BuzzSugar

Jesus Christ Superstar May Get a "Hipstery" Big Screen Makeover

BuzzSugar — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 08:30:33 PDT

After Mamma Mia!'s global earnings of $600 million last year, Universal may be looking toward Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber for its next movie musical success. The studio is apparently developing an adaptation of the musical Jesus Christ Superstar with an interesting directorial choice: 500 Days of Summer director Marc Webb. Here's more:

The story . . . is generally is seen as decidedly a product of the '70s, with some characters played as hippies. And Webb, well, he's a product of the modern era, fashioning a career out of stylish but emotionally potent music videos for the likes of Green Day (and then, of course, the musical melancholy of Summer).

But Webb has long had an affinity for the project, a rock opera that (perhaps a little like parts of Summer) mixes spiritual uplift with the pop-music type. And just as [director Norman] Jewison's involvement brought a '70s sensibility to the original, Webb could bring a modern, hipstery take.

Well, 500 Days of Summer does feature some singing and choreographed dance. Could you see a "hipstery" version of Jesus Christ Superstar working on the big screen in this day and age?

Source

Ready For a 3-D Rock 'n' Roll Musical Version of Cleopatra?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:30:56 PDT

Yes, let's review those facts:

Director Steven Soderbergh is planning a movie about Egyptian queen Cleopatra.
It will be a live-action 3-D movie.
It will also be a rock 'n' roll musical.
Soderbergh is hoping to get Catherine Zeta-Jones to play "Cleo" and Hugh Jackman to play her lover, Marc Antony.

After the initial "whaaa?" reaction, I'm warming to this idea, especially because the band Guided by Voices has apparently already written the music for the movie. What do you think? Could you see this working, or does it sound like a big hot mess?

Source

Buzz Brainteaser

BuzzSugar — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:30:18 PDT

Welcome to Buzz Brainteaser, the trivia feature on BuzzSugar! Every weekday I'll test your knowledge about TV shows, music, and movies. If you enter in the correct answer, you win points! As Mamma Mia! heads to theaters today, here's a movie musical-related brainteaser:

In regard to U.S. box office earnings, what is the highest-grossing movie musical of the past 30 years?

Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

Kate Hudson Joins the Amazing Cast of Nine

BuzzSugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:33:02 PDT

Not only has Kate Hudson been added to the already-magnificent cast of Nine, a film adaptation of the award-winning musical, but the role and a song were added to the movie specifically for her.

The musical, inspired by Fellini's 8 1/2, is said to be "sultry and enchanting," and the same could be said about most of the cast members. Daniel Day-Lewis plays "world famous film director Guido Contini as he prepares his latest picture and balances the numerous women in his life."

The women playing Contini's women? They include Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotillard, Judi Dench, Sophia Loren, Penélope Cruz, and now Kate Hudson.

Of his new cast addition, director Rob Marshall (Chicago) remarked, "It's wonderful having Kate join this extraordinary cast! Her revelatory skills as a singer and a dancer lead to the creation of the role of 'Stephanie,' a fashion reporter from Vogue working in Italy. An exciting new song, written by our composer Maury Yeston, has been added for her as well."

What do you think about this? Compared to the other people on this cast list, is Kate Hudson of the same caliber? Do you look forward to her contributions to a Rob Marshall musical movie?

Source

The Results Are In: Recast West Side Story

BuzzSugar — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 16:10:49 PDT

Every Wednesday on BuzzSugar, I post a Recast challenge, where I ask you to choose new actors for a classic TV show or movie. The reader who submits the best cast wins a BuzzSugar t-shirt!

This week I was very impressed with the thoughtful recast lists submitted for musical movie West Side Story. Some of my favorite ideas were the ones you had for the roles of Maria and Anita. For example, Supergrover's pick of Q'orianka Kilcher for Maria seems downright perfect, and I also thought the popular choice of America Ferrera would be great in that part. alynn suggested Ana Ortiz (Betty's sister on "Ugly Betty") as Anita, which I think is excellent, though I also really like ddene5713's idea of Jamie Lynn Sigler.

Overall, my favorite recast list this week comes from tiatia! This is one carefully planned recast list and every choice is pitch-perfect. To see who tiatia chose, along with a new cast photo,

tiatia's cast:
Maria - Emanuelle Chriqui
Tony - Adam Garcia
Anita - Penelope Cruz
Bernardo - Jon Seda
Officer Krupke - Steven Seagal

Recast West Side Story and Win a Prize!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 14:29:03 PDT

Every Wednesday on BuzzSugar, I post a Recast challenge, where I ask you to choose new actors for a classic TV show or movie. The reader who submits the best cast wins a BuzzSugar t-shirt!

"Tonight, tonight/ Won't be just any night/ Tonight there will be no morning star." I love the music from West Side Story, and I love the film version (which starred Natalie Wood and Rita Moreno). This tragic love story, based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, pits New York gangs against each other while two star-crossed lovers dream of being together despite all odds. If you could recast the movie version of this musical with new actors, who would you pick for the passionate Tony and Maria? Or Maria's brother Bernardo and Anita? And of course, what about Officer Krupke?

Leave your entry in the comment section below, and I'll pick one winner to feature Tuesday, August 28, complete with a "new" cast photo.

