There has actually been some decent amount of Hunchback related stuff that popped up in 2015 opposed the last few years where there has been much other that Josh Brolin popping up to say something about his movie that will never be I’m guessing.

So 2015 started off with the sad news. On October 24th 2015 Maureen O’Hara, who played Esmeralda in the 1939 movie version of Hunchback passed away at the age of  95.  The 1939 version is considered to be one of the best Hunchback version. It was also O’Hara’s American debut.

Musicals next; The Notre Dame de Paris 10 year anniversary tour in Korea which was French language. Notre Dame de Paris in Asian isn’t anything new but this was the first time in a while for a French Production to be presented.  There also a new Italian cast the uses member from the original cast. But that is set not next year, but this cast has been catching my attention and just recently did that cast come out so yeah, I’m including it here.

There was also the Disney Hunchback musical at the Paper mills Play house in March and April. Since it didn’t go to broadway there will more local productions so keep an ear out if one should be performed near you and it still might go to broadway someday, never say die. Also the cast recording of the Paper Mills and Lo Jolla casting is coming out next month so preorder here.

Also in April, Josh Groban did a cover of Le Temps de Cathedral on his Stages album. I wouldn’t say it did much to help Notre Dame de Paris’ popularity but people who didn’t know might have heard it so that is great.

Let’s what else. Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling named their baby Esmeralda which they directly sited Hunchback as being a favorite novel of their. First is a little funning because I a while ago I was looking up Celebrities and their favorite books and Hunchback never came up. Les Mis did. I sort of abandoned the idea due to how pretentious and/or how self severing their picks were, so I’m glad some actors liked the book.

But the BIGGEST news of the year is that there are 2, not one but 2 Hunchback movies in the works. One has been in the works for a while and is a independent movie from some actor who was in the second Sex and the City movie, Max Ryan. This version I don’t even know what to say. Everyt ime I try to make sense of it I’m reminded that there is a giant and a figment in the cast list and The Mask directors is going to direct so my expectations for this movie are low to hoping ti hilariously bad, but we’ll see maybe we’ll be surprised and it will be a really good version. Strangers things happen.

The second movie seems to be an off-shot of an idea for Once Upon a Time from 2013, a movie for Esmeralda’s POV, which I’m excited about. There hasn’t been a Esmeralda centric Hunchback version since the 1950’s and that was mostly a French movie. For Hollywood there has been a Hunchback version focusing on Esmeralda since Theda Bara’s 1917 movie The Darling of Paris. Not much is known about this movie other than it’s being spearhead by Peter Cherin and will focus on Esmeralda. I hope this movie is good and happens, you never know with movies.

Let’s hope 2016 has more Hunchback stuff!

Esmeralda (Gina Lollobrigida) with Phoebus (Jean Danet), 1956 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda (Gina Lollobrigida) with Phoebus (Jean Danet), 1956 Hunchback of Notre Dame

Last week it was announced  that one Peter Chernin was developing a new Hunchback of Notre Dame movie from Esmeralda’s perspective. This is a big deal for a few reasons.

First and foremost this idea originally was announced in 2013 as an idea for Once Upon a Time. Once it was announced that was the last anyone heard about it. It’s very unclear if this movie idea came from the Once Upon a Time idea or is a separate concept.

Second this is the first movie since the freaking lost films that Esmeralda as the focus character. Evert movie version since 1923 has been a Quasimodo movie. This also mean most movie versions made are vanity projects lead by a 40 something male actor looking to play emotional yet physically demanding role.

Looking in to Peter Chernin who is not and actor or a director but a business man turned producer who has his own production, Chernin Entertainment. So it’s more likely that this film will happen than other film version that are being made who wanted to be made. Though Max Ryan’s upcoming version which is set to start filming in Serbia is an independent movie.

Also all the new outlets that have report on this are calling it a Live-action. This that either they are connecting it to the Disney version because of the trend of live-action Disney movies is REALLY big right now, they are confused or does Chernin have titles to Disney? That is unclear and it’s still really early in development. But it’s fun that there are two new Hunchback movies in the works, good or bad.

