A Chorus Line : Chorus Line Remake???

Chorus Line Remake???

Its been 21 years since A Chorus Line became a semi-disastrous movie. I'm sorry, I liked it BUT it could have been so much better. My question is- IF they made a remake of the movie HOW would u like the movie to be like & WHO would u cast for each role?????? Just some food for thought.........

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I think Michael Beresse from the revival of a Chorus Line would be perfect to just stay in the role he's doing: Zach

Official Member of the APEA (adam pascal eyelashaholics anonymous)

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I did not like Michael at all.

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i really wouldn't care so much who would be who just as long as they can sing and dance and if they kept the original choreography instead of making it 'to the time' like this movie was very '80s then it'd be fabulous!!!

and i do agree in putting Michael Beresse in there, he's great!

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If they redo A Chorus Line (and God knows, it's a movie that NEEDS a remake), have Rob Marshall and/or Bill Condon do it and have Patrick Wilson as Zach. I don't know if he's a good dancer, but I know he's a great singer.

Hopelessly in love with Uma Thurman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Emmy Rossum

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I think as of now Patrick's too young. He probably could be on the line.

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I think it could be huge. I wanna audition.

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And Jennifer Hudson as Maggie.

Hopelessly in love with Uma Thurman, Ziyi Zhang, Emmy Rossum, and Vanessa Ferlito

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that's actually an awesomee idea!!

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If ever a movie musical needed to be remade, it's this one.

We all love you Mr. Attenborough, but courteously request that you keep your directorial hands away from musicals in the future

Official and proud Bleeder, Jekkie, Phan, and Rent-head

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I want this to be remade so bad!!!! It's a very easy premise...it could either stay in the 80's or set to today...the stories of the chorus still resonate in today's youth and as well, back then. Keep the original choreography, original songs, a new musical film director and you've got it! Condon or Marhsall (even Shankman a movie director/choreographer) would be great but I think they have their hands full with other musical film ideas but they would be great choices!!! :D:D

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Why even discuss fantasy casting? If they were to remake it, which they should, they should choose a cast of unknowns... talented signer/dancer/actors who can bring freshness to the roles, who would actually be grunts trying out and hoping for success.

I mean, do you want a "name" like Audrey Landers?

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> it could either stay in the 80's or set to today

If we are talking about another attempt at adapting A Chorus Line from stage to screen, as opposed to remaking *this* movie version, (and I think that is only approach that makes any sense) ......

Then that should say "in the 70's", not "in the 80's". The stage musical was produced in the 1970's.

Unless you want to start rewriting dialog and some song lyrics, I think you keep it in the 1970's. A Chorus Line was not written with an eye toward "timeless" language use or an avoidance of time-specific references and icons (such as Steve McQueen).

As for the original question of *how* to do it:

Return to the fundamental soul of the show. That means putting the audience in the position of identifying *entirely* with the dancers. That means that Zach stays a disembodied voice in the dark. We should never see his face or learn anything about his problems / desires / etc. Making Zach an actual fully realized three dimensional *person* in the mind of the audience just screws things up by splitting the audience's identification and allegiance.

In some stories making the audience see and identify with all sides of the story is a good thing that makes the whole experience deeper. This is not one of those stories. In this case, seeing the other side just serves to dilute the whole experience.

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Excellent comments. I couldn't agree more. I've seen this show on stage several times and it could have made a beautiful movie if they hadn't tried so hard to make it "appeal to people who don't like musicals."

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I don't think it should be remade, or even have been a movie in the first place. It was created for the stage, set on a stage, about performing on the stage... IMHO, it really only works on a stage.

To be fair, I really liked the movie - until I saw the show live, as it was supposed to be seen.

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Rosario Dawson as Morales

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No, no no. It didn't work the first time. I don't think it would translate well to the screen. Many things could have been done better in the first movie, but even if they had been fixed it still would have come across as a stage project being shoehorned into a movie.
Still, I never though 'Chicago' would make as good a movie as it did.

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Rosario Dawson as Morales


Oh God no.

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This movie had myriad problems, and I wouldn't mind seeing a proper film version of the play, but I just don't think it would happen...they just need to film a performance of the stage show and put it on DVD.

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first off, lemme just say that i didnt read thru ALL the replies on here. secondly, i saw Sebastian LaCause on the tour and loved his Zach.

finally, i really think that rather than try and remake the film, 'cos they'd probly just fu*k it up again - they should have filmed it live on Broadway ala Rent Filmed Live on Broadway. that would have been a MUCH better idea in my personal opinion.

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I think they should film the play with a great cast. The movie just didn't work (especially the absurd idea of giving Cassie "What I Did for Love")

"I love corn!"

