Glenn Close wants to start 'Sunset' movie by the end of this year- Page 3

[David10086]

Posted: 4/14/20 at 9:30pm

You have a valid point with who they cast as Betty - just to sell more soundtracks. Can you imagine if they go with someone like Taylor Swift or Jennifer Hudson ??? 

[Lot666]

Posted: 4/15/20 at 11:25am

castlestreet said: "II also hope they resist the urge to cast some pop princess as Betty to boost album downloads and streaming."

Please, no! 

 

[BJR]

Posted: 4/15/20 at 11:46am

castlestreet said: "My main concern continues to be who is directing, and not feeling the need to change the show in its move to the big screen. The musical is extremely faithful to the movie and only made slight changes here and there."

I agree. And both presents the challenge of having to essentially recreate a very classic film with all the comparisons that follow, while also turning that into a musical, which needs to have its own cinematic vocabulary.

It's a bigger lift than folks realize and I don't think it's surprising most, if not all, talented film directors passed on it. No way to know if he's any good at the medium, but Ashford taking it on could be from the standpoint of the courage of inexperience.

 

[jo]

Posted: 4/15/20 at 12:03pm

Martin Scorsese expressed interest sometime ago in the film adaptation of the stage musical because he said he was such a fan of Billy Wilder and especially of the film noir classic Sunset Boulevard. 

Updated On: 4/15/20 at 12:03 PM

[castlestreet]

Posted: 4/15/20 at 2:41pm

Unless you hit it out of the park with this one - no matter who directs there are going to be many unfavorable comparisons to the original which many believe is one of the top ten greatest movies ever made.

[David10086]

Posted: 4/15/20 at 2:56pm

Maybe at this point, ALW should just give in and let Streisand star and direct. She may do something brilliant with this ! 

[Fosse76]

Posted: 4/15/20 at 3:32pm

QueenAlice said: "As has been talked about exhaustively in other threads, the age of fifty on a woman looked different in an era before cosmetic procedures, sunscreen and the limiting of alcohol and cigarettes. I think Close physically can pull off the part on film without a problem. I just feel like there are other actresses who, at this point, would be more exciting in the part and make more sense."

Also, Gloria Swanson was not your typical-looking 50-year-old when the film was made. She looked much younger than the average 50-year-old woman of the era.

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 4/17/20 at 1:11am

castlestreet said: "Unless you hit it out of the park with this one - no matter who directs there are going to be many unfavorable comparisons to the original which many believe is one of the top ten greatest movies ever made."

While I'm not saying you are wrong, I think you overestimate the number of people in the primary demographic who are familiar with the original movie. We, who are under 45 and enjoy classic films, are a bit of a niche crowd. The 35-45 year olds are a bit more likely, with the 25-35 year-olds significantly less likely to be familiar with the original. I don't think there would be as many comparisons as you think, but I also think this would be a rather hard sell to the general public.

[Dave28282]

Posted: 4/17/20 at 8:41am

Wouldn't it be a good idea to hire someone that can actually really sing and therefore act through sung notes instead of in spite of sung notes?

Note-avoiding bleats are not the same as acting through song.

[nsguy45]

Posted: 4/17/20 at 9:23am

Does anyone honestly believe this film will ever be made?

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 4/17/20 at 9:25am

jimmycurry01 said: "castlestreet said: "Unless you hit it out of the park with this one - no matter who directs there are going to be many unfavorable comparisons to the original which many believe is one of the top ten greatest movies ever made."

While I'm not saying you are wrong, I think you overestimate the number of people in the primary demographic who are familiar with the original movie. We, who are under 45 and enjoy classic films, are a bit of a niche crowd. The 35-45 year olds are a bit more likely, with the 25-35 year-olds significantly less likely to be familiar with the original. I don't think there would be as many comparisons as you think, but I also think this would be a rather hard sell to the general public."

Yes - and the one demographic who certainly IS familiar with BIlly WIlder's original 1950 film are film critics. Any remake (musical or otherwise) of SUNSET BOULEVARD is pretty much assured to be lacerated by critics.  Heck, even theatre critics largely disliked the musical's score and adaptation of the screenplay when it first opened.  Thus creates a big part of the challenge of this project. Who is this movie for? Who is the audience? Certainly many of us musical theatre fans would love to see it, but if I were a film producer eyeing how unlikely it is that this film gets good reviews, finds an audience, and actually turns a profit - I'd have to pass on it - even if the role of Norma Desmond could potentially get an Oscar nomination for its leading lady.

Truly, the only reason to make this film was really if there were some outrageously huge film star who was starring in it. Back in the 90s, maybe that would have been Streisand, but frankly, I can't think of ANY actress who currently could insure box office for it.

I truly applaud Ms. Close and her fidelity to the show and her drive to see it turned into a movie. Frankly, it's a shame the original Broadway production wasn't filmed for distribution in 1995. That would have been the most viable option.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 4/17/20 at 9:37am

Filmed on stage would probably be most practical.

