Producers Film to Feature Two New Brooks Songs

By: Aug. 12, 2005
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According to Premiere Magazine, the highly-anticipated film version of The Producers will feature two songs fresh from the pen of Mel Brooks, despite previous reports that the original score would be unenhanced.

The Producers: The Movie Musical, which will be released by Universal Pictures on December 23rd, will star the original dynamic duo of Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick as the title characters, Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom (the new songs are supposedly written for them to sing). Based on the classic 1968 comedy-with music, The Producers finds Leo and Max in search of the show that most has "flop" written all over on it (they choose Springtime for Hitler, of course). Once the show bombs, they can pocket the money to Rio, but they don't pause to wonder...what if the flop is a hit?

Joining Lane and Broderick in the film, which will also feature original stars Gary Beach as director Roger De Bris and Roger Bart as his slinky assistant Carmen Ghia, will be Uma Thurman as Swedish sexpot Ulla and Will Ferrell as Nazi playwright Franz Liebkind. Debra Monk and Andrea Martin will play two Little Old Lady Investors, and John Barrowman, Brad Oscar (currently playing Max on Broadway) and Jon Lovitz also have small roles in the film.

As with the Broadway musical, The Producers: The Movie Musical will feature a score by Brooks and a book by Brooks and Thomas Meehan It will also be directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman once again; she is making her feature film debut. All won Tonys for the show, which swept the Tony Awards in 2001 and won 12 awards, including Best Musical. Currently starring Oscar as Max and Hunter Foster as Leo, The Producers has so far chalked up a run of almost 1800 performances. It opened at the St. James Theatre (246 W. 44th St.) on April 19th, 2001. The Producers also features costumes by William Ivey Long, sets by Robin Wagner, and lighting by Peter Kaczorowski, as well as musical direction by Patrick S. Brady and orchestrations by Douglas Besterman.

Estimated at a $45 million budget, The Producers: The Movie Musical began shooting in February.

 

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