Also one person on http://screenrant.com/hunchback-notre-dame-esmeralda-retelling/ implied Mila Kunis, Penelope Cruz, Aishwarya Rai, or Vanessa Hudgens for the role of Esmeralda. To which I say;

maybe, interesting because her sister Moinca was listed in negotiation for Esmeralda for the Max Ryan movie in like 2007, pushing it on age and her Hollywood debut never really panned out but we could get a kickass dance number if they cast a Bollywood actress, and lastly nope please no on Hudgens.

 

I hope they give the role to a new actress but I doubt they will but it will depend on Esmeralda background who they cast. I wish they would go with Esmeralda’s original backstory but they don’t I don’t care that much.

 

Who do you want to play Esmeralda?

 

I think we have all pretty much written this version off as ever getting made but the other day I couldn’t resist checking google news for it. And not surprsingly I didn’t find anything  but I did find it getting a minor plug in articles that were talking about Yimou’s Zhang upcoming movie Great Wall which were from December 2014, as the MOST recent. And all it said is that Zhang Yimou was linked to the Quasimodo movie. I just found that a little silly, (article here.)

 

Also just going to ask for the sake of  my curiosity, would anyone be interested in the blog go on Patreon? I somehow doubt there is much interest in supporting the blog in that capacity and that is okay  but I figure that getting average idea doesn’t hurt, it would also mean new exclusive content for patrons (pretty sure that is how it works.)   I just wanted to ask you, the readers for clarity.

We have a Cast! (I’m late on this news)

Michael Arden as Quasimodo Us Cast of Hunchback of Notre Dame Musical picture image

Michael Arden as Quasimodo

 

Michael Arden as Quasimodo

 

 

 

 

 

Patrick Page as Frollo Us Cast of Hunchback of Notre Dame Musical picture image

Patrick Page as Frollo

 

Patrick Page as Frollo

 

 

 

 

Ciara Renee as Esmeralda Us Cast of Hunchback of Notre Dame Musical picture image

Ciara Renee as Esmeralda

 

Ciara Renee as Esmeralda

 

 

 

 

Andrew Samonsky Phoebus  Us Cast of Hunchback of Notre Dame Musical picture image

Andrew Samonsky Phoebus

 

Andrew Samonsky as Phoebus

 

 

 

 

Erik Liberman as Clopin Us Cast of Hunchback of Notre Dame Musical picture image

Erik Liberman as Clopin

 

Erik Liberman as Clopin

 

 

 

Nothing I can find on Gargoyles or the Archdeacon, since they were in the original German version. We’ll see.

I will see if I can for later posts  find any info on these actors. I’m sure I find something.

Madeline looking scary in a in-between Frame Hunchback of Note Dame II Disney 2 Sequel picture image

Madeline looking scary in a in-between Frame of Hunchback of Note Dame II Disney

Back in July, I said that I was putting Fan-art Friday, Silly Sunday and saturday posts on hold for the rest of the summer. Well it’s November now and I have no plans on reviving them any time soon I’m sorry to say. That’s not to say I won’t post Fan-art if anyone wants to send it to me. I will post when and if it comes. It may not be on Fridays though.  Some goes for Silly stuff and NDdP, if I need to post something I will. But I don’t really miss the set days. Also this temporary I may revive these posts some day, just not for now.

And now something completely different;
For the next 6 months I have decide to torture myself. Every Thursday* I will review a Disney Sequel/Prequel/Midquel (that’s a stupid word). I’m going to go in order of their release dates and since I reviewed Hunchback II there no need to revisit that crap.   Once I’m done I will review a Non-Hunchback movie one Thursday a month.

So this should be fun and utterly painful for me, Enjoy!

(I will start  Nov 21st but will skip the next  Thursday because of the Holiday)

 “ABC Orders HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME Event Series

Victor Hugo’s classic novel THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME is headed to television.

