Sweeney Todd Movie- Page 2

[ruthiefan_felix]

Posted: 6/7/06 at 3:30pm

I am sure Johnny could somehow sing it out. I mean... even Jason Donovan managed to sound alright in the UK Tour of the show, I am sure Johnny could cover up much of his singing with his acting!
I don't really wanna see him sa Sweeney though. I am someone more angry and scary, Russell Crowe to me is a great idea!
And I think Burton wud do a great job! I love his films, I think the film might look like Sleepy Hollow and I am not bothered.
I betcha if he's director, his wife wud either be Mrs. Lovett or the Beggar Woman.. I hope the Beggar Woman!

[sicetergo]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 3:28am

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Sweeney Todd has been put into fastrack production with Tim Burton at the helm...

"Burton goes from Ripley to 'Sweeney'

Paramount Pictures chairman Brad Grey has exchanged one big-budget Tim Burton project for another: He has sent "Believe It or Not" back into development while Stacey Snider, CEO and co-chairman of Paramount's DreamWorks, is putting "Sweeney Todd" on the fast track with Burton at the helm. DreamWorks will now need to assemble and cast that movie, which is a project adapted by John Logan ("The Aviator") from the Stephen Sondheim Broadway musical. Burton already is talking with Johnny Depp for the lead role as the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Paramount sources said. Burton and producers Richard Zanuck, Sean Daniel and Jim Jacks had been fighting the battle of the budget bulge on "Believe," starring Jim Carrey. But Grey refused to give the project a green light until the ambitious production, based on the adventurer Ripley, fell into the $150 million range, co-president of production Brad Weston confirmed."

Well, we'll have to wait and see.

[zzannahk]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 5:45am

didn't johnny sing for crybaby? lol

[Fan2]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 6:52am

Variatoins on all the movie websites today:

http://www.moviehole.net/news/20060613_burton_swaps_believe_for_sween.html

Burton swaps Believe for Sweeney
Posted by Clint Morris on June 13, 2006

The Tim Burton/Jim Carrey “Believe it or Not” project, the biopic about Robert LeRoy Ripley – the anthropologist and cartoonist who created the world famous Ripley's Believe It or Not! series, has been shelved in the interim, says The Hollywood Reporter.

The film wasn’t going to get the greenlight until the film fell within the $150 million dollar range, and unfortunately, that just didn’t happen – Carrey insisted on his own seal exhibit outside his trailer, or something, it seems.

Instead, Dreamworks have given director Burton another project to work on, “Sweeney Todd”, based on the Stephen Sondheim Broadway musical, and written by John Logan.

Not unexpectedly, Burton’s current go-to man Johnny Depp is first choice for the role of Demon Barber of Fleet Street, for the film.

No word on when “Believe” might get back up again.

[renthead92]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 8:20am

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=14967

Another variation from comingsoon.net

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 8:23am

Mind you the information is posted by people like us. But the links above provide justification that it's possible.

Personally, I'm praying for a televised version of the current production with the original cast. Now that'd be GREAT tv.

[MOXIEINTHECITY]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 9:20am

Given Burton's love of the macabre...wouldn't Cerveris make a perfect Sweeney in the film? The destroyed Phantom in the movies by casting an actor with only a passable voice. Unless Depp has Cerveris's pipes, I'd rather see this cast with actors with real vocal talent.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 9:28am

Having read that John Logan screenplay, I can tell you that the "feel" of the film is more intimate and less overtly "operatic" -- whoever plays SWEENEY, be he Depp or somebody else, isn't going to have to sing the role like George Hearn or even Michael Cerveris, and a lot of the more over the top musical sequences like "Epiphany" have largely been turned into dialogue.

Which makes sense. You can't have people singing that stuff like they are at the Met, in a realistic movie where there are actually ceilings and floors and a tiny cramped barbershop - it would be absurd.

And of course - look for Helena Bonham Carter to appear in this movie, if not as Lovett, as the Beggar Woman.
Updated On: 6/13/06 at 09:28 AM

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 9:30am

For sure Depp wil act the hell out of the role. I have no idea if he can sing or not. If they ast him, he must be able to... course I said that with Butler in PHANTOM before...

[Enjolras77]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 9:59am

Casting aside, I am excited at the idea of having Tim Burton directing. Regardless of who is playing Sweeney, the visuals will be stunning and it will definitely have the appropriate macabre feel.

