If Glenn Close had stayed with the Broadway run for its entire engagement, it would have made a sizable profit. The problems came when the replacement stars -- Buckley, Paige, etc. couldn't sell out the theatre.
Clark, who played the role on tour, and Diahann Carroll also don't possess the kind of box office clout needed to attract an audience to the material.
Now if say Close had been replaced by Meryl Streep, Liza Minnelli and Cher, nobody would be questioning the logistics of the show being a success.
I agree that the film is a risky proposition. However, if Webber is able to get suitable star involvement -- Close, Jackman or Damon, and is able to do the film for a relatively small budget -- SUNSET is after all a fairly small story, despite the grandeur of its main character -- it could make money.
I would expect the budget to be in the 40 million dollar zone - not 80 unless the two leads are Will Smith and Julia Roberts.
It's certainly the last of the unfilmed Webber musicals that has any box office potential, which may be why Webber is hankering to get it made. I don't expect we will be seeing movies of ASPECTS, WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND, or A BEAUTIFUL GAME anytime soon.
And Gail Berman's involvement would be a moot point. Paramount would only distribute the film. As with PHANTOM, Webber's production company would completely finance the production.
Updated On: 4/1/05 at 04:28 PM