SPAMALOT Film Adaptation in the Works!

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

When I first saw this news, I almost thought it was a joke...
http://deadline.com/2018/05/spamalot-movie-monty-python-fox-mean-girls-casey-nicholaw-eric-idle-1202382256/

But it seems that Fox will be bringing the 2005 Tony-winning musical Spamalot to the big screen. Casey Nicholaw, who earned his first choreography credit on the Broadway production, will direct with Eric Idle writing the screenplay.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Well, that seems about as pointless a choice as one could possibly make, but then again, the 2005 film of The Producers exists, so anything is possible.

[Jarethan]

I had the same reaction.  IMO the weakest part of Spamelot was the musical numbers, most of which were (again IMO) thoroughly mediocre.  Why not just see Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

[Call_me_jorge]

Hahahaha! Just the fact Casey is directing is laughable. Does he have any film experience? Have these studios learned anything from the producers? I’d say the main problem with the 2005 film was that Susan stroman just did a rehash of the stage show on screen, which totally doesn’t work.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

He directed an episode of Smash.

While yes, it may not have worked with Susan Stroman reprising her directorial duties for the 2005 film adaptation of The Producers, though at least Phyllida Lloyd enjoyed a big commercial success when she reprised her directorial duties for the film adaptation of Mamma Mia!.

[BroadwayNYC2]

Sure, it was a hit, but the direction in Mamma Mia is god awful. 

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

why.

 

 

We have Holy Grail already. That's all we need.

[Jarethan]

At least she opened it up, something The Producers painfully failed to do.  They would have been better up (creatively and financially) if they had taped the show and played it on Fathom Events, followed by a DVD release.

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

I don't think Stroman's direction in the film of the Producers is necessarily BAD.

I would say she could direct another musical as a film, if it wasn't a comedy.

I felt the humor just fell flat flat flat.

But there are some really well shot sequences.

Some of the musical numbers ARE fun and lively.

 

People crap on that movie and for sure it's not great, but it's not A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC Hal Prince direction bad. It's just not very funny and it's too long.

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

I don't think Stroman's direction in the film of the Producers is necessarily BAD.

I would say she could direct another musical as a film, if it wasn't a comedy.

I felt the humor just fell flat flat flat.

But there are some really well shot sequences.

Some of the musical numbers ARE fun and lively.

 

People crap on that movie and for sure it's not great, but it's not A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC Hal Prince direction bad. It's just not very funny and it's too long.

[TheSassySam]

g.d.e.l.g.i. said: "Well, that seems about as pointless a choice as one could possibly make, but then again, the 2005 film ofThe Producers exists, so anything is possible."

 

 

If it weren't for that film, I wouldn't have fallen in love with musical theatre. Poorly made, but wow! I have so many fond memories attached to it. 

[SomethingPeculiar]

I first thought this was another Live musical. And SPAMALOT would actually be a great live musical -- they could stunt-cast it and play up the low-budget aspects of the Python movies.

[bk]

This reeks of a Casey Nicholaw publicist earning his money.  Wake me when they're actually shooting.

[Loopin’theloop]

I remember people working on the movie version of ‘The Producers’ citing Mel Brooks as the biggest issue. Apparently, anytime Stroman wanted to open something up or make any changes that would lead to the work being more cinematic, he would say ‘Keep it the same as the show! People love the show!’

Now whether I believe that’s entirely true, I can’t decide but I certainly heard it from lots of people from the world of the piece, in its varied forms, at that time.

I do know that Mel Brooks referenced the need to capture Nathan Lane’s performance as one of the greatest reasons to make a second movie (sorry Matthew) it’s such an enormous shame that they didn’t just film the show but I’m not the first and I won’t be the last to say that...

[AEA AGMA SM]

Whether it was Brooks's influence or not, the example I often use for the the problems with the film of The Producers is in the "Springtime for Hitler" sequence. In the original movie Mel gave us that hilarious overhead shot of the marching, spinning swastika. To replicate that on stage Stroman brilliantly used the overhead mirror device to show that to everyone in the orchestra level who wasn't looking down on the stage. In the musical film both the overhead shot and the mirror were used and instead of laughing at the visual I just said "why did we need to be shown this in two different ways back to back?" It kind of exemplified that there wasn't a consensus on whether it was a movie or a documentation of the stage musical and ended up kind of existing uneasily with a foot in each world and no strong commitment to either.

[Kad]

The Producers musical film also really drew attention to a major flaw in the musical adaptation: "Springtime for Hitler" isn't bad. It's well-designed, choreographed, and performed. This can work in a big Broadway musical, but on film, not so much.

In the original film, "Springtime for Hitler" is bad. Which makes it good.