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Hey Latin,

Sorry, you wrote this 3 years ago and I'm just seeing it now...but good questions! "Semi-disastrous movie" you say? Try TOTAL disaster! You never mention if you have seen the stage play....if not, hopefully by now you've seen the revival. Over the years I have seen it a dozen times in every venue from Broadway to local dinner theater and where the movie went wrong (as with MOST movie versions of successful stage plays,) is you DON'T mess with the "magic!" You don't drop beloved songs ("Hello Twelve-Hello Thirteen," and the "Music and the Mirror,")and write new ones.....LAME ones at that ("Surprise" and "Let me Dance for you.") You don't change the focus on characters and story lines as well as who performs those songs. You don't use it as a showcase for a "name" actor and lessen the strength and importance of the other characters. AND...you don't change the choreography! There is a reason these productions are hits and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out.....don't MESS with the FORMULA!

As to your question of who to star? I think once again the secret is with "unknowns." Just as in the original. At that time, they were all basically just chorus people who were interviewed and their own stories, brought to life with music added, in the production of "A Chorus Line." And as a couple others who responded to your questions here, I think the best and safest way to remake ACL, is to film a life stage performance. That way, they CANNOT screw up what is truly magic, on stage. Thanks for bringing this up, and long live "A Chorus Line!"

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I'm looking forward to 'And,' the documentary about the revival.

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And is now called Every Little Step

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I'd like to see Blane Savage as Zach.
Other roles, I'd have to think about.

xoxo Editgal

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Some movies just don't translate well to the big screen. I wish I had seen the stage version of this. I've heard the soundtrack and I liked it. But this movie failed of capturing any magic. I think a remake would be a bad idea. It's too late, they had the chance and screwed it up. If they did remake it, I bet they'd find a way to incorporate hip hip into it like they did with Fame. Can you imagine anything more vile than that.

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I'm watching it right now on Ovation. It's horrible.

Shankman, Condon, and Marshall are good, obvious choices. Alan Parker would have been a good choice at the time.

But to take it in a new direction, it would be interesting to see what Julie Taymor could do with it.

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Aubrey O'Day for Val

(that is a perfect role for her. she looks the part and acts just like Val.. and she is on broadway!!!)

"Obama/Biden, McCain/Palin, what? Megan/Brandi C. should be running for office this November"

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If a remake is done I think Neve Campbell would be perfect as an actress could be for the role of Cassie due to her age as well as dance experience. I also think that Alyson Stoner would be good as one of the younger characters for the same reasons.

Anybody want a peanut ?

- Fezzik, " The Princess Bride " ( 1987 )

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I could never sit through this movie. Out of curiosity, I've tried. David Denby (who was a critic for New York Magazine at the time) described the movie perfectly when he said it "isn't a disaster but it's not very good either."

It's ripe for a remake but doing so is problematic. As a stage play, "A Chorus Line" is one of the best. It works because it is about theater played IN a theater. It is one of the best examples of how material that works well in the medium it was created for can be difficult to translate into another. You see this in any kind of material where the original form works better than any attempt to translate it into another.

Only someone like Bob Fosse could have made it work really well. He was one of the few directors who knew how to translate stage works into effective movies. There's likely someone out there who could do it but I can't think of any current director who could and don't let Rob Marshall do it.

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The main problem I have with the film (even though I like it) is that they placed to much emphasis on the relationship between Zac and Cassie. In the stage version no more emphasis is placed on them than is placed on everyone else's story. Also what possessed them to change the entire meaning of "What I Did For Love".

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It's really ready for a great remake. the time is right , with the success of Glee and all. For the part of Zach that was played by Michael Douglass I think Matthew McConaughey would be brilliant. And some some young people that can really sing and dance and act. As for a director I'm all ears as to suggestions.

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I have been playing around with this idea for a while now. I have a bit of an idea for some of the cast members.

Cassie - Christina Applegate

Diana - Karen Olivo

Mike - Kenny Wormwald

Sheila - Anne Hathaway

Zach - Hugh Jackman

Richie - Elijah Kelly

Val - Jessica Lee Goldyn

Judy - Laura Osnes

Paul - Robin De Jesus

Just toying around, I know some people might eye-roll at some of my picks.

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i would like play val if there is ever a remake of this movie

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Get famous actors for Zack and Cassie and then just cast up-and-coming actors/dancers for the rest of the ensemble.

Passenger side, lighting the sky
Always the first star that I find
You're my satellite...

Re: Chorus Line Remake???

A Chorus Line is great on the stage, and that is where it should remain. It does not lend itself well to film.
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