Urinetown Movie ???

[thez914]

Urinetown Movie ???#0

Posted: 10/22/05 at 5:52pm

Just checking...i was reading a biography in a program and came across this:

THE ARACA GROUP (Producer). Matthew Rego, Michael Rego and Hank Unger are principals of The Araca Group, LLC, a theatrical and film Production Company formed in 1997. Currently they are represented on Broadway by Wicked. Recent Broadway includes: 'night, Mother; Eve Ensler's The Good Body, Urinetown The Musical, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune and Match; Off-Broadway: Debbie Does Dallas, The Vagina Monologues, The Laramie Project and David Auburn's Skyscraper; and the film 30 Days. Upcoming projects include the musical **FILM VERSIONS OF URINETOWN** and Debbie Does Dallas.

Anyone got any info? Thanks.

"Art is always in crisis: you must work fast to write in the breath on the window." -Edward Bond

[.LittleWing. 0224]

re: Urinetown Movie ???#1

Posted: 10/22/05 at 6:14pm

yes. currently this project is on hold after attempts to find a director because of other developement projects the araca group has got on their plate right now. :)

[millie_dillmount]

re: Urinetown Movie ???#2

Posted: 6/9/07 at 3:59pm

Bump!

What's happened with this?

"We like to snark around here. Sometimes we actually talk about theater...but we try not to let that get in our way." - dramamama611

[CapnHook]

re: Urinetown Movie ???#3

Posted: 6/9/07 at 5:07pm

The latest "official" word was this:

http://www.moviemusicals.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=53&Itemid=96

"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle

[Elphie3]

re: Urinetown Movie ???#4

Posted: 6/9/07 at 5:26pm

PLEASE keep Spencer Kayden!

I wonder how all the "Urinetown" legal issues might affect this?

I also hear the creative team is writing a sequal.

Madame Morrible: "So you take the chicken, now it must be a white chicken. The corpse can be any color. And that is the spell for lost luggage!" - The Yellow Brick Road Not Taken

[BDrischBDemented]

re: Urinetown Movie ???#5

Posted: 9/1/09 at 7:17pm

Not to bump this without any solid information, but filmtracker has had information updated on August 28th. I can't say for sure what has been added, but it currently lists Mark and Greg as adapting the screenplay, with Tommy O'Haver ("Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss") mentioned as director. Again, nothing more substantial, but it's kind of nice to know this is still being kicked around.

"Your lyrics lack subtlety! You can't just have your characters announce how they feel! That makes me feel angry!"

[Stage Door Sally]

re: Urinetown Movie ???#6

Posted: 9/2/09 at 7:39am

Two things:

PLEASE make Urinetown: The Musical a movie...

and PLEASE cast Jeff McCarthy as Officer Lockstock

[darquegk]

re: Urinetown Movie ???#7

Posted: 9/2/09 at 8:35am

Jeff would be great, but the trouble with Urinetown is that it's not a concept that "sells itself" on film, and so you'd need a very specific type of star power for this movie, especially in large roles. I'm not talking the "OMG WHO'S HOT TODAY" type that informs casting of some films (hello Hairspray). It's more along the lines of the Judd Apatow films, such as Walk Hard.

Walk Hard gave us maybe one A-list performer, and a few B-list performers, but EVERYONE in the movie was recognizable, whether from today or yesterday.

[Stage Door Sally]

re: Urinetown Movie ???#8

Posted: 9/2/09 at 10:00am

If you need to you can salt the show with movie celebs.... Put them in the line waiting to pee, a bunch of funny little cameos...

[PiraguaGuy2]

re: Urinetown Movie ???#9

Posted: 9/2/09 at 10:07am

I got your cast right here...his name is Paul Revere.

Neil Patrick Harris as Bobby Strong
Amy Adams as Hope Cladwell
Richard Gere as Cladwell B. Cladwell
Patti LuPone as Penelope Pennywise
Will Arnett as Officer Lockstock
Sarah Silverman as Little Sally
Ed Helms as Officer Barrell
Fred Armisen as Hot Blades Harry
Kristen Wiig as Becky Two-Shoes

Formerly SirNotAppearing - Joined 3/08

[givesmevoice]

re: Urinetown Movie ???#10

Posted: 9/2/09 at 10:31am

I think they should just cast Christopher Walken in every role.

When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain. -Kad

[CapnHook]

re: Urinetown Movie ???#11

Posted: 9/2/09 at 10:54am

The entire cast of SNL can have the ensemble roles...except Keenan Thompson, who cannot act to save his life.

