Dreamgirls Film Begins Shooting in Jan. '06 for Dec. Release

By: Oct. 12, 2005
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The upcoming film adaptation of Dreamgirls will begin shooting in January 2006, and will play more than "one night only" in theatres across the country beginning December 2006.

In addition, DreamWorks, the studio to which Dreamgirls was previously attached, will now share production and distribution duties with Paramount Pictures, according to Variety. The two studios will co-finance the film, and will split up the distribution; DreamWorks will distribute the movie musical in North America and Paramount will do the same overseas.

Dreamgirls concerns the rise and fall of a Motown girl group called the Dreams. Pressured by the music industry to whitewash their sound and look, they drop the heavyset and soulful-voiced Effie Melody White for the marketable Deena Jones. It is the more talented Effie, however, who has the last laugh.

While Effie, the show's towering central role, has not yet been cast, a number of actors have been assigned roles. Eddie Murphy will play soul superstar James "Thunder" Early, for whom the Dreams sing backup early in the show. Murphy joins pop superstar Beyoncé Knowles as the glamorous Deena (said to be based on Diana Ross), and Academy Award-winner Jamie Foxx as Dreams manager Curtis Taylor Jr. The role of Lorrell Robinson, the third Dream, will be filled by Caroline, or Change's Tony Award-winning Anika Noni Rose (according to IMDB), though no official casting announcement has been made.

Dreamgirls will be directed by Bill Condon, the Academy Award-winner who received an Oscar nomination for his screenplay for the film version of Chicago. He will also adapt the screenplay from Tom Eyen's book (Eyen also wrote the lyrics to Henry Kreiger's music).

Dreamgirls opened at the Imperial Theatre on December 20th, 1981. A smash hit, it ran for 1521 performances and won 8 of it 15 Tony nominations. The show featured a score by Henry Krieger and Tow Ewen, a book by Ewen, scenic design by Robin Wagner, costume design by Theoni V. Aldredge and lighting design by Tharon Musser. Dazzlingly staged by Michael Bennett, the show nonetheless lost the Best Musical Tony to Nine. Jennifer Holliday, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Loretta Devine were the three "Dreams" of the title, and Cleavant Derricks, Ben Harney and Obba Babatunde led a strong supporting cast. Dreamgirls was revived in 1987 with Lillias White, Alisa Gyse and Arnetia Walker. Heather Headley, Audra McDonald and White headlined the 2001 Actor's Benefit concert.




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