Jules, I love the idea of Annette Bening. I wonder if she can sing? Norma's not a role you can fake it through - her songs are gigantic. I've always championed for Michelle Pfeiffer to get it too. Either one of them could win Oscars (unless Hillary Swank is nominated against Bening again).
And they're both good looking women. Pfeiffer, moreso. I do believe a maharaja would hang himself with one of Pfeiffer's discarded stockings. Norma was supposed to be a vamp with unnatural beauty in her day - which is why I want to barf everytime someone mentions Streisand as Norma.
I think they only way to really make this movie work is to up it 10 years to '59 instead of '49. Women just didn't age as well as they do now, which is why so many people are shocked when it's revealed that Norma's only in her 50's.
Susan Sarandon would be triumphant, and she can carry a tune - I guess, since she was so good in Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Goldie Hawn can sing really well, and she'd make for a very fascinating, off-the-wall crazy and fun Norma, in the way that Gloria Swanson was a blend of funny and tragic.
Never thought about Catherine Deneuve, but it would be a great comeback for her and she'd have that exotic flair to make Norma work.
Joe and Max are so underwritten, to me it's inconsequential who plays them. I wouldn't mind seeing Christopher Walken (my first choice because he's creepy and can sing), Jeremy Irons or Ben Kingsley as Max.
I think to make this movie work, you'll have to seriously chop the garbage parts of the score - like the entire chorus numbers, all the stuff between Joe and Betty (especially Too Much in Love to Care)and just leave the songs for Norma, Joe and Max (I'd even cut the Greatest Star of All and the title song, because the lyrics are abysmal and laughable, yet retain the music as underscoring).
Cecil B. DeMille would have been dead at the time, so maybe they could replace his character with a fictional epic director - but I would keep his reprise of Surrender, which is a really good moment of the show. Francis Ford Coppola or Richard Attenborough would be great.
Having only the three leads sing would keep them in Norma's shattered, claustrophobic fantasy world, kind of like how Rob Marshall kept all the songs from Chicago in Roxie's world. That would leave Overture/I Guess it Was 5am, Surrender, With One Look, Salome, New Ways to Dream, The Perfect Year (a bad song, which would be a good one to replace and ALW could get a better Oscar-nominated duet number out of it), As If We Never Said Goodbye, Surrender (Reprise)and New Ways to Dream (Reprise). Those songs right there retain the greatest melodies of the show.
I'd love Francis Ford Coppola to direct it - if he could give the grand gugnol and opulent treatment to Sunset Boulevard like he did for Bram Stoker's Dracula, I'd be in the clover.
Since pop-culture has a cougar fetish nowadays, I think the musical version Sunset Boulevard could finally work on film - and it would show the dark, crazy side of the Housewives of Sunset Boulevard.
Sorry for being long-winded, but here's my official dream cast:
Norma Desmond: Michelle Pfeiffer Joe Gillis: Ryan Gosling Max: Christopher Walken Betty Schaefer: Some nobody in her 30's - honestly, who cares? Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
I would love to see this movie get made- but I have serious doubts that even a "live" version as he has recently talked about will happen any time soon.
Glenn can still play the part, and I believe the part is hers. No Norma in my opinion held the command of the role the way she did- and while others sang the score better, in the end Glenn's was the overall most effective performance.
Casting Max & Joe would be so vital to the success of how well the musical translated back to the screen- and in all honesty I can't think of many people I would cast as Joe for a big screen adaptation as I hated the way Jackman played the part. I liked the idea that floated around Hollywood for a few years of Anthony Hopkins playing the part, but he is much too old now and I'm not sure that he could sing the part anyways. I also am in the minority of people who actually liked the way Daniele Benzali approached the role in the OLC- although Hearn is still tops in my book- Benzali's approach was softer and had a mysterious quality to it.
All in all, I doubt we will see a Sunset film get made anytime soon- I still remember when Liz Smith reported all the way back in 97' that Babs and Tom Cruise were signed sealed and delivered and that filming was to begin soon.
With Rock of Ages and Les Miz due up this year any Movie Musicals that are in development hell will either get a bump up if they are successful or dive further into the fire if these movies fail to find an audience.
Never thought about Catherine Deneuve, but it would be a great comeback for her and she'd have that exotic flair to make Norma work.
Comeback? She's never disappeared. She's never stopped making films. She even starred in the 2010 hit film POTICHE and in the last few months she's filmed 3 major motion pictures.
Also, though she CAN sing, Danielle Licari supplied her singing vocals in the 1964 film THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG and Anne Germain in 1967's THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT.
I agree, It would be great to have Glenn's performance captured on film!
@castlestreet - I have been hoping as well that with the release of Les Miz & Rock of Ages that the general movie going public would get a renewed interest in movie musicals. Therefore helping to get other shows made into movies. i.e. Sunset Boulevard, Book of Mormon, Follies, & many more.