Officer Lockstock: Kevin Kline
Officer Barrell: Danny DeVito
Caldwell B. Cladwell: Ian McKellan
Little Sally: Dakota Fanning
Bobby Strong: Jake Gyllenhaal
Hope Cladwell: Amy Adams
Miss Pennywise: Glenn Close
Hot Blades Harry: Robin Williams

"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle

[darquegk]

re: Urinetown Movie ???#12

Posted: 9/2/09 at 12:18pm

I think Will Ferell and Will Arnett would be a great Lockstock and Barrel team, but that's just me. I'd also like to see Steve Martin as Cladwell, and kudos to everyone who said NPH as Bobby.

Also, imagine how different the film would be. So much of the play is poking fun at the conventions of theater- I hope the creative team expands that to poke fun at the film world and "film musical" conventions. This could be quite similar in tone to the great "Reefer Madness" film if it does so.

[Soliantu]

re: Urinetown Movie ???#13

Posted: 9/2/09 at 2:34pm

I like the idea o Neil Patrick harris as Bobby

[Jordan Catalano]

re: Urinetown Movie ???#14

Posted: 9/2/09 at 2:41pm

I know she's the go-to girl and in everything but c'mon - Meryl as Pennywise would be great.

[Stage Door Sally]

re: Urinetown Movie ???#15

Posted: 9/2/09 at 3:18pm

I just love some of these casting ideas, especially Neil Patrick Harris as Bobby, Glenn Close as Miss Pennywise, and Richard Gere as Caldwell B. Cladwell.

Here are a few of mine:
Bobby Strong: NPH
Hope Cladwell: Scarlett Johansson
Caldwell B. Cladwell: John Travolta/Alec Baldwin
Little Sally: Abigail Breslin (Who will probably be 33 when the movie is made.)
Officer Lockstock: Jeff McCarthy! He's not just Broadway, he was also the voice of the "Hello My Baby" singing frog on the WB network.
Officer Barrel: Jack Black
Miss Pennywise: Glenn Close/Susan Boyle (Oh just give her a chance already)
Old Man Strong: Robin Williams
Villagers waiting in line to pee (great ensemble number):
Keith Richards, Tom Petty, Ozzy Osbourne, Courtney Love, Amy Winehouse (no make up or costuming necessary)

[iamchanging9]

re: Urinetown Movie ???#16

Posted: 9/2/09 at 6:26pm

piragua, sarah silverman would be EPIC as little sally.

...everyone was doing the mambo and drinking golden cadillacs...

[Kad]

re: Urinetown Movie ???#17

Posted: 9/2/09 at 8:18pm

I always thought Urinetown would make a good stop-motion movie, a sort of Rankin & Bass special-esque thing, with Lockstock filling the role of the celebrity narrator character (a la Burl Ives, Fred Astaire, Jimmy Durante, etc).

"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."

[Kad]

re: Urinetown Movie ???#18

Posted: 9/2/09 at 8:18pm

I always thought Urinetown would make a good stop-motion movie, a sort of Rankin & Bass special-esque thing, with Lockstock filling the role of the celebrity narrator character (a la Burl Ives, Fred Astaire, Jimmy Durante, etc).

"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."

[Jon]

re: Urinetown Movie ???#19

Posted: 9/2/09 at 9:00pm

I have no idea if he can sing, but doesn't Patrick Warburton have the perfect speaking voice and acting style for Lockstock?

That said, URINETOWN is an AWFUL idea for a movie.

[darquegk]

re: Urinetown Movie ???#20

Posted: 9/2/09 at 11:28pm

I'm not entirely sure it is. I mean, if you look at it just as a Brechtian parody of stage conventions and plots, it seems damned near unfilmable... until you look at the stage version of Reefer Madness, which is INFINITELY more stagebound in its structure and conventions- cardboard props, a narrator doubling as almost all the characters, a grown man playing a baby, etc.

[CapnHook]

re: Urinetown Movie ???#21

Posted: 9/3/09 at 12:52am

URINETOWN would most definitely work on film. You need to stop thinking about the stage PRODUCTION and think just the script. The DIRECTION and CHOREOGRAPHY is what makes you think it can't work on film, or at least that's the initial way I felt. But the bare bones script will translate brilliantly. You just need to adapt it to the new medium. The direction of the film should have, in my opinion, the spirit of the stage production but certainly adjust to alter for film.

"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle

[Stage Door Sally]

re: Urinetown Movie ???#22

Posted: 9/3/09 at 8:29am

Joss Whedon (Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog) could do this film justice.

[Jon]

re: Urinetown Movie ???#23

Posted: 9/3/09 at 10:48am

I think you'd have to abandon all the "inside musical theatre" jokes and references, and replace them with movie references.

[PiraguaGuy2]

re: Urinetown Movie ???#24

Posted: 9/3/09 at 10:58am

IDK why people are suggesting people like Abigail Breslin for Little Sally. The point is that she's NOT a little girl. That's what makes her character hilarious.

Formerly SirNotAppearing - Joined 3/08