What will come of the SWEENEY TODD movie? — Page 3

I was part of IMDBpro for a while and it said that Toni Collette is in negotiations for Mrs.Lovette! I personally think she`s to young but who knows?

---

Sam Mendes was a driving force behind the show so when he left this project got way off track. Tim Burton did consider it ( infact he has long wanted to do a film version of Sweeney Todd, having attempted to get a version going back in 1994 but then dropped it for Ed Wood). However, Tim just had his first baby with Helena and will likely be taking a year off to rest and refocus. After that, chances are much better for Burton to pick up 'Believe It or Not', and even that is iffy at best. Without a big name director to drive this production anymore, odds are very strong this movie will not be made.

---

Come to think of it, Collette would be perfect...

Toni Collette is AMAZING.

---

I think there is a lot of wiggle room here when it comes to age. For example, how old do you think a man living at that time with a 16 or 17 year old daughter would really be? I think a Sweeney in his late 30s or early 40s is perfectly plausible. And a 40 year old woman living at that time in those conditions may have indeed seemed like an old hag when compared to a modern 40 year old woman.

The real Sweeney and Lovett were younger at the time of the murders, and the casting of the incredible Lansbury has fogged our heads regarding this a bit.

Joanna Lumley played opposite Ben Kinsley in the Showtime adaption.

I think Colette could do it, tho still hoping for Streep.

By the time this thing gets made, Dakota Fanning will play Lovett!

---

This is actually my first post on here (after stalking the boards for months now), but I really love the new Sweeney revival so thought I'd toss my 2 cents in concerning all this: as most of you have already said, I also think that Sam Mendes would have been the perfect director for this project but since he has dropped out I would have to say that maybe Josh Whedon of "Buffy the Vampire" fame could work wonders with this type of material (and he's also worked within the "musical" genre to great success in the episode "Once More With Feeling" on the Buffy series).

As for casting, I'm voting for Toni Collette as well. She is an amazing actress (both comedic and dark, of which Mrs. Lovett is a great mix) and she's got a excellent voice. Personally, I love the fact that Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney Todd are younger and sexy in the revival.

And if he could tone down that "sunny" smile of his and tap into his darker side, I would think that Hugh Jackman might make a very good Sweeney (definitely sexy as hell!!). I think that Sweeney should be sexy and charismatic to draw Mrs. Lovett into his world, and vice versa, since she's just as demonic as he is.

As for the "presentation" of the story itself, I'm thinking if Toby is telling the story from the asylum then it could all be in his head (which would make the fact that they sing a bit more understandable since he's obviously cracked). I picture him in the asylum creating a sort of macbre puppet show (I don't know about you guys but nothing creeps me out more than puppets dangling and dancing on strings) of all the characters that he can manipulate and then the camera sweeps down onto his fictious stage and the characters come to life in his head. I'm not a director but that would help me "accept" the idea of the people singing. THAT'S what made Chicago work so well: the fact that all the musical numbers were Roxie's fantasies and not presented as "real" life like they did with "Rent".

Okay, I think I'm up to at least 17 cents now. LOL.

Joan Cusack would be deliciousssssss

I love her and she has such range in her characters. Has she ever done British before? Just curious so I could guage what she would sound like as Lovett. Toni is wonderful as well. All three (Streep, Collette, and Joan) would be fabulous candidateds

I like the idea of a younger more sexy Lovett as well as Sweeney. Hugh would be interesting, but it would take a lot of darkening and toning down on his part.

I think the slant of being told in the asylum is a very key point for transitioning into musical numbers Jeff and the puppets idea would both scare the crap out of me as well as draw me in.

If only the producers of such films read our boards.

Here's your cast-

Sweeney- Ron Perlman
Lovett- Tracey Ullman
Judge- Albert Finney
Beadle- Brent Spiner
Joanna- Anne Hathaway
Anthony- Neil Patrick Harris
Tobias- Mackenzie Crook
Beggar Woman- Joanna Gleason
Pirelli- Kevin Kline

CAMEOS!
Len Cariou as Jonas Fogg
Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Mooney
George Hearn as "One of them foreigners"
Michael Cerveris as "that chap with hair like Shelley's"

Sweeney: Tom Hanks/Russell Crowe (if they can sing) but plz no Johnny as much as I love him!

Mrs. Lovett: Meryl Streep/Imelda Staunton
Judge: CHristoper Lee
Joanna: the girl who played Christine in that POTO film whose name I forgot
Anthony: Adam Brody (cuz the UK Tour Anthony looks exactly like him :P)

the others I can't think and wud love to see them played by theatre performers!

---