Note: The actors you choose do not have to have excellent singing abilities already. Just select actors you think could be good for the parts regardless of whether or not you know they can sing.
To see a list of characters to recast and a photo of the BuzzSugar t-shirt,

Characters to recast:
Maria (Natalie Wood)
Tony (Richard Beymer)
Anita (Rita Moreno)
Bernardo (George Chakiris)
Officer Krupke (William Bramley)

The BuzzSugar t-shirt

Men in Black 3: A Return to (Alien Life) Form

Becky Kirsch — Sat, 26 May 2012 10:29:01 PDT

I saw the original Men in Black movie so long ago that my memories of the film might as well have been zapped with a neuralyzer (that's the memory-erasing device the guys use in the movie, for those of you who are also having trouble recalling the original). What I did retain is that the film was funny, fresh, and silly and that it didn't hold up very well for the 2002 sequel. With that in mind, I had low expectations for Men in Black 3, but the newest installment is just as much fun as the original, and it actually benefits from the 15-year time lapse.

The script for the film is one of its biggest assets and truly sets Men in Black 3 apart from its predecessors. The aliens are still alive and ickier than ever now that they're in 3D, but the story is more focused on the friendship between J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) and how it has evolved over the years. We learn early on that K has been keeping a secret from J all these years, and the mystery drives a wedge between the partners. Meanwhile, a treacherous alien named Boris the Animal (played to hilarious perfection by Flight of the Conchords's Jemaine Clement) breaks out of maximum-security prison and goes back in time to get revenge on K, who arrested him back in the '60s. The day that K had Boris locked up is the key to K's secret, so J heads on a mission back in time to save K and learn the truth.

To see why Men in Black 3 is so much fun, just

Will Smith hasn't been in a movie since 2008's Seven Pounds, and I didn't realize I missed him until I found myself giggling all the way through Men in Black 3. His shtick is still the same (he's one-liners still consistent of dialogue like "Where did you come from? Planet damn?"), but you can't help but love Agent J as he bumbles through the '60s, desperately trying to sell his story to people who don't recognize him - or believe him. You can tell that Smith feels completely comfortable in the role, and in the signature suit, which still looks perfect on him, as he hasn't aged a day.

Tommy Lee Jones is ever the reliable curmudgeon, but the film mines extra laughs when J travels to the '60s and meets a much younger version of his partner, played by Josh Brolin. Brolin looks enough like Jones to pass for him, but it's really his studied delivery and mannerisms that sell the performance. We also get some insight into how K has evolved over the years (he's always had a penchant for cowboy music, but he also used to be a bit of a dreamer), giving the film an extra layer to the enjoyable banter between J and K.

I'm not usually one to gush about 3D, but the special effects really come to life in Men in Black 3 in a way they never did in the first two movies. Not only do the aliens look creepier than ever, but the cartoonish feel of the film is taken to the next level with the 3D aspect, especially with the time-travel thrill-ride element. Much like with the 3D movies from my youth, I found myself shrinking in my seat just to avoid being too close to the alien goo, blood, breath, and beyond. Combined with the welcome return of Will Smith, you've got yourself a fun, mindless blockbuster.

Photos courtesy of Sony

Watch Andy Samberg Speak at Harvard's Graduation

Becky Kirsch — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:32:10 PDT

Andy Samberg brings the funny for Harvard grads - The Hollywood Reporter
Find out who's hooking up in the new season of True Blood - Zap2It
Justin Timberlake is making music again! - HuffPost Entertainment
More new footage from The Dark Knight Rises - BuzzFeed
You'll never believe what Nicole Kidman does to Zac Efron in their new movie - The Frisky
Will Smith's best movies - Rotten Tomatoes
See which classic horror film is coming to TV -/Film
Here's a preview for the new season of So You Think You Can Dance - ET Online
Jennifer Love Hewitt says The Client List makes her feel like a hooker - TrèsSugar

Cannes Minireview: The Sapphires

Allie Merriam — Thu, 24 May 2012 03:05:00 PDT

The Sapphires has turned out to be one of the sleeper hits to emerge from Cannes, thanks to The Weinstein Company, which has already acquired rights to the film. I caught a screening of the funny film from Down Under during the festival, so read on to find out what I thought.

Who's behind it? Director Wayne Blair was behind the lens of the picture, which is based on a play by Tony Briggs. Briggs's mother and her family actually inspired the story. Chris O'Dowd of Bridesmaids fame is the leading man. The movie's four leading ladies all have varying degrees of fame in Australia: Jessica Mauboy is a musical star after a turn on Australian Idol, and Deborah Mailman was the first Aboriginal actress to win the country's prestigious Australian Film Institute award for best actress. Relative newcomers Miranda Tapsell and Shari Sebbens round out the cast.
What's it about? It's a story about a group of Aboriginal women who overcome significant obstacles in Australia to pursue their dreams of singing in 1968. When the ladies run into Dave (O'Dowd) at a local singing contest, he agrees to be their manager and help them get a gig touring Vietnam to entertain US troops. There are subplots about racism and Australia's "lost generation" (until the 1970s, the government stole light-skinned Aboriginal children to be raised by whites elsewhere). Mainly, though, there is a lot of singing, dancing, and '60s-era costumes.

To read what I thought, just read more

Video: The Sapphires Cast Shines at Cannes - It's an "Out-of-Body Experience!"

Karli Bulnes — Mon, 21 May 2012 16:35:00 PDT

Bridesmaids star Chris O'Dowd escorted a new group of women to the big Cannes Film Festival premiere of The Sapphires. Hear our chat with the director and cast about the much-buzzed-about musical movie in today's PopSugar Rush.