According to DeadlineABC has ordered a limited event series from SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN’s Evan Daughterty, titled ESMERELDA.

The project is “a period drama, which re-imagines The Hunchback Of Notre Dame through the eyes of beautiful Gypsy Esmeralda.”

As BWW previously reported, Disney Theatrical Productions is also in the process of bringing the classic Parisian tale to Broadway. The show, with music by Alan Menken, lyrics byStephen Schwartz, and book by James Lapine premiered in Germany as Der Glöckner von Notre Dame. The musical is based on the 1996 Disney film, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which was inspired by the 1831 novel of the same name. The company’s first musical to premiere outside the U.S., it ran for three years, becoming one of Berlin’s longest-running musicals.

Read more about ABC Orders HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME Event Series – BWWTVWorld by www.broadwayworld.com

Taken from http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/ABC-Orders-HUNCHBACK-OF-NOTRE-DAME-Event-Series-20130918

Pardon me I  need figure out if I’m happy about, upset, or annoyed that it’s ABC’s doing………? I wonder who they will get to play Esmeralda?

(a Note-This is a little off-the cuff and I’m sleepy as I’m writing this (it’s like 2am))

Apparently the universe wants me to look bad because now that did I post where I did a “check-in” to show nothing was happening on the Brolin’s vanity project a.k.a Brolin’s Hunchback movie  there is some actual news of the on Josh Brolin’s Hunchback other than an adjective. Now the film is called “Quasimodo” (excuse me while I gag a bit).  It seems like Zhang Yimou will taking the helm on this project.  Zhang directed  Hero,  House Of Flying Daggers and The Flowers Of War. I liked Hero and I thought House of Flying Dagger was ok-ish. I didn’t see Flowers of War.

I have to say I’m glad Tim Burton isn’t directing “Quasimodo” though frankly I wouldn’t have cared if he did. I would love to have seen how he made everything all black and white and quirky.  Zhang does seem to have his own style but I hope the film isn’t a  action martial art movie but with pretty imagery. But given the Brolin’s interviews, Brolin himself, the script by the Sherlock Holmes writers, and now the director, I think this is going to be a Hunchback movie that will have an inappropriate amount of action in it. But to tell you the true I’m more caught up in the name “Quasimodo.” The Hunchback of Notre Dame is bad enough robbing the original titular characters of Esmeralda and the cathedral but at least there  is an air of mystery to it, but these singular one word titles are meant to sound all epic. Plus this whole movie is Brolin’s vanity project and he can’t let anyone forget that like ever. He is this movie. Oh, why couldn’t have been a better actor’s vanity project?

I’m not sure if my expectations are lower or up a little from this news. Maybe the promise of director who has made some lovely movies has up it but the dumb title has made it go crashing down.  Actually, I take it back, I have don’t have any expectations for this movie really.  I hope it’s bad, It’s more fun for me if it is.

Sourcehttp://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/zhang-yimou-circles-hollywood-debut-with-josh-brolin-starring-quasimodo

 

Source;  http://www.firstshowing.net/2013/hero-director-zhang-yimou-to-direct-quasimodo-starring-josh-brolin/ 

Josh Brolin Interview for Men in Black picture image

Josh Brolin Interview for Men in Black

Let’s check in and see how the “Jazzy” and “Funky” Brolin version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame is going……

Google Search on The Josh Brolin Version of Hhunchback  picture image

Google Search on The Josh Brolin Version of Hunchback

Nothing since May 2012! In all seriousness, Brolin is going to be in new movie. It’s a disaster movie that takes place on Mt.Everest. He is going to be in Spike Lee’s remake of Oldboy which slated to come out in Novmeber.  So when he start promoting Oldboy maybe he will add the word “hip” to describe his Hunchback movie. And when he is promoting the Everest movie he will introduced the word  “Spicy” into the mix. So we’ll have a Jazzy, Funky, Hip, Spicy version of  The Hunchback of Notre Dame.