Sweeney Todd; Filmimg starts feb 5th- Page 3

[Gothampc]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 11:55am

"...he wanted to see if audiences could be genuinely SCARED by a musical."

I don't think that will translate to film.

I'm picturing the film version of Threepenny Opera from 1990.

Updated On: 8/17/06 at 11:55 AM

[Wildcard]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 11:58am

Best12Bars, you've read the original (Logan) script, right? If so, what did you generally think of it given what they've cut out or shortened? I'm actually glad they cut out my least favorite song in the show. Do you think this script will work in the style of Burton?

[AshleyBrownFan123]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 12:33pm

Why can't people film Into The Woods? Sweeny Todd might not do as good as Woods would!

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 12:49pm

re: Sondheim's desire to scare his audience.

"I don't think that will translate to film."

Gothampc --- I sure hope you're wrong about that. This is exactly where they will grab the wider crossover movie audiences. Without it, no matter how "good" the movie is to us Broadway folk, it will just be a curiosity to most people... at best.

Wildcard --- I haven't read the original (Logan) script myself. I've only talked with a few people who have. So I have no firsthand opinion of it.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 12:58pm

They were going to film INTO THE WOODS in the late 80s with Billy Crystal and Susan Sarandon rumoured to be in the cast. The concept was that the film would be made in collaboration with the Jim Henson creature shop (the part that made LABYRINTH, not the Muppets).

The proposed script was TERRIBLE. We can all be happy it wasn't made. I think perhaps someday, WOODS will make it to the big screen or at least as a television musical.

[Wildcard]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 1:03pm

I remember when Into The Woods was to be filmed. They had already begun construction on the sets when the plug was pulled. I think the second Giant was supposed to be male, if not the same Giant from Jack's story. Also, "Children Will Listen" was sung as we saw the survivors rebuilding their lives.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 1:05pm

"This is exactly where they will grab the wider crossover movie audiences. Without it, no matter how "good" the movie is to us Broadway folk, it will just be a curiosity to most people... at best."

But there are really only two ways to scare people with Sweeney.

They can go the blood squirting way, which for today's movie audience, is more gross than scary.

They can go the psychological way (ala Silence of the Lambs). I believe that the music will get in the way of this.

I don't think that mainstream audiences want to see a singing murderer.

[altoid06]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 9:25pm

But who would think that mainstream audiences will be so eager to see a movie called "Snakes On A Plane"?

Mainstream audiences aren't necessarily as shallow and dumb as we expect them to be. Something different, like Sweeney Todd, may be just what the modern audiences need. It's guaranteed to have quite a big audience draw with Tim Burton directing and Johnny Depp starring in it. Plus, the theatre supporters are automatically attracted to see it.

On another note, Broadway musicals and the composers are far from being household names. Sad to say, but people around where I live are just now hearing about Wicked. Stories like Sweeney Todd and composers like Sondheim may never be seen or heard any other way by the audiences that this movie has a potential to reach.

Overall, I think it should be a decent adaptation. I'm not sure about Johnny Depp, but I'll give him a chance.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 9:29pm

I think if it's done well, it'll be DAMNED SCARY on film. Theater can freak you out in ways that film can't, and vice versa, but film has much more at its disposal in terms of creating an environment of a foreign world.

[insomniak]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 9:30pm

Lots of intelligent moviegoers still haven't warmed up to musicals, altoid.

I hate that the film industry seems to think that only people in New York and LA are worthy of good 'thinking' movies. I wanted so badly to see The Great New Wonderful, but did that come to Ohio? Of course not. If the cultural powers that be want Middle America to stop being so bland, they ought to learn how to share.

//rant.

I think Sweeney's niche will be Burton fans and people who have seen and liked Johnny Depp in movies besides Pirates. Whoever said that the Hot Topic clone set will latch onto it is probably correct.


ETA: (didn't see Emcee's post) That's the biggest problem with Burton. His enviroments are over-the-top. His characters are certainly more sincere, but if you take Sweeney out of his gritty enviroment, the whole serial killer thing just looks lame. Updated On: 8/17/06 at 09:30 PM

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 10:39pm

Though this is a long shot, if Cyndi Lauper or Toni Collette are involved, this movie will be my obsession until it comes out.

Even though I, too, dislike the score from the new Charlie and the Coco Factory, let's remember Elfman was musicalizing Dahl's own lyrics.

I think it would have been better if they had someone who could really sing and SELL the song.

But those lyrics and the music are no match for the original. You got to give them credit for not tryin to beat it.

Anyway, there are a lot of song that can be cut and the music can become incidental.

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 11:03pm

"I don't think that mainstream audiences want to see a singing murderer."

I agree... and therein lies the challenge!

I'll tell you one thing... they won't walk out saying they've seen it before.

I vote for the "Silence of the Lambs" approach to the horror genre... not the blood-spurting, gross-out approach.

Although the blood and gore is required (and expected) to a certain extent. I just hope it's not just a Stan Winston smorgasbord. They need to concentrate on the psychological terror of it, instead.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 11:11pm

Well, if they use Sweeney's songs only for inner personality, he'll be a very psycho murderer.

Really, Epiphany and Priest are the only songs he needs.

[fflagg]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 11:22pm

Excuse me but isn't CHICAGO filled with singing murderers and violence?

I think SWEENEY TODD could work on film but I do not think Tim Burton is talented enough and I do not think Depp is right. He is a fine actor but at the age of 40 still looks like he is 25.

