I was really excited when I heard they are currently filming this movie...It will be great to see another musical on the big screen..ahh! The cast looks pretty good too... IMDB says it will be released December 25, 2004... so what are everyones opinions?


Credited cast:
Gerard Butler .... The Phantom
Emmy Rossum .... Christine Daaé
Patrick Wilson .... Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny
Simon Callow .... Monsieur Andre
Miranda Richardson .... Madame Giry
Minnie Driver .... Carlotta Guidicelli
Jennifer Ellison .... Meg Giry
James Fleet .... Monsieur Lefevre
Ciarán Hinds .... Monsieur Firmin
Victor McGuire .... Ubaldo Piangi
Murray Melvin .... Monsieur Reyer

I loved the musical on stage, even though I never saw Michael Crawford play the phantom. I'm looking forward to the movie.

Call me a purist but I don't think a new film version can even come CLOSE to the stage. Phantom of the Opera is the epitome of stage production and you can't stick that on the screen and expect it to come off the same. Maybe I'm just anti-new musicals in general because the magic just isn't there that was in the old ones and is in stage musicals (Broadway and off)

Besides, Michael Crawford IS the Phantom

Originally posted by Titania
Call me a purist but I don't think a new film version can even come CLOSE to the stage. Phantom of the Opera is the epitome of stage production and you can't stick that on the screen and expect it to come off the same. Maybe I'm just anti-new musicals in general because the magic just isn't there that was in the old ones and is in stage musicals (Broadway and off)

Besides, Michael Crawford IS the Phantom

It has been on the big screen at least four or five times but all of them flopped. And, Michael Crawford is the ORIGINAL and nobody can nor will ever replace the ORIGIANL!!!

I'm excited about this, having seen the play numerous times. Andrew Lloyd Webber's music for Phantom of The Opera is beautiful beyond words. I play the CD at home often, and I know it by heart.

I recall a few years ago that Antonio Banderas was being considered for the role of the movie Phantom. I guess that fell by the wayside.

As much as I LOVE the play....actually, I was sort of obsessed with it a few years back, I'm very open to a movie version. I saw the movie Chicago and the Chicago play last week, and I liked the movie much better.

I'll take Phantom any way I can get it. If my local middle school was performing it, I'd see that. :)

Is Alan Cumming not in it anymore?

Originally posted by Janice
I'm excited about this, having seen the play numerous times. Andrew Lloyd Webber's music for Phantom of The Opera is beautiful beyond words. I play the CD at home often, and I know it by heart.

I recall a few years ago that Antonio Banderas was being considered for the role of the movie Phantom. I guess that fell by the wayside.

As much as I LOVE the play....actually, I was sort of obsessed with it a few years back, I'm very open to a movie version. I saw the movie Chicago and the Chicago play last week, and I liked the movie much better.

I'll take Phantom any way I can get it. If my local middle school was performing it, I'd see that. :)
I found this article about why he didnt get the role...


Banderas Loses Phantom Role


Latin star Antonio Banderas has lost his role in the film version of Phantom Of The Opera. Banderas was keen to work with the Phantom's creator Andrew Lloyd Webber, but has now been side-lined due to his recent string of box-office flops. While musical genius Lloyd-Webber is a massive fan of Banderas, he believes he needs a more bankable movie star to play the tragic anti-hero portrayed by British actor Michael Crawford on stage. Last March an eager Banderas was enthusing about the role. He gushed, "I know Phantom like I wrote it - not just Phantom but practically everything that Andrew wrote. Two weeks ago, Andrew called me. He was very excited on the phone and said: 'Antonio, we got it. We've got the script that we want to have. And I wrote the new music I wanted to write.'" John Travolta is now said to be keen to take the part, but a spokeswoman for the composer says, "No casting decisions have been made at all."

Originally posted by Georgia's on my Mind
I found this article about why he didnt get the role...

Thanks for posting that. I'm wondering if casting is complete or not. I'd like to see a big name in the lead role.
:)

Originally posted by Titania
Call me a purist but I don't think a new film version can even come CLOSE to the stage.

My predicaments exactly.

I can't picture Bandaras and/or Travolta!! Get Crawford!! He is the one, the only, the ORIGINAL Phantam!!

I'm bumping this post up again, because I just saw the first promo pic...I don't know..it just doesn't look like it's going to be that great, but I guess it's too early to tell...I don't like these costumes though.

http://img11.photobucket.com/albums/v35/vleigh39/phantom.jpg

Originally posted by EricIdlefan
It has been on the big screen at least four or five times but all of them flopped. And, Michael Crawford is the ORIGINAL and nobody can nor will ever replace the ORIGIANL!!!

