Sam Mendes to Direct Sweeney Todd

[PJ]

Posted: 7/18/03 at 10:38am

YESSSSS! There was a post on ATC about an article in Variety that said that Mendes would direct the film version of this musical for Dreamworks. Sam is goin' to be might busy...with this project and Shrek becoming a stage production, he's going to have quite a handful.

[BrdwyThtr]

Posted: 7/18/03 at 11:09am

He'll do justice to Sweeney!

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 7/18/03 at 11:13am

I like Sam Mendes's movies a lot but I was still a lot more excited when Tim Burton was attached to this project.

[sharon1]

Posted: 7/18/03 at 11:24am

So I'll ask here also. Who will play the leads. Any suggestions

[Deannaizme]

Posted: 7/18/03 at 11:37am

I think this is a good choice. He's a good stage director and American Beauty was excellent. I think he'll do a great job with this!

~D

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 7/18/03 at 1:40pm

Thank God. I was afraid Spielberg would direct it himself. If SS knows what’s good for him he will give Sam a blank check and stay the hell out of his way.
I cannot wait for this film.

[PJ]

Posted: 7/18/03 at 4:05pm

Mendes is my idol. He'll be an awesome director.

[sharon1]

Posted: 7/18/03 at 4:20pm

While in charge of the Donmar he did great things. Is he still in charge there???

[Dollypop]

Posted: 7/18/03 at 5:32pm

Another Broadway gem to be defiled by Hollywood.

I HATE MOVIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[PJ]

Posted: 7/18/03 at 5:44pm

No he hasn't been in charge of Donmar for a little while now

[jo]

Posted: 7/18/03 at 7:45pm

He's left the DONMAR WAREHOUSE after being artistic director for about 10 years - and what a ten-year reign it was!

Re the lead roles -- Hugh Jackman has said he is interested in the role ( if they could wait for him )even before any directors were mentioned for the movie version. His name has been mentioned in the Playbill.com article on the Mendes involvement. A longshot, but I think Nicole Kidman might be inspired casting for the role of Mrs. Lovett.

jo

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 7/19/03 at 1:35am

Oh, dear God in heaven, NICOLE KIDMAN?? From your post to no-one’s ears.

She is a good actress and can sing okay, if you believe the Moulin Rouge soundtrack, but Mrs. Lovett? NO!!!

Why not just get Melanie and Antonio to star?

This needs to be done with strong, earthy singers/actors.

[Max Bialystock]

Posted: 7/19/03 at 7:41am

Melanie and Antiono....Please God, end the world today!
Mrs. Lovett with an ANTONIO tatoo...????

Better you have Mike Myers and Mindy Sterling (Frau Farbissina)!

[magruder]

Posted: 7/19/03 at 8:17am

Kevin Kline would make a good Sweeney... He hasn't used those pipes in a while, but I think he could still sing it.

[jo]

Posted: 7/19/03 at 10:26am

As is usually the case with movie musicals, it doesn't seem likely that they will cast it with people without the movie box-office draw , even if they have the right theatre background. And you can really count on your fingers the number of actors/actresses who can play the roles if they follow this criterion. Notable exception is the casting for the Phantom movie, though.

If not Nicole, maybe Catherine Zeta Jones.

jo

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 7/19/03 at 10:36am

I know I was in the minority but I was hoping Spielburg would direct. I really like Sam Mendes...but I thought his last movie (Road to Perdition) was painfully dull and poorly paced.

[NuggetMonkeys]

Posted: 7/19/03 at 1:15pm

This is a double-headed arrow...Sweeney is my favorite musical, by the way...If the movie is cast or done wrong, the entire musical will be ruined...no producers will want to revive a hollywood-flop onto broadway...If casting is done correctly: my opinion is...in the show, Sweeney is an AGING wronged man...Hugh Jackman was reported to be in talks for the role...is he over 30 years old??? it has to be someone like the original AGING stage guys who handled it in 79'...of course, i'm talking about Len Cariou and George Hearn...who else COULD pull off the role of Mrs. Lovett than the stage's own, sparky and AGING Angela Lansbury (shes my idol...no one is as wonderful a woman/actress as she)!!!!! Chicago the movie was great and all, but Bebe Neuwirth and Ann Reinking would have bursted through the silver screen...Renee Zellwegger and Catherine Zeta-Jones should have been left well-enough alone...thats only my strong but humble opinion...tear it to shreds as you like....
--Dan

[BrdwyThtr]

Posted: 7/19/03 at 1:27pm

Speaking of Chicago, I'm on my way out the door to see the re-released version with "Class".

