Lapine Wants To Make SUNDAY IN THE PARK Movie

[Jordan Catalano]

Johnny Depp and his horrible accent as George!!!!


Link

[best12bars]

I would love to see this on film, and I can already picture George walking around inside of his paintings ...

And I want Baz Lurhmann to direct it, and I don't care how much you hate him.

[little_sally]

This is my favorite musical and I'd love for it to happen but I can't see it working well on film. Especially act 2.

[Jordan Catalano]

But just imagine how amazing Depp will be!!

[best12bars]

Act II would have to get the "truncated treatment" ala Into the Woods.

Jake Gyllenhaal!
Scarlett Johanson!

[Jordan Catalano]

Mmmmmmmm. A full bearded Gyllenhaal.

[ggersten]

Depp and Bonham-Carter reunited!

[Jordan Catalano]

Yes!!!! But only if they cut half the score as well!

[Kad]

Just a thought, but for the purposes of film, would it not be possible to intertwine both halves for most of the movie? It obviously would require a good amount of re-working, especially in the last third of the second act. But that seems to me a more cinematic solution than First act! Second act!, a convention that film can't really replicate.

[SonofRobbieJ]

To the point where SUNDAY is sung only once at the climax of the film? That's intriguing.

[JoeKv99]

George seems particularly suited for the stage. I think the Act I closing coup de théâtre pretty much makes the show.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Uh... so, Kad, you'll be adapting the screenplay, right?

[ljay889]

I could also see starting with the act 2 George and reversing to act one to fill in the history.

[tazber]

They should make the characters in the painting Muppets.

[somethingwicked]

Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt would be the ideal George and Dot should a film ever come to fruition.

[themysteriousgrowl]

taz, LOL

[ljay889]

Blunt is basically perfect for it.

[Liza's Headband]

That suggestion of Ewan and Emily is perfect. God, I'd love to see this pairing.

[best12bars]

Kad, I love your idea of intertwining the acts for a film version.

Parallel stories told simultaneously with cross cutting rather than a linear approach.

Very French Lieutenant's Woman.

Maybe they don't introduce the "modern" George until halfway through ...

EDIT: The reason I even suggest Baz Luhrmann is because he takes risks with material and reinvents it cinematically. His version of Gatsby is the only one that I think captures the real essence of the book, and it changed many things to get there.

[Kad]

"To the point where SUNDAY is sung only once at the climax of the film? That's intriguing."

That's the idea. I think it would fit pretty well EXCEPT that intertwining them would undercut the power of Dot appearing to George and "Move On," as it would happen close to or even immediately after "We Do Not Belong Together" or whatever the equivalent would be of the moment Dot leaves Seurat. But even then, I suppose a clever writer and Sondheim would be able to create a new moment. But, really, I think the return of Dot is probably the main plot point that is most reliant on theatre convention.

I suppose, though, this could even be helped by only intertwining the first halves of both acts, leaving the second act of the film to be only about Seurat and the third act to be only about George.

I don't know. I'm not a screenwriter. But I do think Sunday is a good candidate for cinematic adaptation- more so than Follies and even Into the Woods.

But I think we would all agree a real visionary director would need to helm this.

[Jordan Catalano]

I want to see what Alfonso Cuarón could do with a musical.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

I love the idea of a SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE directed by Baz Luhrman! Genius. I've always thought it was written almost like a cinematic piece, that moment when Dot slips out of her dress is made for film as are George's ways of playing with his vision, you could almost see something like that pop up in 8 1/2. If someone, like Luhrman, could get at the essence of the show's cinematic moments, it could be a very special film. And combining the first and second act would be fantastic.
Kate Winslet has long been my dream Dot, but I think that ship has sailed. Not sure if she can sing, but Jessica Chastain would be my top choice, she's said doing a movie musical is one of her career goals and I can see her being a fantastic Dot. Of course Blunt would be great too.

[Kad]

A part of me sort of would like to see what Wes Anderson, with his fastidious (perhaps twee), diorama-like scenes and distinct visual style, would do with a musical adaptation- provided he did not write it.

I think that'll be an unpopular opinion but I stand by it.

[PalJoey]

I'd rather see a musical made of this than out of Follies.

And going in and out of a painting has been done before--and with great success!

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

My choices are Michael Fassbender & Carey Mulligan with someone other than Baz Luhrmann at the helm!

P.S.

Emily Blunt & Ewan McGregor have already worked together before on Salmon Fishing in the Yemon.