Idris Elba
A few days ago it was announced that Idris Elba is going to direct, star, and produce, and create the music for an upcoming version of Hunchback. I want to make a joke about him catering the project too but only because The Critic TV show.
This version will be a Netflix original and will be a modern version, so akin to Quasimodo d’el Paris though I doubt it will be a comedy BUT it was the last movie version to be made. However according the vulture and THR articles it will be a “sonic and musical experience,” so a musical.
This will not be Elba’s first foray in directing, producing, or music. He has directed Yardie and the Netflix comedy series Turn up Charlie. He has a music credit on Jay-Z’s American Gangster soundtrack album back in 2007 as well as other credits. He is also a DJ and a musician. Elba is producing the film alongside his producing partner Ana Garanito, Fred Berger (La La Land), and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones (Midnight Special).
The project is also being written by Michael Mitnick, who has written screenplay for The Giver, The Current War and The American.
While this is exciting, I would like to see a release date before I get too hyped.
What are your thoughts on this project? A Modern Musical of Hunchback on Netflix? Or are you more hyped to find what what Josh Brolin means by “Jazzy”? Or making sense of the roles in the Max Ryan version?
(Sources)
http://www.vulture.com/2018/05/idris-elba-playing-hunchback-of-notre-dame-for-netflix.html
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/idris-elba-star-hunchback-notre-dame-netflix-1111638
http://collider.com/idris-elba-hunchback-of-notre-dame-netflix/
I tought this was a hypotetycal casting post lol.
Well, I’d like a new version, a modern setting would be interesting.
What about now, where France is against Romani people and persecuting them again?
Adèle Exarchopoulos would make a pretty Esmeralda, she has a raw beauty that is nice, plus she is baby faced and young looking.
Perhaps Marine Vacth? I think she is really gorgeous, but she doesn’t looks very Esmeralda for me, more Fleur.
I would love a casting with french actors (since I’m half french and the story is full french ;) ), Gaspard Ulliel would be a hot Phoebus.
Those are great suggestions I will have to make posts for all three!
Thanks for the suggestions. ^^
While I am interested in a new, modernized musical adaptation…my big question is why Netflix did just take the French musical and place it in a modern setting; the music, lyrics…etc. are already done. But, then again, I guess having big names and “A” listers helps both the adaptation and Netflix. If they’re going with a modernization, I do have to wonder, which storyline they’ll go with…especially, if it is a musical. I still want to know what Brolin meant by, “jazzy” and the Max Ryan adaptation would be…interesting. I think the roles need some explanation-who/what are The Giant and The Figment? It’s been roughly twenty years, so I’d be happy with just about anything at this point. And something everyone seems to be good at: announcing a new adaptation without any kind of release date…or in Brolin’s case, changing the release date constantly.
While I would love to a movie adaptation of Notre Dame de Paris, I don’t see it ever being done. Making a musical for a film media might just be easier to make plus it seems like this is a passion project to Elba so I can him making his own songs/music for it.
I do wonder if the reason Brolin mentioned his version of Hunchback a week before Elba’s version was an attempt to get ahead of the news story, but I don’t know.
We’ll just have to wait and see which version gets out first but I hope they all get made and released because the Giant and Figment confuse me as does the word “jazzy.” ^_~