Delayed movie musicals... or ones that never happened

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 2/17/12 at 8:19am

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-Flash-Ad-Deja-Vu-When-LES-MIS-Was-First-Gunning-for-Screen-20120216

I have a hard copy of this in my PLAYBILL and was looking at it just last night. Here we are 20 years later, anticipating it's opening.

It took about 15 years for the PHANTOM movie to emerge after talks of IT being released in the 90s.

Any other movie versions of mega-musicals that surfaced very late or never happened after much hype?

Updated On: 2/17/12 at 08:19 AM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 2/17/12 at 8:22am

Evita!

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 2/17/12 at 8:43am

Oh, the list is endless:

DREAMGIRLS
EVITA
INTO THE WOODS
IN THE HEIGHTS
SUNSET BLVD.
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
LES MISERABLES
SWEENEY TODD
CHICAGO

Again... this list is endless.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 2/17/12 at 8:46am

I have a copy of that ad in my first Miz playbill too though I swear mine doesn't say Alan Parker-or anyone.

Evita obviously. Hasn't there been talk of a Miss Saigon one for ages?
Chicago of course way back to the 70s with Goldie and liza, 80s with madonna, etc, etc

Into the Woods which got as far as a script, two all star readings, Jim Henson Productions creating the animals, etc, and then the studio changed execs and it disappeared. (I guess we mean stage adaptations, but around the same time Sondheim's original movie musical Singing Out Loud with script by William Goldman to be directed by Rob Reiner went in turnaround).

These never went nearly as far, but I believe there has been interest off and on in Company and Follies (didn't Arthur Laurents of all people say he created a brilliant treatment to make Company cinemactic but he didn't want to tell people in case they used it? Follies recently had those Aaron Sorkin scripting rumours recently with I think Condon rumoured). I also seem to think at one time Sam Mendes was rumoured to do Sweeney

I'm sure back in the 40s and 50s there were talks of many shows that were never adapted.

Cats went into pre production as an animated film from Amblimation--Spielberg's animation company before it was folded into Dreamworks. I believe some development into a similar Starlight Express happened too.

I suppose Sunset Blvd though I have no clue how far any of those projects got...

Another original musical but wasn't Lippa meant to have a Kristen Chenowith musical in development--it was on imdb for ages.

[vassey]

Posted: 2/17/12 at 8:49am

The original Phantom movie was due in around 1990 and had got as far as pre-production and set design IIRC.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 2/17/12 at 8:58am

SHE LOVES ME
PURLIE
SUNSET BOULEVARD
PROMISES, PROMISES
ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
RAISIN
CITY OF ANGELS

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 2/17/12 at 9:09am

Thank you for the intellegent and informative discussion and answers

I was not aware that they were planning a CITY OF ANGELS movie. I would LOVE to see that!

And I guess I was not really aware that the EVITA movie had been planned much before it happened.

Updated On: 2/17/12 at 09:09 AM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 2/17/12 at 9:14am

There have also been in the last decade a number of musical remakes for television that were announced but never happened:

THE WIZ
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF starring Victor Garber
PETER PAN
ANNIE GET YOUR GUN starring Reba

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 2/17/12 at 9:23am

don't know if one was planned Eponine. Apologies; may have misunderstood the question.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 2/17/12 at 9:30am

There definitely was a movie musical announced for CITY OF ANGELS -twice actually - I think the first was in the early 90s with Robert Zmeckis slated to direct and then again a couple of years ago with Barry Levinson attached.

PIPPIN and DAMN YANKEES were also announced a few years ago but don't appear to be moving forward anytime soon.

Craig Zedan and Neil Meron seem to be behind a lot of these musicals both for film/tv that have been announced but haven't happened (yet).

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 2/17/12 at 9:39am

You understood perfectly, henrikegerman No worries. I was just happy to see someone mention that musical and liked the idea of a movie version of it! It wouild work perfectly.

Thank you, Michael Bennett! The Reba ANNIE and a re-tooled, updated version of THE WIZ would be welcome

PETER PAN would probably be a hit seeing as how popular TV shows like ONCE UPON A TIME and GRIMM and movie updates of the fairy tales are.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 2/17/12 at 9:43am

I think the PETER PAN was announced to be a live action version of the 1954 musical -- not sure the timing is really right for something like that given the recent trend for 'dark' re-tellings of fairy tales.