I say Ralph Fiennes and Emma Thompson directed by Mike Nichols.

Or to go older, Bob Hoskins and Julie Walters.

Or to stay American, Jack Nicholson and Barbra Streisand. I think that would be marvelous.

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 8/18/06 at 12:32am

I am really looking forward to this movie, Sweeney is one of my favorite musicals of all time, and i think it will be a great film. I am happy to see it changed for the screen, after Phantom and Evita, almost entirely sung through movies that nearly flopped in domestic theaters, I hope the lesson has been learned by all that that formula doesn't work well on screen. I can't wait.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 8/18/06 at 12:38am

"Excuse me but isn't CHICAGO filled with singing murderers and violence?"

Yes, but I think Sondheim intended the musical to really SCARE an audience. Chicago was not meant to scare.

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/18/06 at 4:18am

As good as it was, "Chicago" shows a bunch of sexy women in fantasy "get up" AFTER they've committed their various crimes. It's about as violent as a Pepsi commercial.

We're talking about watching a singing serial killer slitting throats, in action, on the screen.

No... we haven't seen the likes of that before.

[**Katie**]

Posted: 9/12/06 at 2:41pm

Thought the people on this site mite b interested to know that I have an audition for johanna on thursday! And by the way johnny depp can sing hes had voice tests!

[30/90 Playout]

Posted: 9/12/06 at 3:03pm

FYI, Carter is already deeply involved in another project at the time this will be filming, so unless she starts dropping stuff, it is safe to say that she will NOT be involved in this movie. Looking forward to future cast announcements. I just had a flash back to something Donna Lynne said to me a few weeks ago when I was talking with her. She said that she had something coming up (Lawnchair Man at NYMF), and then a project starting in the winter "sometime" but she couldn't talk about it, because casting had just began. Lord, I would love to see dlc in this movie. Maybe not as Pirelli as that was only done for the harmonies in the revival (although I do like an alto Pirelli much better than a male). A boy can hope!

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 9/12/06 at 3:24pm

I think part of the biggest problem when it comes to movie musicals lately is that producers and executives shoot themselves in the foot by releasing them around the holidays and presenting them in such a way that reinforces the idea that the movie is different or a special event for a certain contigent of people. Dragging out the release from the end of the year in certain cities to the begging of the next year for wide release is also a part of that. That's why I think releasing Hairspray in the summer is a good idea. Hopefully, the movie will be good enough that that sort of release date will become common for musicals.

Then there's also the advertising for musicals thats often so convoluted that people end up not even knowing what to think about the movie. I think if you just present the movie as what it is, and more importantly, as an interesting and entertaining movie, then most likely enough people will show up to make it a success. I think it's better to just try to get to a point where musicals are as close to being "just another movie" as possible.

There's also the fact that the most recent film musicals just haven't been very good and didn't really have many actors who were box office draws in them.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 9/12/06 at 3:26pm

What is all this uproar over "Hot Topic" speculation?

The fact that "Hot Topic" sold merchandise from NIGHTMARE, DONNIE DARKO, etc. ruined the movies? Well, you could have fooled me.

What a stupid thing to say.

I doubt that SWEENEY will make it's way to clothing stores across the country, but if it does, who cares? Does it tamper with your emotional connection to the material, whether it be the stage version or the film version? No. Does it change what already is? No. Please. How idiotic.

[TheaterJunkie]

Posted: 9/12/06 at 4:03pm

Have they annouced who is playing Mrs.Lovett? Anyone here anything about it?

[Paulyd]

Posted: 9/12/06 at 4:33pm

i think i've said this before on a Sweeney Todd post and i'll say it again. Many people quite understandably are annoyed at the director and actor choice, but i cant really seeing Dreamworks shelling out 70 million plus with unknowns in the cast. Look at the disastrous results of the movie versions of Rent & The Producers. Yes they may have kept us musical fans happy, but they suffered badly at the box office.

I love Sweeney Todd, and saw John Doyle's original production in London and loved it, but i think Tim Burton could surprise us all. As crazy as it seems many people who see the film will not have heard of Sondheim, and this could be a good intro.

In a way I feel the film will be very different to the stage show,and judging from more recent movie musical adaptations, that can only be a good thing.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 9/12/06 at 4:38pm

Success doesn't always have to do with casting movie stars.

If RENT and THE PRODUCERS had been directed by people who actually knew what they were doing, the movies would have been a lot better. RENT did not fail financially because of the casting - it failed because it was not a good film. If RENT was a brilliant film and still did horribly at the box office, then I guess you could say it was casting. But, that's not the case. It got mostly negative reviews - and negative reviews on top of a lukewarm interest to begin with doesn't make for much success.

[Paulyd]

Posted: 9/12/06 at 5:16pm

Munkustrap your point is valid, but you need to look at current public perception. Would a cinema audience today but into a movie version of Rent today. My gut feeling is probably no. That may seem harsh, but if it was more of a straight movie with very little music it may have faired better. Although you are right, Chris Columbus was a very bad choice for the movie. As for The Producers, the stage show is fantastic, but that had to contend with the far superior original movie version. A majority of people are always going to compare the two, and I'm not sure that with a better director it would have surpassed the original

Its frustrating because i really want to see more new movie musicals on the screen, but we need to change the attitudes of the general movie going public first.