yeah, well, i ve never seen the stage production. so this is a new version, obviously was filmed in the 60s by robert wise and jerome robbins. so this is a new version by steven spielberg, which on the one hand, it s a reimagining. there is centrally, in terms of the casting, it does away with a lot of the colour casting issues it does away with a lot of the casting issues of the originalfilm. it has a couple of terrific performances. rachel zegler s terrific, ariana debose is really, really good. i m not entirely convinced by ansel elgort, who i think is a kind of slightly weak male lead, but it doesn t matter because the film itself, and i don t mean this as a criticism, the film is really technically skilful, and when you are talking about a dance movie, technically skilful is a really important thing. it s ultra widescreen, it s 239. the look of the film, you know, it is a period of peace, and the look of the film is very much in keeping with the time of the film. they have made a
there is more communal experience that we are looking for and more joy. so i think maybe it is something to do with the pandemic. recently, apart from la la land in 2016, which was not an original stage production, rob marshall s chicago is the only other musical to find success as a film. it won the best picture oscar in 2002. the musicaljust celebrated its 25th consecutive year on broadway as a stage show. its producer knows something about what makes a hit. it has have a story worth telling and then all of the ingredients have to uphold that story. the piece has to say something, it has to be meaningful. there are some that are just pure
tonight, tonight reporter: a high bar to match when casting the new adaptation of the film. it was a global search. i posted one flyer on social media one day, and then it went viral. we had 35,000 people send in their audition tapes for four parts. i was looking for somebody who could act, sing, and dance. 50 cast members have never been in a movie before, including rachel, who is right out of playing princess fiona in her high school senior year production of shrek. honestly the hardest part to ultimately cast was bernardo. we had been looking for six months. reporter: cindy tolan remembered a 10-year-old from the stage production of david dropped out of the business. he just stopped acting. i had been backpacking in mexico for a couple years. i was kind of off-grid. and cindy sent me a private message. reporter: each actor received
villeneuve did, which is you cannot do the book in one film, you have to break it in two. i think this is pretty spectacular and even if you had not read the book he would so find much to enjoy. and the giant worms are really impressive. are they friendly giant worms? no, and they are really giant. i didn t think so. they are quite big, these worms. now the next one. dear evan hansen, this is gone from the stage to the screen. and has not been well received on screen but well received on stage. the story is a young socially awkward high school boy is told by his therapist to write letters to himself. here s a scene with ben platt who starred in the original stage production and julianne moore as his mother. so you just didn t eat last night? i wasn t hungry. you re a senior in high school, you need to be able to order dinner for yourself. you can do it all online, you don t have to talk to anybody. 0k, well that is not true, actually, you know, because the credit card| is expired so yo
here s a scene with ben platt who starred in the original stage production and julianne moore as his mother. so you just didn t eat last night? i wasn t hungry. you re a senior in high school, you need to be able to order dinner for yourself. you can do it all online, you don t have to talk to anybody? 0k, well, that s not true, actually, you know, because the credit cardi has expired so you have to meet |the delivery person at the door. | you know, you have to pay them with cash at the door, you have to greet them. you know, you have to figure out the right, the right. the proper greeting. 0k. this is what you re supposed to be working on, sweetheart. with dr sherman. have you been doing those letters he wants you to do? dear evan hansen. i definitely. i ve been trying to. those letters are important, honey. you have to keep working. you can t go back to where you were last year, right? you have an appointment this afternoon. i m working till six, so you are going to have to take