Sweeney Todd movie - casting ideas!

[MATheaterLover]

Posted: 10/13/04 at 1:18pm

While I was peaking around IMDB.com, I started to think about Sam Mendes' current project - the film version of Sondheim's classic "Sweeney Todd." Anybody have any inspired casting ideas? I know she's young for the role, but I was thinking about (Mendes' wife) Kate Winslet's inspired performance in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" from earlier in the year, and I thought - she could do Mrs. Lovett justice on film. Who knows about any sort of a singing voice she has, but Angela Lansbury's glorious original take on the character didn't employ the most pleasant of vocal characterizations, even if it made for one of the most comical and conniving characters in theatrical history.

So anyone else have any other ideas? Maybe Glenn Close would be a more age appropriate Lovett - she definitely has the manic energy and screen presence for the role.

How about Sweeney's? Johanna's? etc etc.

How about Russell Crowe for Sweeney?

Posted: 10/13/04 at 1:21pm

Christine Baranski as Lovett and Kevin Kline as Sweeney.

[touchmeinthemorning]

Posted: 10/13/04 at 1:22pm

unknowns to the rest of the world...i'd say christine would work for lovett...but, i think there is probably a better choice.

i'd make sure audra was in it...maybe as the beggar woman?

[MATheaterLover]

Posted: 10/13/04 at 1:23pm

I think Baranski would be great too - on stage. I don't think she's got enough of a name or presence on screen to make this film a hit - I think it could be a huge artistic and commercial success given the right casting. And coming from the director of American Beauty, this is a project that could certainly succeed in both realms.

Giving Kevin Kline the role might really give his career a huge new boost. nice call.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 10/13/04 at 1:27pm

Kelsey Grammar did a fantastic Sweeney. I think he might be a big enough name now to get it.

[Broadway Matt]

Posted: 10/13/04 at 1:32pm

wow, I didn't care for Kelsey in the Reprise production. how about antonio? he never did get to play the Phantom like he was led to believe several years ago.

[MATheaterLover]

Posted: 10/13/04 at 1:36pm

"Sweeney" depends so much on the language, and his diction is certainly not Antonio's strongest suit.

Kelsey's a small-screen guy - "Frasier" won't mean much at the box office.

Jack Nicholson could've been great years ago.

Posted: 10/13/04 at 1:40pm

This may be completely out in left field, but what about Christine Lahti for Lovett?

[bially082]

Posted: 10/13/04 at 1:41pm

jack nicholson could still pull it off

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 10/13/04 at 1:44pm

Kline and Streep!

Posted: 10/13/04 at 1:45pm

Sueleen - I really like that idea

[Matt_G]

Posted: 10/13/04 at 1:46pm

I would love to see Streep do a musical and it definately couldn't hurt Kline's career!

[MATheaterLover]

Posted: 10/13/04 at 1:47pm

Streep would be terrific


You know, now that I think about it, maybe Winslet could pull off Johanna... with blonde hair... she'd definitely be a more dynamic Johanna than many of us are used to.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 10/13/04 at 1:48pm

I would still like to see a full scale Broadway revival before the film.

Posted: 10/13/04 at 1:50pm

So let Streep and Kline do it in NYC first, as a warm-up.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 10/13/04 at 1:50pm

That would be heaven, but unfortunately it would never happen.

[MATheaterLover]

Posted: 10/13/04 at 1:51pm

A broadway revival would be amazing of course - but they've already got the rights for the film which is in pre-production, and let's face it, even if they got HUGE hollywood stars to come in and screw it up nightly in NYC, they wouldn't make nearly as much money as giving those performers the chance to spruce up their act on film.

Tom Wilkinson for the Beadle!!

[Matt_G]

Posted: 10/13/04 at 1:52pm

I hope that they give Lansbury at least a cameo in the film. She deserves some recognition in there.

Posted: 10/13/04 at 1:53pm

Geoffrey Rush for the Judge.

[MATheaterLover]

Posted: 10/13/04 at 2:34pm

Sweeney Todd - Jack Nicholson
Mrs. Lovett - Meryl Streep
Beggar Woman - Patricia Clarkson (she could even do Lovett!)
Johanna - Kirsten Dunst (let's face it - we can't get a TRAINED singer for the role - its hollywood)
Anthony - Jude Law
Judge Turpin - Geoffrey Rush/Tom Wilkinson
Beadle - Tom Wilkinson/Geoffrey Rush
Tobias - Jamie Bell (the original Billy Elliot)

[Matt_G]

Posted: 10/13/04 at 2:37pm

Kirsten Dunst has a very pretty singing voice, actually. I don't know if she's got what it takes for that role, but you could do a lot worse.

[Oscar Jaffee]

Posted: 10/13/04 at 2:44pm

Jack Nicholson is one of my all-time favorites, but he can't sing — and "big" singing is essential to Sweeney. Dubbing his voice would ruin the film.

Remember, big-name stars aren't necessarily needed to make the film a good one. Anyone remember a film called "Chicago," which didn't have big-name stars?

[MATheaterLover]

Posted: 10/13/04 at 2:48pm

Um... I'd definitely consider the stars of Chicago "big-named." Renee Zellwegger already had one Golden Globe win (Nurse Betty) and an Oscar nod (Bridget Jones), Queen Latifah was one of the biggest names in hip hop (especially for a female), John C. Reilly was an art-house favorite, Richard Gere has been a Hollywood headliner for over 20 years, and Catherine Zeta Jones had already received good notices and some critic's awards for a little Oscar-loved movie, "Traffic," as well as a high profile life as wife of Oscar winner Michael Douglas and starring roles in Hollywood projects like "Entrapment" and "Zorro". This movie DEFINITELY rode on the coattails of its big-named stars.

I'd agree though with your comment about Nicholson's vocal abilities and the importance of having the actors using their own vocals, a la Chicago. I think it was one of the strongest aspects of that film, and one of the weaker aspects in other movie musicals.

[Oscar Jaffee]

Posted: 10/13/04 at 2:54pm

As great an actress as Renee Zellwegger is, you could hardly consider her a household name before "Chicago."

[Matt_G]

Posted: 10/13/04 at 2:57pm

Actually, she was a household name by that point having stared in the following films -

White Oleander
Bridget Jones's Diary
Me, Myself & Irene
Nurse Betty
Bachelor, The
One True Thing
Jerry Maguire