Into the Woods - Songs written for the film

[EricMontreal22]

I just heard the three songs demo for the planned ITW film from about fifteen years back. Does anyone know if there is any discussion about them being used for the new, planned movie (specifically the new I Wish and Rainbows)?

[darquegk]

I wouldn't be surprised either way. I haven't heard the new songs, but I feel like they may have tied into the lighter-and-softer, Muppet-influenced style of the proposed original film than the guaranteed-dark-and-stylized version I'm pretty sure "Once Upon A Time's" success indicates we'll be getting.

[Jordan Catalano]

Nothing would surprise me about the film version. With the Sondheim doing all these changes I'm sure there will be an alien attack added in at some point.

[FlowerChild67]

Where can I find recordings? I've been looking for quite some time.... :)

[Jordan Catalano]

google

[FlowerChild67]

-_- If I had found anything on my (multiple) Google searches, I probably wouldn't have posted the question... Just sayin

[Jordan Catalano]

You should try google.

[bwayphreak234]

Nothing would surprise me about the film version. With the Sondheim doing all these changes I'm sure there will be an alien attack added in at some point.

Don't give him any ideas...

[rosscoe(au)]

That film reading , cast wise was amazing. I love the baker sung Children Will Listen.

[Kad]

Yeah, but "Rainbows" and "I Wish" are crummy.

[Playbilly]

Sondheim liked the Sweeney Todd movie...lord knows what he will try to do with an ITW film.

[ComingUpRoses2]

I wasn't really a huge fan of the new songs, but I'm expecting some serious changes to translate it to film.

The original script from the early 90's was all sorts of awful, though. Having The Baker's Wife survive? Really? Yeah, let's drain all the heartbreaking aspects out of the show, shall we? Just like they drained all the humor out of Sweeney Todd.

With Rob Marshall at the helm, I just hope he realizes that the story is already a fairy tale and there's no reason that he has to "justify" the characters breaking into song. It worked with Chicago (brilliantly), it could have worked with Nine (if the script wasn't such a hot mess), but Into the Woods doesn't need it.

[EricMontreal22]

I've always wanted to read the script, but the fact that they hired the writers behind Splash said a lot (I know they wanted to basically turn it into a show about Act I which, while I don't agree with, does make some sort of sense commercially I suppose).

Rainbows and I Wish are... so/so IMHO. I expected to like them less, and I do love the staging idea for I Wish that Sondheim details in Look I Made a Hat.

[ChairinMain]

I'm not a big fan of I Wish but I rather like Rainbows...it sheds a little more light on the issues of the relationship.

Where can one find the screenplay? Is it online somewhere? I'd love to read it.

Flowerchild: pm me.

[EricMontreal22]

Is the leaked demo just those three songs? it seems odd to have Hello Little Girl but none of the other standard songs...

[ChairinMain]

While we're on the subject...does anyone know who the two singers are? The woman sounds vaguely familiar.

[JoshuaEads]

Not a huge fan of "I Wish", but I really like "Rainbows". Other than these three songs and the cast of the reading, I'm really not familiar with the movie that almost was. IS there a script floating around online??

[EricMontreal22]

I've never heard of it being online, but copies have sold (for a fair amount) on ebay.

[jv92]

I like "Rainbows." The rest weren't all that terrific.

I re-watched the SWEENEY TODD movie twice after seeing it in the theater and trying to muster up some superlatives, simply because if Steve thought it was good, it must be good. The first time I only got through half. Really up until "A Little Priest" which was performed more like a dirge than English Music Hall. It was unrelentingly dark and humorless. The kid who played Anthony was awful, which will result in every subsequent Anthony in history being sung like a whiny little bitch. (There are no other words to describe his performance.)

And then I re-watched it a second time with a friend and I made her turn it off after fifteen minutes. This time, however, I was laughing at how bad it all was. I think it is lovely that Mr. Sondheim is dignified and does not openly criticize new interpretations of his work, but sometimes, he really should, especially when most of the world will think the move is how SWEENEY TODD should be done.

In short, it was a badly sung, humorless bloodbath. Nice to hear Tunick's orchestrations though.

[ComingUpRoses2]

The orchestrations were lovely in the Sweeney film, weren't they? Just beautiful.

I actually really did like the way the film was shot and I liked the gory bits. They were appropriately ghastly and stylized. The image of Lovett burning up in the furnace was extremely disturbing. However, I, too, think that they removed far too much humor.

I can understand and respect most of the cuts in the film, but "A Little Priest?" Really? How can you make the song suck? I was truly amazed. I have more faith in Depp and Bonham Carter as actors, so I feel it was Burton's idea to suck the humor out. You can see a little bit of it creeping into their performances every now and then and I wish he'd have let them roll with it.