Now I am just crossing my fingers that Depp's voice is at least serviceable. I am sure that he will act the role exceptionally.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 10:04am

"Helena Bonham Carter "

may I ask who this person is?

[CK2]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 10:04am

Helena Bonham Carter as the Beggar Woman... I can totally imagine that.

[Patronus]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 10:06am

And of course - look for Helena Bonham Carter to appear in this movie, if not as Lovett, as the Beggar Woman.

It depends on how "fast-tracked" this is really going to be.

Helena Bonham Carter is currently shooting "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix".

Bellatrix is a smaller role, but apparently it's a very weird shooing schedule.

I could see her as the Beggar Woman though.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 10:07am

You may ask, but you may also go to Imdb.com...

Fast track in Hollywood would mean a shooting date of maybe January. They would still have to do pre-production; it's not like they would start filming this thing in October... Updated On: 6/13/06 at 10:07 AM

[best12bars]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 10:10am

Helena would be great as the Beggar Woman.

But I still don't like the idea of casting an actress too recognizable in that part. It telegraphs the surprise twist to the audience otherwise. They'll already be watching the character too closely, assuming "there's more to her than meets the eye."

[opiv]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 10:11am

Hmm, I'm not a big fan of Johnny Depp but I think he'll bring justice to the role. And hopefully he can sing.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 10:12am

Well, true, but most of the audience would probably say - "Oh, its a Tim Burton film, so there's Helena Bonham Carter making a cameo..."

[best12bars]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 10:17am

Or they could just add so much caulking and spackle to her makeup (as they have done before) that she becomes virtually unrecognizable. Or how 'bout another set of Austin Powers teeth?

I'll also admit that to the average movie audience, they really don't know who she is. Critical kudos and a Best Actress nomination, be damned.

"Oh, yeah, she's that chick from "Fight Club," is as close as many of them come.

Updated On: 6/13/06 at 10:17 AM

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 11:02am

I don't know why, but I am so opposed to this movie's being made. I do not think it's a good idea at all, unless there are "legitimate" singers in it, which won't happen because who would want to see a "nobody" and pay money for it?

[xM3L24x]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 11:07am

I'm not opposed to a movie being made..but I don't think Tim Burton is the right director for it. All of his movies have the same sort of look to them. I think if they do it right, it could be really great.

[best12bars]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 11:09am

It will probably end up as another dark fairytale in Burtonland.

...rather than a truly terrifying film version of Sondheim's masterpiece. And that's too bad.

If you watch early interviews with Sondheim discussing Sweeney, he decided to write the show in the first place to see if he could really scare an audience with a musical.

Burton's films are often creepy, off-putting, fascinating and quirky... but I don't think he's got it in him to do full-on SCARY.

We'll probably end up with something like "The Nightmare Before Fleet Street."

This film belongs in the hands of someone familiar with the horror film genre... and musicals...

...like Bill Condon, who's done both.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 11:16am

Johnny Depp CAN sing. He did the rock band thing in the early/mid-90's. And since it's film, the issue is pretty much whether or not he can carry a tune, to be blunt -- rather than how powerful his voice is, and if he can handle as much singing as a real theater singer can. Look what they did to Rosario Dawson; she's not a great singer, but she sounded pretty damned good in the movie, and as much as people went on about her being a bad singer live, when you watched the movie, it just didn't matter -- what you get on screen is really all that does.

I'm not thrilled with Burton, though. His style isn't right for this; it won't have creepy skeleton puppets.

Updated On: 6/13/06 at 11:16 AM

[Mandi Moo]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 11:24am

Sigh.

[freeadmission]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 11:34am

I'm not worried about Burton directing. As long the story remains in tact, the movie is a sucess in my book. Just look at the radically different Broadway takes on it already. Give the man a chance.

I'm hoping they steal Lauren Molina for Johanna, unless they get an equally good newcomer. She's the only Johanna I've heard without that annoying timbre to her voice like Betsy Joslyn. Blech. And I'm hoping for a relative newcomer for Mrs. Lovett. I'd like to see another take on her for a new production.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 11:46am

"...rather than a truly terrifying film version of Sondheim's masterpiece. And that's too bad."
Since when has this musical been actually scary? I've seen three productions of it and not one of it was the least bit frightening. Intriguing and dark, yes, not frightening, and definitely not terrifying.