Ute Lemper might be superb as Norma and there has been talk of her doing it in Paris soon.
She is, of course, unknown as a movie actress, but the talk of Deneuve, who is far too old for the role, made me think of her.
"I think they only way to really make this movie work is to up it 10 years to '59 instead of '49. Women just didn't age as well as they do now, which is why so many people are shocked when it's revealed that Norma's only in her 50's."
I'm a bit confused. How would upping the setting to 1959 from 1949 change the audience's ability to connect with Norma as a 50 year old? Unless you are suggesting that 50 year old women were considered more over the hill and likely to be reclusive and washed up in 1959 than they were in 1949, I'm not following your logic.
There are many reasons parts of Sunset Boulevard needs to be changed.
1) A film of Sunset Boulevard is not going to be looked at as a film adaptation of a Broadway show, it's going to be looked at as a remake of one of the greatest movies ever made. The comparisons will be brutal. When is the last time a film considered to be a masterpiece on the level of SB was adapted to a Broadway musical and then remade into a film?
2) 1949-50 is still considered the Golden Age of film. In the 60's, filmmaking did begin to become a bit more modern. I think it would be a more drastic and add more dynamic to the characters if you changed the time period slightly.
Just an idea. I mean, you could change Norma's age, you could change the time period - either way, the show needs to be revamped for film.
I could kinda see them updating it ten years as well, actually--though the studio system was already falling apart by '61... The prob re age is a bit like how so many people are shocked that Blanche in Streetcar isn't ten years older (at least when I studied it in class, this was the reaction). Lots of audiences don't get that due to many factors, people are considered younger than they were at the same age back then (I'm not sure if that made any sense...)
But if you up the age for Norma, I think Jo should be bumped up too and someone like Ryan would look far too young. No he's not meant to be totally washed up, but he should look like he's at least on the verge of no longer being able to be a matinee idol.
Oh don't worry--I started sneaking into gay bars just when Believe was massive, own at least a dozen Cher CDs and her two disco LPs, saw her endless Farewell tour two times, even was one of the 1000 people who bought her last CD. I'm a big fan, and agree she was the best part of Burlesque--was just making a lame joke. And I'd like her as Norma.
I get the impression right now she's kinda happy no working. She's been talking about a new CD for about 5 years now (wasn't here meant to be a Gaga duet too?), but she just can't seem to bother.
Close is 65 but she still looks great. She is a wonderful actress, I would only be concerned about the vocals now.
I know ALW wants to do this like he did Joseph and LND, where it's essentially a filmed stage production. With a limited theatrical release, and then a DVD release.
I think the role of Norma is Glenn's, no one could do it like she can. But I would kill to see Liza in it. If they wait some more years, I will also tottaly kill to see Gaga doing it, I think she would be astounding!!! And what about Ricky Martin or Mathew Morrison for Joe. And I think Tony Bennet could sing the hell out of Max.
I think the role of Norma is Glenn's, no one could do it like she can. But I would kill to see Liza in it. If they wait some more years, I will also tottaly kill to see Gaga doing it, I think she would be astounding!!! And what about Ricky Martin or Mathew Morrison for Joe. And I think Tony Bennet could sing the hell out of Max.
For those who have seen "THE ARTIST" I really hope if they film Sunset BLVD, it is done in the same style truly capturing the era of the silent films going into the talkies.
If she can sing it, Annette Benning would be amazing! If Hugh Jackman NEVER sings the role again- I will be over the moon!
They'll probably miscast with someone "bankable" like Sandra Bullock as Norma. James Marsden would be a great Joe...but they'll put a ChanningTatum or Zac Efron in it.
Bea Arthur Nude Sells For Nearly $2 Million At Auction
Drama Desk Award Winners - MATILDA, VANYA AND SONIA, PIPPIN, VIRGINIA WOOLF & More!
John Bantay Talks to Richard Jay-Alexander About Musical Mondays Farewell
STAGE TUBE: MATILDA Cast Performs on The View!
CHUCK Star Zachary Levi and Krysta Rodriguez Set to Lead FIRST DATE
VIDEOS: CBS Releases Extended Trailers for New 2013-2014 Series!
VIDEO: New Trailer for Ron Howard's RUSH
Gwyneth Paltrow Returns as the Face of Hugo Boss' Latest Scent
BWW Reviews: Yellow Sound Label's KERRIGAN-LOWDERMILK LIVE is an Exceedingly Fun and Charming Album
Donkey Kong Country Returns is Back and Optimized for Portable Play
BWW Blog: Leah Edwards - Practice. Perform. Repeat
BWW Reviews: Pauline Koner, American Original
Regional Orchestra of the Week: Reno Philharmonic, NV
joined:1/22/05
Posted: 4/10/12 at 04:37am