The musical has NEVER been adapted for a movie. There are several movies of the book, but they didn't have the music that made the tale so famous :)

There was supposed to be a movie adaptation years ago with the originals (Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman) but that ended when Sarah Brightman and Andrew Lloyd Webber got divorced. :( That would have been a fantastic show.

I personally can't wait for this movie to come out. I'm such a fan of the stage show, but when you go to see it, you can only see it ONCE. (Far too expensive to keep going back) but the movie you can watch over and over. Besides that, the movie's got to have some much better special effects (like the chandelier crash).

It's funny you guys posted the cast list from Imdb, cuz I'm the one that entered in many of the names. I'd found an article, don't ask me where, that had those names listed. :D

How many times have you seen the show on Broadway Liza?? Just wondering!!

Originally posted by EricIdlefan
How many times have you seen the show on Broadway Liza?? Just wondering!!

I've only seen the touring company. I live too far away from New York :(

Andrew Lloyd Webber might be doing a 'Sunset Boulevard', 'Joseph and The Technicolored Dreamcoat' and another 'Jesus Christ Superstar' movie adaptation. From Chicago was released, everywhere's looking to do a musical- he wants to make all his huge plays into movies now.

Originally posted by webuster
Andrew Lloyd Webber might be doing a 'Sunset Boulevard', 'Joseph and The Technicolored Dreamcoat' and another 'Jesus Christ Superstar' movie adaptation. From Chicago was released, everywhere's looking to do a musical- he wants to make all his huge plays into movies now.

It surprises me that he'd do "Joseph" and "Jesus Christ Superstar" when he just did them for TV and those were huge successes. Also there's already a movie version of "Jesus Christ Superstar." I hope he does some of his shows that haven't been adapted for TV/movies. "Sunset Boulevard," "Song and Dance," "Starlight Express," etc :)

Originally posted by Liza
It surprises me that he'd do "Joseph" and "Jesus Christ Superstar" when he just did them for TV and those were huge successes. Also there's already a movie version of "Jesus Christ Superstar." I hope he does some of his shows that haven't been adapted for TV/movies. "Sunset Boulevard," "Song and Dance," "Starlight Express," etc :)
Do you happen to like Cole Porter musicals?

Originally posted by Georgia's on my Mind
Do you happen to like Cole Porter musicals?

:lol: I love all musicals, I really do. Cole Porter's great: Kiss Me Kate, Anything Goes, and The Pirate :D

Originally posted by Liza
:lol: I love all musicals, I really do. Cole Porter's great: Kiss Me Kate, Anything Goes, and The Pirate :D
OoO cool! Have you heard of the movie "De-Lovely" which is coming out this summer? I am so excited about it.

Originally posted by Georgia's on my Mind
OoO cool! Have you heard of the movie "De-Lovely" which is coming out this summer? I am so excited about it.

You're kidding! No, I had no idea that was coming out! :)

That'll be great.

Originally posted by Georgia's on my Mind
I was really excited when I heard they are currently filming this movie...It will be great to see another musical on the big screen..ahh! The cast looks pretty good too... IMDB says it will be released December 25, 2004... so what are everyones opinions?

As Balki would say on "Perfect Strangers", "GET OUT OF THE CITY!!!"

I LOVE and own the Michael Crawford sondtrack to this musical. I was so hard up for this musical to become a movie that I bought a videotaped version of the broadway play, syncronized it mathematically, and dubbed the Michael Crawford soundtrack over it to create a movie editing project.

There was an attempt to make this film a feature in 1991. In fact, it was supposed to have starred Antonio Banderes, and Directed by Joel Shumacher. I downloaded the script, of course, you can get the meat of the script when you buy the CD soundtrack.

It all started in late 1999, when my Grandma talked about the black and white Phantom version she grew up with. She talked about it at Thanksgiving, and I knew there was a musical about it. She died not long after, and then I went to the library and was curious about the musical. I then played the CD and the song "think of me" reminded me of my Grandma, and the love she showed me in my life. Then, I became hooked on the story and the entire soundtrack itself.

The lyrics to "Think Of Me":

Christine (Sarah Brightman)
Think of me
think of me fondly,
when we've said
goodbye.
Remember me
once in a while -
please promise me
you'll try.

When you find
that, once
again, you long
to take your heart back
and be free -
if you
ever find
a moment,
spare a thought
for me ...

We never said
our love
was evergreen,
or as unchanging
as the sea -
but if
you can still
remember,
stop and think
of me ...

Think of all the things
we've shared and seen -
don't think about the things
which might have been ...

Think of me,
think of me waking,
silent and
resigned.

Imagine me,
trying too hard
to put you
from my mind.

Recall those days,
look back
on all those times,
think of the things
we'll never do -
there will
never be
a day, when
I won't think
of you ...

Andrew Crawford and his singing really touches my heart and hits a nerve!!

*dies* *freaks out* *dies again*

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