Sunset Boulevard (ENO)

I'm struggling for a Max...

Do you want your legs slapped young man? Don't be putting horrific ideas like that out into the world. Someone might take you seriously! ...we've had enough of her twee underpowered trilling in movie musicals. Theres a Disney girl called Bridget Mendler who has both the pipes and the right 'steely girl next door' look for Betty.

Time for Sarah Harding to make her big screen debut?

If they get a good Joe and Betty, they could probably afford to go with someone not as well known for Max couldn't they? Like a Victor Garber or such like . . 

Shame she's too old or that'd be a good shout.

I wanna see Meryl Streep do all the roles... in EVERYTHING!

Theatre people are riding the Broadway/London wave with this. Glenn Close cannot sell a movie on her own. What comes across as a brilliant performance on the stage may not transfer as well to the screen. I know everyone raves about her, but she really cannot sing. Never could. Off the top of your head, aside from Fatal Attraction, name one movie of hers. You are comparing her selling power to those of Disney movie and the charasmatic pairing of Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. Glenn in the movie would need a very strong supporting cast. With recognizeable names. And a strong Joe who can sing and act.

I know this is a tired merry go round (and I'm in the monitory) but please no to Glenn in the film - her voice is WEAK and on the LA CD really unremarkable to listen to. Yes, I know in the flesh she can act the hell out of it but it's a MUSICAL and needs a SINGER.

She's also too old. Though if we are going with Nunn's Normas, Betty Buckley, EP or showbiz's most unlikely reconciliation (that'll never happen) between ALW and Patti would be better.

But please, cast someone new. Fair enough if they wanna film Close in the ENO version but the feature film needs to be epic and perfect for this incredible musical.

Well it's not going to be Elaine, Betty or Patti in a million years so if it isn't Glenn then who? 

I think, given what happened with Phantom, the last thing they would want to do is go with something new/different. 

No. It HAS to be Glenn. She'll act the hell out of it and they'll make her sound incredible. 

She has been nominated for five Oscars, and several Golden Globes, Emmys and Tonys. Off the top of my head The Big Chill, 101 Dalmations, Fatal Attraction, Dangerous Liasons and Albert Nobbs are fantastic films in which she is giving fantastic performances. As well as her show Damages which was on for however long. As well as that, her voice may not be the best singing voice, but matched with the character and performance, I completely buy it. On her selling power, they may need a male of equal stature as hers to play Joe, but otherwise they'll be fine.

How did the original movie do at the box office? I know it was critically acclaimed, especially Gloria in the lead, but did it do well in the box office?

I honestly don't care, and I'm not saying this in a bitchy or dismissive way at all.

Sunset Boulevard is my favorite musical, and has been since 1992 when I saw the Nunn version several times. Traveled back and forth to see it at the ENO, and was lucky to see it again on Broadway. But I'm just not that into movie musicals that have been made since the golden age of movie musicals. I suppose some of them worked (I'm in the monitory, but I think they did a good job with Dreamgirls). I just have difficulty sitting through a movie where they just randomly burst into song. It's a different case in the theatre.

The reality is, no one but Meryl Streep has the name recognition and ability to pull this off. In both Streep's and Close's case, they are a bit older than how old the character needs to be. So, I really don't know. It's evident that if this were to be made, it'll be Glenn Close's, so there's no point in playing casting fantasies. I think Jake Gyllenhal could do a fine Joe and also attract an audience.