Catherine Zeta Jones would manage this role.  But the mention of Streisand was the first time I felt even the remotest interest in this pedestrian show/ film.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 4/17/20 at 9:39am

Dave28282 said: "Wouldn't it be a good idea to hire someone that can actually really sing and therefore act through sung notes instead of in spite of sung notes?

Note-avoiding bleats are not the same as acting through song."

Have you watched any recent film musicals? No one can sing and it doesn’t stop them. 

[Lot666]

Posted: 4/17/20 at 10:10am

QueenAlice said: "it's a shame the original Broadway production wasn't filmed for distribution in 1995. That would have been the most viable option."

Word.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/17/20 at 10:24am

Oh, this’ll get made and earn Meryl Streep yet another Oscar nomination. She was hoping to headline the World Premiere (even attending the final Sydmonton Festival presentation, that starred LuPone), but ALW chose LuPone for that honor. This would be her vindication.

Sorry, Glenn.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 4/17/20 at 12:31pm

Glenn Close is as delusional about this being made into a movie as the Beetlejuice fans are believing Beetlejuice will transfer to another theater.

[SweetLips22]

Posted: 4/17/20 at 3:15pm

I would love to hear Lea Salonga sing the role.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/17/20 at 3:32pm

[SweetLips22]

Posted: 4/17/20 at 5:54pm

Well that outfit is ALMOST Norma already. Now let's work on her make up.

[David10086]

Posted: 4/17/20 at 8:36pm

15 to 20 years ago, there were many actresses who could have done this and sell a box office - Streisand, Close, Streep, even Cher could've pulled this off. Now there's really no one - at least no one age appropriate who could sing and act this role, no one to sell out a box office. 

Still, it's one of my favorite ALW scores so I do hope it gets made. 

[SweetLips22]

Posted: 4/17/20 at 10:28pm

The shame of all of this is--this should be about making a movie of the ALW musical Sunset B. and not about who will play Norma.

It seems that this musical is not good enough to be made on its own merits without a 'star' who the general public like and will go to see her in anything.

It is not a well enough know piece, like Les Miz, that the general public will flock to, so even with Close/Babs/maybe Streep, it will have very limited appeal after the musical lovers have seen it.

It is a dark, depressing tale and all the business away from Norma is very superficial and seems like a totally different tale.

There is no movie star that could get this musical done that could bring in the millions[people] to make this property work.

Pink/Ga Ga/Madonna--the other stadium sell-out females are too young, but this is the only direction studios will go if they want to recover and make a healthy profit on this not so popular sung through musical.

They should have filmed Close and released that when they could, and left it at that.

I don't think it will ever be made, and certainly not now.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 4/17/20 at 10:35pm

Madonna is 61, so if we're getting technical she's not too young, she's also too old.

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 4/18/20 at 9:34am

I’m so tired of hearing people talk about LITERAL ages when we’re talking about ACTING.

Half of the “teen” roles on TV are played by people in their 20’s and sometimes 30’s. Dana Steinfeld is another great example. You can be literally older than the part and still play it realistically.

Also, the big picture that everyone keeps forgetting - 50 years of age now is VASTLY different than 50 in 1950, which gives any film production some wiggle room.

[David10086]

Posted: 4/18/20 at 6:49pm

GiantsInTheSky2 said: "I’m so tired of hearing people talk about LITERAL ages when we’re talking about ACTING.

Half of the “teen” roles on TV are played by people in their 20’s and sometimes 30’s. Dana Steinfeld is another great example. You can be literally older than the part and still play it realistically.

Also, the big picture that everyone keeps forgetting - 50 years of age now is VASTLY different than 50 in 1950, which gives any film production some wiggle room."

Very true. Olivia Newton-John was 30 when she played teen-age Sandy in "Grease" (Stockard Channing was in her mid-30s playing teenage Rizzo) and Travolta was 24. It didn't hurt the box office in the least. 

Streisand was 40 when she played a 20-something year old 'Yentl', another box office hit.

Diana Ross was 34 when she played Dorothy in 'The Wiz'. Not a box office hit by any means (over-production was the main problem), but Ross' age had nothing to do with it's failure. 

[Fosse76]

Posted: 4/18/20 at 9:00pm

GiantsInTheSky2 said: "I’m so tired of hearing people talk about LITERAL ages when we’re talking about ACTING.

Half of the “teen” roles on TV are played by people in their 20’s and sometimes 30’s. Dana Steinfeld is another great example. You can be literally older than the part and still play it realistically.

Also, the big picture that everyone keeps forgetting - 50 years of age now is VASTLY different than 50 in 1950, which gives any film production some wiggle room. "

True. But when Joe calls out her age as 50, the audience should be able to accept her as credibly being 50. A lot of tv shows/movies do get criticized for casting age-inappropriate actors. But in this case, it isn't inconceivable fir close to play 50. As you said,  50 now versus then is different.  And as I said,  Gloria Swanson was not the typical-looking 50 year old woman. She lived an extremely healthy lifestyle and looked really young for her age. Plus, as a recluse with poor mental health,  I would think Norma Desmond would look older than her age.