Sunset boulevard movie 2020

[Theatrefanboy1]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 1:02am

With Glenn Close conforming that production is set to start this year. Was wondering who else people would like to see attached. Do you think someone like Hugh jackman. (Even though hes really too old for the role in my opinion) Darren Criss? Zac Efron? Johnathan Groff?

Betty- Amy Adams? Lady Gaga?


Max - Victor Garbor?

Personally I prefer that they use broadway stars. But I can see that they would fill it out a bit with some Hollywood names for bums in seats

[bwayboy22]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 1:15am

I think Lily Collins and Zac Efron would be a great pair. Amanda Seyfried could be good, but might have aged out of the role. I'd love to see Beanie Feldstein as Betty, but think she may read a little young against someone like Efron. I think Max will have to be cast from the Broadway community, I cant think of a Hollywood actor who would be right for his part.

[Ms_Flyover]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 1:49am

Patrick Wilson. Has the right look and both BW and Hollywood Cred

Isnt Anna kendrick contractually required to take any young woman legit singing role in a movie musical? And would I love to see Bonnie Milligan cast with no irony whatsoever?

Michael Cerveris is my immediate thought as max, and its the one role where I think you can bring in a stage actor

[Lot666]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 8:39am

I think casting Darren Chris opposite Glenn Close would look downright pervy. He's so wee and boyish, and Ms. Close could be his grandmother.

[binau]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 8:43am

I mean, that creepyness is exactly what makes some of the show work so well. I cringe at many aspects of this musical, but watching Glenn Close desperately trying to molest this guy on stage was very uncormfortale to watch in a good way.

Is this still a pipe dream or is there a production company and director attached?

[Evans2]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 9:56am

Jackman would be perfect. Absolutely perfect. He's a little old, but it's not much of a distraction against Close. 

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 10:22am

J.K. Simmons is the obvious choice for Max. He got his start in musical theatre/opera, then transitioned to film, and now he's a recent Oscar winner. (And he's bald!)

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 10:31am

Until cameras begin rolling, I’m not holding my breath. Though Close is saying more details this time around, she has said things about this possible film adaptation for years.

Though she’s now about 20 years too old for the role (Norma is 50 in SUNSET BLVD.), Close is so identified with the role it’s impossible to cast anyone else. She’s as identified with this musical as much as Streisand was with FUNNY GIRL.

[Plannietink08]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 10:35am

BrodyFosse123 said: "Until cameras begin rolling, I’m not holding my breath. Though Close is saying more details this time around, she has said things about this possible film adaptation for years.

Though she’s now about 20 years too old for the role (Norma is 50 in SUNSET BLVD.), Close is so identified with the role it’s impossible to cast anyone else. She’s as identified with this musical as much as Streisand was with FUNNY GIRL."

This. Everything you said I absolutely agree with. She is FAR too old for the role but on the same page I don’t want to see anyone else play the role on screen. Gloria Swanson and Glenn Close just ARE Norma Desmond. If having Close in the film is the only way to see that incredible staircase and hear that wonderful score on the silver screen then I’ll take it. 

[Pjayactor]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 10:43am

Yeah, but they will have to change that line Joe says about Norma being 50. However, I would not want to see anyone else in the role.

I LOVE the idea of JK Simmons as Max.

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 11:05am

qolbinau said: "Is this still a pipe dream or is there a production company and director attached?"

There's been no official announcement. I bet it depends largely on the reception to CATS: if CATS is big, it could give ALW some "skin" to get his next project financed and attached to a studio. If Close wins the Oscar this year, that could also elevate the film. Probably also depends on who they get for Joe (& Max).

Re: her age, I don't think it's that big a deal. She's 71, but she doesn't look it. 50 in the 1950s meant something entirely different than 50 today. Her being a little older actually raises the stakes of her "comeback." May-December relationships are different and more common now, too. A guy who's ~35 won't look out-of-place (someone like Gyllenhaal, Robert Pattinson, Gordon-Levitt, John Legend, Chris Pine, or Zac Efron). Jackman, however, is way too old.

And I stand by my J.K. Simmons as Max suggestion. Cranston, Lithgow, Langella, Ben Kingsley, Patinkin, or Patrick Stewart could also do it.

[Tag]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 11:21am

Close's win last night probably makes this more probable.

[binau]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 11:41am

The situation reminds me a lot of Chita who used to say all the time for years and years that "The Visit" was coming next season, next season, next season. It never happened and it all seemed like a little sad pipe dream...but then it happened. Dreams do come true. I hope it happens.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 11:42am

Tag said: "Close's win last night probably makes this more probable."

Though her fabulous speech is newsworthy, she only won a Golden Globe.  Winning the Oscar would definitely kickstart SUNSET BLVD.  Not a Golden Globe win.  

[jo]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 12:06pm

Are the film rights to Sunset Boulevard not owned by Paramount Studios?  They own the rights to the original Billy Wilder film noir classic. I remember ALWebber saying in the past that they needed to secure the agreement of Paramount to get the film adaptation going.