[sharon1]

Posted: 7/19/03 at 1:33pm

I saw Chicago, but only once. While charming I found it lacking. I think that while all the leads, Zell., Jones, Gere, are find actors, I think it was apparent they could not make it in musical theatre. . I still think, not to degrade the movie, or performers, it still would have been better with theatre people. Sometimes in film you can see the "razzle dazzle" I also believe that Sweeney will be harder to film. One because while funny it is dark and maybe not everyones cup of tea. But of course it is only an opinion

[Timmerbo]

Posted: 7/19/03 at 5:47pm

I'm afraid your opinions towards the performers in the film version of Chicago are entirely wrong. Both Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere HAVE made it as real musical theatre performers... CZJ played Velma over ten years ago on the West End, and Richard Gere got his start in showbiz on the New York stage and played Danny Zuko in the West End production of Grease. So really, two thirds of the principle cast WERE 'theate people'.

As for Hugh Jackman in Sweeney Todd, I'm not sure it was the role of Sweeney specifically that he wanted. He turned down the role of Billy Flynn because he felt he was too young, so I'm not sure why Sweeney Todd would be any different. Either way, by the time they actually get around to casting this movie, Hugh will probably be at or near the end of his year-long Boy From Oz run.

[PJ]

Posted: 7/19/03 at 5:50pm

CJZ played Velma? I've never heard that. I've heard she played Peggy Sawyer in 42nd Street. Are you sure she was in Chicago on the west end?

[Timmerbo]

Posted: 7/19/03 at 8:34pm

Nah, I must have imagined that... I seem to recall someone posting on a messageboard that they'd seen her as Velma over a decade ago. Also, I remember her singing a bit of 'All that Jazz' when she did Letterman years ago after telling Dave that she'd done a production of Chicago previously. I remember being really impressed since this was before most people in North America had any inkling she could sing.

Regardless, she definitely did do 42nd Street on the West End.

And, thus, is a 'theatre person'.

[sharon1]

Posted: 7/19/03 at 8:53pm

I stand corrected. But my opinions are not wrong. Playing Danny Zuko while a popular role does not require great musical strength. I had been seriously misinformed about Ms. Jones. For that I apologize. But remember they are my opinions. I do not believe Mr. Gere could have had a lasting musical theater career. Especially at the time he came up. I believe he found his forte in serious acting. But with the musicals being planned in the near future he can keep doing the kind of role he just completed. Successfully. I don't see him becoming Jean Valjean. As far as Ms. Jones is concerned she is a wondeful actress. But as a musical actress she is not that special. Again an opinion only based on seeing the likes of Neuwirth,Peters, Rivera and others for the past 15 years. Regionally, National tours, and on Broadway. I would still pay to see them all in a movie. In a musical theaterr setting. Probably not. Again an opinion.

[bk]

Posted: 7/20/03 at 4:56pm

As I've posted elsewhere - therein lies the problem with ATC. The original person who posted about this posted it as a FACT, as if it were a done deal. He included the link to the article in Variety BUT very few can access that link because you have to pay to read the articles in Variety. However, if you've been around long enough you will learn that ninety-nine percent of what's published in Variety are press agent plants and have nothing to do with reality. Once you read the article what you find out is that Sam Mendes is in "early talks" i.e. no deal, no contract, no OFFER, no script, no nothing. So, while there may some day be a Sweeney Todd film, it's not happening anytime soon.

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 7/20/03 at 6:01pm

I would guess that Glenn Close would be considered for Mrs. Lovett...

i would love to see george heard film this part...but unlikely he would be cast.....

i would imagine they would go with someone like Hugh Jackman..