"Into the Woods" Seeks Investors & Very Famous Witch
Wednesday, October 3, 2012 at 7:56AM This happened Monday. (Thanks to Julia for alerting.) How crazy is that?
A live reading of Stephen Sondheim's wondrous "Into the Woods" shortly after its Shakespeare in the Park summer (with only Donna Murphy as The Witch transferring from Central Park) to raise interest/funding for Rob Marshall's film version. He's surely hoping to redeem himself post-Nine which angered critics and lost a ton of money at the box office and return to his Chicago heyday. But I swear to god if he makes up some stupid framing device where it's all a dream/fantasy...
I don't know about you but the idea of Patrick Wilson & Cheyenne Jackson as the eternally unsatisfied but self-satisfied Princes is to die for. The other names that most excite me here are Nina Arianda, Victoria Clark, Christine Baranski, Anna Kendrick, Megan Hilty,... oh wait, I'd just type up every name!
How do you read "Into the Woods" -- Did they talk/sing through their table read, stand beside the piano for Hollywood moneybags or was it very very short? Broadway.com confirms that this reading did happen as planned though the film version would obviously *sniffle* get an entirely new cast. (We once had a very robust discussion of who should play whom right here at The Film Experience.) Many of those names listed above are famous and accomplished and have golden statues of some sort and are amazing vocalists but you know they'll be thrown over in a second for bigger names with weaker chops.
Streep will probably get the role made famous by Bernadette Peters, and later played by Vanessa Williams and Donna Murphy
Meryl Streep is already reportedly in talks about the most coveted role in any production: The Witch (who raises Rapunzel as her daughter and sings "The Last Midnight" and the show's thematic anthem "Children Will Listen"). That sucks for the great great Broadway diva Donna Murphy who, to date, has only ever had one movie role worthy of her (The Witch... who coincidentally raises Rapunzel!... in Tangled) though she gets frequent tiny roles. But that's how it works for stage-to-film transfers. And Meryl does have a wondrous vocal instrument; I can and have listened to her tracks from Postcards from the Edge, Prairie Home Companion and Death Becomes Her on loop (Mamma Mia not so much). If rumors that Marshall originally wanted Toni Collette for Roxy in Chicago are true -- and why wouldn't they be cuz damn if she isn't great in musicals -- can't we throw her in this movie somewhere?
Reader Comments (58)
I agree that Meryl Streep would not be the greatest choice to play the witch, but as an earlier commenter pointed out, movies are a business. Having a bankable star is required in order for a film to secure the financing that it needs to get off the ground. Much as I wish that Donna Murphy could be cast as the Witch, the project likely needs someone of Streep's iconic status in order to see the light of day. With that being said, I definitely think there is room for more creative and/or "against-type" casting in the rest of the cast. Toni Collette as the Baker's Wife would certainly be a good choice. How about Patton Oswalt as the Baker (he can play serious very well), Zoe Saldana as Cinderella, Jeff Bridges as the Mysterious Man, David Thewlis as the Steward, Matthew Bomer as the Wolf, Fran Kranz as one of the Princes (anyone who has seen him in "The TV Set" knows that he's got the chops to act the role) . . . I'm sure I'll think of more . . .
I also agree re: Rob Marshall not being the ideal director for this project. Someone with the ability to be nuanced, to take just the right tone with both the humor and the darkness, without overplaying either. Here's an off-the-beaten-path suggestion: Alfonso Cuaron. He could direct an amazingly creative film version of "Into the Woods!"
This is Rob Marshall! Let me take a shot in the dark and cast this like he will.
"Gimme a list of Oscar nominees from the past decade. All of these ladies were in my last film, so set them aside. Let's see..."
Little Red Riding hood - Hailee Steinfeld ('member her, though it probably should be Elle Fanning, oh no just thought of it and you just know it'll happen... Chloe fucking Moretz)
Baker - Mark Ruffalo
His wife - Kate Winslet
Narrator - Natalie Portman
Jack - Jesse Eisenberg
His mom - Octavia Spencer
Cinderella - Taylor Swift (everyone loved Fergie in Nine, right?)
Stepmother - Melissa Leo
Stepsisters - Gabby Sidibe and Michelle Williams
Princes - Ryan Gosling and Jeremy Renner
Rapunzel - Rinko Kikuchi
/stupid
Actually, looking back at some of these... they're pretty good. And damn if now I don't want Cate Blanchett as the Witch! (And if only Hollywood would choose a cast as multiethnic as this... without the stupid, of course.)
This cast list makes me very depressed because you just KNOW the eventual movie cast won't end up as vocally talented. Just give me Toni and Ewan as the Baker and his wife and carry Donna over from this and the Shakespeare in the Park performance and everything will be forgiven, Rob. Yes, even Nine.
I really hope Marshall gets very wise with this project and picks some knockout choices (No, not Meryl) that can carry the movie if his direction flounders, which it very well might. I mean, he did the definitive version of Annie, for god's sake. I know Into The Woods is a much tougher nut to crack but still, he can pull it out with just the right casting.
@Nat - I wasn't referring to other actresses as "failures" I was talking about how some of their career choices have been the wrong ones, and how not only in their professional life but also some of them just make a circus out of their personal lives and try to gain publicity the wrong way, and I've never seen Streep do that, and either way, it's not her fault that people want her in their movies, I mean, why should she just say no to a great part just because there are others without a job, and btw, I'm pretty sure she only takes the roles that really interest her, which means she doesn't take EVERYTHING she's been offered, and thank God because I could only imagine people's reaction here (just this example alone... she hasn't even been cast and there's trouble already) anyway, I just defend Streep because I see these discussions every time her name's on the table and I just don't think it's fair to criticize the woman just because she likes to work, and she is good at it.
You know that Mehryl is going to play the Witch in the film version. Next.
@4rtful
I am so sorry I read you wrong... but is is hard to discuss matters on a website where one is not able to fully express themselves nor show emotion with their words... I agree... much easier to discuss face to face.
@ rick
Do go back in the Kidman thread my friend.
@ rick
Don't go back in the Kidman thread my friend.