Paramount is now headed by Jim Gianopulos, former Fox CEO who co-approved the greenlight for The Greatest Showman. So, maybe given the success of Greatest Showman and other recent musicals, he would be more supportive of the genre, even if in the past it was considered on the risky side.  Will Paramount have the final say in the major casting, if they produce and distribute the movie musical? Just as Universal (with whom Working Title had a work deal) approved the final casting of Les Miserables.

Re the casting -- If Glenn who is 71 is cast, having a male lead in their early 30's might be too weird an age gap for there to be some credibility. Joe Gillis was not a young male ingenue blinded by the glamour of a faded movie star. He was a down-and-out screenwriter who knew his way around Hollywood and formed the liaison with Norma with his eyes wide open.  William Holden ( who actually got first billing over Gloria Swanson in the original movie) was presumably in his late 20's/early 30's when he got the role opposite Gloria Swanson who was probably close to the age of fifty of Norma Desmond.  Joe was also a strong personality to give the relationship a little less one-sided. Maybe if they cast Glenn, keeping a 25-year-ish gap might give the pairing more credibility? Maybe actor/singers in their mid-40's?  Also, is Glenn Close still a major box office draw? Maybe they will need to cast someone who can add or even provide the major box office pull?

Also, if they follow the sung-through format ( the lyrics are very close to the actual dialogue of the Wilder movie), they will need to cast strong singing actors who can do the job!  

 

 

 

[Lot666]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 12:30pm

qolbinau said: "I mean, that creepyness is exactly what makes some of the show work so well. I cringe at many aspects of this musical, but watching Glenn Close desperately trying to molest this guy on stage was very uncormfortale to watch in a good way."

The "creepiness" written into the story results from an age disparity that is far less extreme than Glenn Close putting the moves on Darren Chris. I think the audience accepting the notion that "Norma could be Joe's mother" is rather a different story from "Norma could be Joe's grandmother".

Someone mentioned Jake Gyllenhaal. Given Ms. Close's actual age at this point, I think he would be perfect.

 

Updated On: 1/7/19 at 12:30 PM

[binau]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 12:37pm

Yes I take your point. Also, I must say that on stage even last year I thought Glenn Close did read about 50. I realise that when she is ready for her filmed "closeup" the years won't be so kind.

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 1:11pm

If Gary Oldman can look like Winston Churchill with VFX/makeup and win an Oscar for it, Glenn Close can EASILY pass as 55-60 with a little makeup and subtle "smoothing."

The screenwriter of the film will be able to address certain aspects of the relationship and ages. It's obviously not going to be a rehash of the musical (or the original Billy Wilder film) on screen. Take A STAR IS BORN for example: before it came out, people were like "it's so weird Sam Elliott is playing Bradley Cooper's brother, also why does Cooper sound like that?" Flash forward: the movie comes out, they address those things in a few lines, and everyone bought it.

[henrikegerman]

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

Leaving aside any reservations about an older Norma that we might or might not have, we start with a foundation of Glenn Close as Norma.

With that in mind, might not a more mature Joe than usual make sense?

My choices would be Patrick Wilson as Joe, Emmy Rossum as Betty and Paul Sorvino as Max.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 2:00pm

I wonder who would direct. Please let it not be Tom Hooper.
I wouldnt mind Patrick Wilson or Jake Gyllenhall as Joe

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 2:08pm

I think it sort of helps that Glenn Close sort of looks the same in the past 20 or so years albeit those close-ups will show it all.

[greensgreens]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 2:15pm

What about Bob Gunton, the original American Peron? Wasn't he a lead in a pretty popular TV show not that long ago? And that's probably the right vocal range for Max.

We can safely say it will be a "mostly Broadway" person but one that has some screen visibility. I don't think the role is in his current vocal range, but Victor Garber would certainly be viable. Max needs to deliver those big high notes, so it would be difficult to cast someone with a "passable voice" (even by Russel Crowe standards), so the obvious choices like Anthony Hopkins aren't going to work (but wouldn't he be DELICIOUS???). Michael Cerveris would be amazing, but could we really believe that him and Glenn are contemporaries? I've always felt Max works best when he's older than Norma as it adds an extra layer of a kind of father/daughter relationship (in addition to the clear romantic/obsession that there is) that may have developed.

LOVE the idea of Beanie and she'd fit Betty without being the traditional ingenue which would add a really nice layer of subtext to the whole thing. But, my guess is they will go with a pop star, as that's probably the only role (certainly principal) that could be stunt cast.

However, I'd love to talk about who we're thinking for Sheldrake/Artie/Cecil. Anthony Hopkins would be an amazing Cecil. I highly doubt he'd do it, but John Goodman could really shine as Sheldrake, don't you think?

[pmensky]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 2:41pm

If he can sing, I think Armie Hammer would make a great Joe.

[Lot666]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 2:51pm

pmensky said: "If he can sing, I think Armie Hammer would make a great Joe."

Never would've thought of that because I've never seen any indication that he can sing, but he would otherwise be a great choice for Joe!

[AADA81]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 2:56pm

I agree Jake Gyllenhaal would be perfect for Joe.  He can act AND sing and he's about 38 now so the age range is good.  Still, I've never cared for SB as a musical and won't expect much if the movie gets made.