Back in the late 80s there were plans to film the 1954 PETER PAN as a live action tv movie starring Sandy Duncan. I wish that one had happened!

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/17/12 at 9:46am

I was working in a development office at Warner Bros. when I saw the coverage for "City of Angels." That was in the '90s.

I also, believe it or not, saw the coverage on "Nick and Nora," which had been optioned prior to previews.

Most Broadway musicals are scrutinized and often optioned for a film adaptation. Studios and producers jump on them early on (sometimes too early), in case they become huge hits. If they don't, the options expire and people move on. Sometimes those deals wind up in the trades, and everybody gets excited, even if they haven't moved much past the "option" phase.

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 2/17/12 at 10:11am

I can always count on you, best12bars and Michael Bennett, for informed and pleasant discussion Thank you for your input.

In keeping with my further train of thought, INTO THE WOODS will no doubt do quite well... when/if it comes out

Updated On: 2/17/12 at 10:11 AM

[rorschach37]

Posted: 2/17/12 at 11:19am

The Weinstein Company announced Pippin a couple years ago, but it still hasn't happened. Also, back in the 90s/early 2000s Michael Eisner wanted Disney to remake Beauty and the Beast as a live-action adaptation of the stage version.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 2/17/12 at 11:39am

Company with Travolta
Promises, Promises with Streisand
Coco with Roz Russell who happened to be the producer's wife (again)

The above were either announced or strongly hinted.

Does anyone remember an announced mid-to-late 60s movie of She Loves Me with Julie Andrews or is this wishful thinking?

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 2/17/12 at 11:42am

SHE LOVES ME was going to have Andrews and Dick Van Dyke and I think there are even recordings of a couple of songs out there with them performing them.

There was also a television production of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN announced in 1976 to star - hard to believe but true - Barbra Streisand who of course just has "Annie Oakley" written all over her.

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 2/17/12 at 12:00pm

I love Babs, but I don't see her as Annie *chuckles*

And I would be all for a live action Beauty and Beast a la Disney

[Gothampc]

Posted: 2/17/12 at 12:13pm

Meryl Streep as Evita

[Fan2]

Posted: 2/17/12 at 12:26pm

Jekyll & Hyde - interview with Wildhorn last April:

>>PC: Is there a future for the hard rock RESURRECTION?

FW: With JEKYLL & HYDE, we are working on the movie right now. It's always the gift that keeps on giving. And, in fact, there will be some big news about JEKYLL & HYDE the show pretty soon, too.

PC: What's the movie status?

FW: Well, the movie news is that we have a pretty major Hollywood producer who is now involved with us in putting the team together to do the movie. Their process has started and I've been taking a lot of trips to LA and we're, you know, in the early stages of putting the director and the stars together. I hope it doesn't take as long as it took me to get it to Broadway! (Laughs.)

PC: (Laughs.) So, it's moving ahead?

FW: It's having some wonderful movement right now and I think we are gaining momentum.

PC: Will you be bringing more of the rock influence to the score like RESURRECTION or making it more Broadway-like?

FW: No, I think it will be much more pop. I think it will be really based around who is playing the leads. The music has got to really serve the people who are involved. Believe me, you will know as soon as I know who the people are - and the music will serve those people.



Wildhorn Interview

[mikey2573]

Posted: 2/18/12 at 9:27am

Remember the remake of MY FAIR LADY starring Ann Hathaway?? Whatever happened to that? And don't forget CAROUSEL with Hugh Jackman.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 2/18/12 at 9:41am

The Rocky Horror remake by MTV seems to have vanished as well

[CapnHook]

Posted: 2/18/12 at 12:08pm

1776
Annie Get Your Gun
Bat Boy
Bombay Dreams
Bye Bye Birdie
Carousel
Contact
Damn Yankees
Fiddler on the Roof
Grease 3
Guys and Dolls
Gypsy
Jekyll and Hyde
Jersey Boys
La Cage Aux Folles
Mame
My Fair Lady
Peter Pan
Pippin
Sunset Boulevard
The Boy From Oz
The Full Monty
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Rocky Horror Show
The Wiz
Urinetown

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 2/18/12 at 1:00pm

Back in 2005. Renee Zellwegger was reported to be in talks to star in a remake if CABARET reportedly based on the Sam Mendes production.

Updated On: 2/18/12 at 01:00 PM

[maila]

Posted: 2/18/12 at 1:11pm

AIDA with beyonce and christina aguillera