The Phantom sequel sounds like such a joke...

Yeah, I'm thinking it will be pretty craptacular.

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My thought is: "Why mess with a masterpiece?"

To echo Erik's own words to Christine: "WHY?! WHY?!"

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from what I heard, the sequel will NOT be the book. I heard that fell through, they started writing it a while ago, but then ALW broke off and just started writing music for a sequel no one knows about

My Mom and I had a huge laugh imagining the Phantom's plane ride to NYC.

We saw him going through security, with some irate security guard named "Christine" who was trying to get him to remove the mask and he just kept saying "Christine...why? WHY?"

Then we saw him going down the elevator to baggage claim in Newark airport singing the "Down once more to the dungeon of my black despair! Down we plunge to the prison of my mind!" part

then we thought of him trying to get a cab to Coney Island, accidently hailing one of those tourist horse and buggy rides.

LOL i feel like ALW won't even cover how the Phantom GOT to NY. I think the new sequel will just...begin there

"One of the reported titles of the new project was Phantom in Manhattan. Frederick Forsyth, who wrote a novel called "The Phantom of Manhattan," was reportedly working with Lloyd Webber on the sequel in its early stages, but that is no longer the case."

And Eris, I have to disagree with you. The book is pretty awful.

And from the quote above, it says "it's no longer the case. Forsyth, HIMSELF, pulled out of the project. He was the intended book writer (& "Additional lyrics by...").

It is based-off and titled "The Phantom of Manhattan". Lloyd Webber is doing this that way because as he said "should Phantom of the Opera ever close, or if one had not seen POTO, you could still follow the story line.

**Possible spoilers??**
And from what I've read of the book (gave up!), it's basically about the Phantom getting rich, having a sidekick, a theatre-building competition, which then turns to a singing competition (that the Phantom wants Christine to sing in). She has a child, and Raoul I believe is her husband. And Christine goes to Coney Island because she wants to go to a windup store thing and it's the only one in the area...to find the Masquerade monkey. Then the Phantom gets back with the mirrors in some fun-house with her and spooks her, and I think that's it.
**END SPOILERS SORT OF*

The characters that seem to be BIG in the book are The Phantom, Christine, Meg (who I think has been traveling with Christine), and Madame Giry, and another opera star I believe (not Carlotta I think).

I don't think it'll be to successful anyway...I can't seem to get the main plot. But Forsyth did write the book "in part with ALW" for a future musical (10 years ago they probably didn't think Phantom would be running!). The only thing this book has in common to my minimal knowledge of it are the characters & the masquerade monkey I know plays a huge part!

it'd just be a waste of braincells. I'd rather ALW put his musical efforts into a NEW musical.

i feel like i might listen to the album recording of the sequel because I love Webber's music, but I could only listen to it if I completely seperated it from 'Phantom' and never knew the plot

I was mad enough at "Learn to be Lonely" being tacked on.

"I was mad enough at "Learn to be Lonely" being tacked on."

The songs not actually so bad, not great either...but it was only played at the end credits of the movie anyway so why would it matter. They only did it so that Minnie Driver would be happy (probably) and of course to try to win another award.

And the original plans were to debut it in NYC, but I do believe those were trashed last summer. Also, original plans had hopes to DEBUT it before a Broadway transfer at the Met. Opera house, but I think those were trashed before Woman in White debuted in London actually, probably because it's way too big (1) & I'm sure he realized he would never get it. Oh well, looks like London first again.

i HATED the message of Learn to be Lonely. I felt like it kinda killed the ending of the story.

Christine ends up that she wasn't afraid of his face but found the Phantom's true character to be the scary part. I thought just returning the ring without a word and leaving with Raul was an acceptable ending. Then all the sudden, this SONG that seems to be a kind of random message to the phantom, when at the end, he wasn't intended to get a message at all

i know it didn't mess up anything for most people but it bothered me for some reason.

It's not the greatest book ever written but I enjoyed it. Some people don't like the letter/journal form or the fact that the book is told by all different viewpoints. Meg's, Mme Giry, etc. But it's not the worst thing ever written.

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"I am curious to know if they will try to do something big in terms of the scenery - like the chandlier and staircase in the 1st one. If so, I wonder what it is."
It's going to be a giant mechanical evil clown face, which will serve as the entrance to Erik's Fun House.

"When i hear the plot, I get a horrible image of the phantom going through airport security and flying to Newark airport"


argh now that's an image burned into my retina forever. And seriously the coney island bit? CRASH AND BURN phantom2.

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Well if it is any consulation, I properly will not blow as much steamy chunks as the epilogue to Harry Potter.