Nine

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Post by Mister Tee »

Well, I have to say, this strikes me as a FAR more promising cast. Though I have to wonder about Cruz as Carla: Volver finally sold me on her as an actress, but she's never hit me as a super-sex-object (though her co-stars apparently feel differently: every guy she acts opposite seems to drop his significant other pronto). And Loren -- she'd be fine as the mother, but I'd love to see her in the Montevecchi part.

Weinsteins cast net for 'Nine'
TWC in talks with Cruz, Bardem, Cotillard
By MICHAEL FLEMING

Marshall, who wanted to set his cast early to custom-fit the roles to the strengths of each performer, is also courting Sophia Loren and his "Chicago" star Catherine Zeta-Jones. Marshall will produce and choreograph with John DeLuca, his partner in Lucamar Prods.

Bardem just got the offer to play director Guido Contini, who experiences a creative and personal crisis as he tries to balance all the women in his life. That includes his wife, mistress, his film-star muse, agent and even his mother. Raul Julia originated the role onstage, and Antonio Banderas played it in the revival. The musical was inspired by the Fellini film "8 ½."

Cruz is in talks to play Carla, Contini's mistress, while Cotillard is to play his wife, Louisa. Although they have not yet committed, Zeta-Jones is being courted to play the director's muse, and Loren his mother, who appears as a ghost.

Michael Tolkin is adapting the script, with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston, the composer and lyricist of the original production. Mario Fratti adapted the original Broadway production; Arthur Kopit wrote the book. TWC acquired rights from Kopit and Yeston, who will be exec producers.

The combination of the sexy subject matter, and the fact Marshall is making his first musical since directing "Chicago" for Harvey Weinstein at Miramax, has made the four female roles enticing to many actresses with vocal and dancing ability.
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Post by Sonic Youth »

FilmFan720 wrote:Katie Holmes and Demi Moore Candidates for Nine Screen Adaptation
Two train wrecks.
"What the hell?"
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Post by FilmFan720 »

Katie Holmes and Demi Moore Candidates for Nine Screen Adaptation

By Adam Hetrick
02 Jul 2007

The New York Post reports that casting is underway for the Rob Marshall-directed screen adaptation of the Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit musical Nine.

Screen stars Katie Holmes and Demi Moore have both auditioned for roles in the upcoming movie musical produced by Harvey Weinstein.

Other names being bandied about, according to The Post, are "Chicago" stars Renée Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones, who previously worked with director Rob Marshall in that highly successful stage to screen transfer.

Based on the Fellini film "8 ½," Nine premiered on Broadway in 1982, starring Raul Julia, Anita Morris and Karen Akers. The Tommy Tune-directed production won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. In 2003 Broadway saw a revival boasting an all-star cast including Antonio Banderas, Chita Rivera, Jane Krakowski and Mary Stuart Masterson. Directed by David Leveaux and reset in the early 1960's, the revival would win two Tonys, including Best Revival.

Nine centers on Guido Contini, a heralded film director (much like Federico Fellini) who, fearing he is losing his touch, escapes to a Venetian spa for rejuvenation. Blurring the lines of fantasy and reality, the women in Contini's life swirl about him, from his mother, to his wife, to his mistress, all of whom ultimately serve as dangerous distraction and inspiration.

"Nine" is slated for a 2008 or 2009 release.
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Post by 99-1100896887 »

Even more ludicrous than Johnny Depp having been chosen to play an extremely macho-voiced large man in "Sweeney Todd" would be that he he did Banderas' part of Guido. Can you just hear Depp singing: "I want to be here; I want to be there.." in that gorgoeus Banderas-voice. And for my money they better get Krakowski. She's earned her stripes.
This could be a big film with the right cast.
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Post by ITALIANO »

paperboy wrote:I wonder if Monica Bellucci can sing; it'd be nice if there was at least one Italian in the cast.
The problem is - can she act?
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Post by VanHelsing »

paperboy wrote:I wonder if Monica Bellucci can sing; it'd be nice if there was at least one Italian in the cast.
Righto! I'd be VERY delighted if she's part of the cast! Looking forward to her upcoming film with Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti.
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Post by anonymous1980 »

Mister Tee wrote:I also wonder if the show on-screen will inevitably suffer from comparison to one of the cinematic landmarks of the 20th century, 8 1/2. The stage version was a totally different animal, and wasn't so subject to harsh side-by-side review. Recall how The Producers was raved about onstage, but then found wanting even in comparison to a not-cinematically-great original film.

The main problem with The Producers movie musical was it's director, Susan Stroman who simply wasn't an experienced movie director. The film looked like a filmed version of the stage musical not a cinematic adaptation of the stage muscial.

Marshall is an experienced film director so he can make it cinematic.
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Post by paperboy »

I wonder if Monica Bellucci can sing; it'd be nice if there was at least one Italian in the cast.
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Post by Mister Tee »

Lots to respond to, here.

