe is a singer in a band called "30 Odd Foot of Grunts."

http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Cinema/1501/index30oddfoot.html

http://www.gruntland.com/tofog.htm

>Who are TOFOG?
TOFOG is an acronym for 'Thirty Odd Foot Of Grunts'. They are a band consisting of six members. Garth Adam plays bass, Dean Cochran plays lead guitar, Russell Crowe is the singer and also plays guitar, Dave Kelly plays drums and has a bit of a sing, Stewart Kirwan plays trumpet and flugelhorn and also sings and Dave Wilkins plays yet another guitar and does lots of singing.

[WISHIHADATONY]

Posted: 2/24/05 at 4:48pm

MUNkustrap178, I hope Mr. Crowe can sing. He has been lead singer of a "rock group," I believe for many years now.

[musicman117]

Posted: 2/24/05 at 4:55pm

Singing in a rock group and singing the role of Sweeney Todd are two COMPLETELY DIFFERENT things....

I mean, lets think about some singers in rock/pop groups and what they ahve done to great broadway scores. Drew Lachey, Joey Fatone, Scary Spice to name a few...

PLUS - I wouldn't exactly call Sweeney Todd a "rock style" show..

(i really want to hear what sticktopriest thinks of Russell Crowe in this role....)

Im with Munk on this one..... Mendes will probably go with more "theatrical" people.... Although Spacey is a good option, seeing as the two worked together on American Beauty

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/24/05 at 5:11pm

Kevin Spacey is a brilliant brilliant actor - I'm convinced he can do any role.

Are there only two of us that think Imelda Staunton is perfect for Mrs. Lovett?

[wickedfan]

Posted: 2/24/05 at 5:50pm

I've never heard Imelda Staunton sing, as for character acting, she did a variation of it in SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, I thought she was wonderful in that. I would love to see her in the role. As for Patrick Wilson as Anthony, I think he could've been right for it on stage, but in the movie? By the time it is finally casted he will be too old. The man is in his early to mid thirties. Anthony is supposed to be a young, strapping sailor who sweeps Johanna off her feet. Wilson can most definately sing the role and act it but will probably come off a little old on screen.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/24/05 at 5:53pm

Are you serious? He looks incredibly young, and even 5 years from now could still pull it off.

Imelda is BRILLIANT in VERA DRAKE...she often reminded me of Lovett in that movie, you should see it.

[Plum]

Posted: 2/24/05 at 8:05pm

Look at Mendes' film schedule in the past. American Beauty- 1999. Road to Perdition- 2002. And now he's working on Jarhead. Why would he hurry Sweeney any more than those other films? So assuming filming will be in 2008 (and boy is that a big assumption), Patrick Wilson might be a bit long in the tooth to play Anthony.

[musicman117]

Posted: 2/25/05 at 12:14am

Munk -

I am also a fan of the idea of Imelda Staunton playing Mrs. Lovett. Great thought that would have never crossed my mind. The more I think aobut it, the more I like it!

[stylinbohemian]

Posted: 2/25/05 at 12:21am

Bernadette Peter's if famnominal i would so totally like dieif she ever played mrs. lovett i can so see her in that role! if they did the movie they should bring back George Hearn as Sweeney now that would totally rock my socks!

[bially082]

Posted: 2/25/05 at 1:14am

Mine too!
But I don't agree with Bernadette as Lovett.

[phantom_tenor]

Posted: 2/25/05 at 5:48am

russell crowe CANNOT sing. Not at all. He has yet to master the delicate art of being remotely in key. His singing is basically mumbling at a low and vague pitch.

[Amanda2]

Posted: 3/4/05 at 7:10pm

Crowe got his start in musical theater. First in Grease and then Rocky Horror for two years where he played both Dr. Scott and Eddie the rocker. He also subbed a few times for Frankenfurter.. of which there are photos floating around the net of him in full makeup and fishnets.

Of course, that was live singing, but for a movie, they have all kinds of ways of cheating, like they did for Moulin Rouge!. The part is somewhat difficult though, so I'm sure he'd want to feel confident that he could do it before getting involved.

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 3/4/05 at 7:48pm

Acting wise I would be interested in Crowe as Sweeney. Singing....eh. At first I didn't like the idea of Kline, now I'm convinced he's the best person for the job. They had better wait though, until I can play Johanna. :)

[Oliver Brownlow]

Posted: 3/5/05 at 8:59am

Though aware that he would require additional vocal training, I was more or less enthusiastically backing Russell Crowe for Sweeney in the film version on the grounds that he looks the part, he would no doubt act it well, his work with TOFOG shows that he has the pipes if not the technique, and that's probably ok because he has shown a willingness to work hard at learning new skills for movie roles (learning to play the violin, for example, for MASTER AND COMMANDER). Perhaps even more importantly, his star power might actually get the movie made. But ever since viewing another actor's incredible audtion for the role -- otherwise known as his performance as "Dr. Octopus" in SPIDERMAN 2 -- in the course of which he plays brilliantly damn near every emotion he would have to play as Sweeney -- I have officially moved all my chips over to Alfred Molina. As most of you probably know, he also starred as Tevye in the recent Broadway revival of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, so obviously he sings.

My only other strong prejudices at the moment are for Christopher Lee in the role of Judge Turpin -- he's gigantic, he's old, he's scary, he's British, he's world-famous in the role of Dracula (in the classic British Hammer Films horror series of the late 1950's, 60's, and 70's), AND he's a professional opera singer!

As for the first customer killed by Sweeney in his shop -- it must be Andrew Lloyd Webber!
Updated On: 3/5/05 at 08:59 AM

[WISHIHADATONY]

Posted: 3/5/05 at 11:44am

I would love to hear Josh Groban (sp?) perform the part of Anthony. And of course Neil Patrick Harris as Toby.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/5/05 at 7:31pm

Just saw this posted at ATC:

"The Daily Mail mentions today that the upcoming film version will probably star Russell Crowe and Imelda Staunton. Emma Thompson is also being considered for a role (The Beggar Woman?)"

Can't seem to find the article online, though.