As FilmFan notes, I have a personal connection to the show, based on my wife's part in the original. I also think Nine is one of the better post-Golden Age musicals, with a truly melodious score -- full of genuinely lyric ballads (not a trace of Disney-pop-inspiration) and inventive speciality numbers.

That said, I wonder if it's a great candidate for movie-ization. Marshall and Condon, with Chicago and Dreamgirls, succeeded largely with mostly on-stage material (as had Fosse with the previous successful musical, Cabaret). It remains to be seen if audiences will broadly respond to the sort of musical where people burst into song while walking down a street.

I also wonder if the show on-screen will inevitably suffer from comparison to one of the cinematic landmarks of the 20th century, 8 1/2. The stage version was a totally different animal, and wasn't so subject to harsh side-by-side review. Recall how The Producers was raved about onstage, but then found wanting even in comparison to a not-cinematically-great original film.

I wasn't crazy about the '03 revival, partly because I missed Tommy Tune's web-like staging, but also because the production seemed at war with itself. It was a perfectly reasonable idea to go back to the early 60s/Italian period chic look -- but then why cast love objects who looked like they were fresh from Kansas? Krakowski and, especially, Masterson, seemed hopelessly out of place. (Benanti, simply by virtue of being Italian, seemed the best to me -- apart from Banderas, whose continental charm transcended all) Harvey's tossed-out cast seems to me to repeat this error, and it might even seem more amiss in a place/time specific film. (The original production of course featured a wide ethnic mix -- but in the theatre a concept musical can create more easily create its own reality)

Banderas has proven himself with both Nine and Evita, but if Bardem can sing, he'd be an equally exciting choice.

Harvey might mean Dench for Guido's mother -- despite her musical theatre background, she doesn't really have the glorious legs sported by Montevecchi or Rivera.

Saraghina was indeed in the '03 version, but they trashed her number. Just when Be Italian should have been reaching its crescendo, they had her stop to pour sand on the stage floor for what seemed a minute and a half, utterly muting the impact. I'm no doubt an unreliable witness on this, but when my wife did the number, it pretty much brought down the house every night.

Magilla, you're of course correct that Montevecchi and Elg had notable careers with MGM in the 50s (Montevecchi actually appeared with both Brando and Elvis!), but most -- me included -- had little memory of them when Nine opened.
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Post by FilmFan720 »

anonymous wrote:
FilmFan720 wrote:Actually, Sarraghina wasn't dropped from the 2003 revival. She was played by Myra Lucretia Taylor.

Another job for Queen Latifah. (Sarraghina was black in the revival, I believe).
Yes she was. And Queen Latifah would be a nice fit in that role.
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Post by anonymous1980 »

FilmFan720 wrote:Actually, Sarraghina wasn't dropped from the 2003 revival. She was played by Myra Lucretia Taylor.
Another job for Queen Latifah. (Sarraghina was black in the revival, I believe).
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Post by flipp525 »

OscarGuy wrote:Great. Harvey's bringing in his old standbys...I really wish he'd get over his fascination with Gwyneth Paltrow.
And Renee, for that matter. Her somewhat limited vocal talents worked like a charm for Roxy Hart but I don't think she's the next musical diva of the 00's like Harvey seems to.
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Post by OscarGuy »

Great. Harvey's bringing in his old standbys...I really wish he'd get over his fascination with Gwyneth Paltrow.
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Post by FilmFan720 »

Actually, Sarraghina wasn't dropped from the 2003 revival. She was played by Myra Lucretia Taylor.
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Post by Big Magilla »

According to the liner notes on the re-issue of the original cast recording, the show brought overnight public recognition to six women, not counting Anita Morris (Carla), who was already a name. Funny, because I thought Lialiane Montevecchi and certainly Taina Elg were already "names", but I digress. The women and the characters they played were Karen Akers (Luisa), Montevecchi (Liliane LeFleur), Shelley Burch (Claudia), Kathi Moss (Saraghina), Elg (Mama, Guido's Mother) and Camille Saviola (Mama Maddelena). The revival gave star billing to the actresses playing Luisa, Carla, Liliane LeFleur and Carla. The actresses playing Guido's Mother, Lina Darling, Stephanie Necropolis and Our Lady of the Spa were given secondary billing. The characters of Saraghina and Mama Maddelena were dropped.

It's clear that Luisa, Carla, Liliane LeFleur and Carla will be four of the main female characters, but it remains unclear whether Lina Darling, Stephanie Necropolis or Guido's Mother is the principal character Weinstein is forgetting. If he's listing the "names" in order of importance of the characters they would play he probably sees Paltrow as Luisa the wife, Hathaway as Carla the mistress, Kidman as Liliane LeFleur, Dench as Guido's Mother, Zeta-Jones as Carla and Zellweger as Lina Darling. They make an intriguing group, but the casting of Guido is the key. I don't see Clooney or Depp in the role and I have no idea how well Bardem sings. Banderas remains my choice.
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