ONLY A KID, BUT HARD TO SCARE: Finalists for the role of Éponine in the Crowe-Jackman Les Misérables appear to be Scarlett Johansson, Evan Rachel Wood, Lea Michele, and Taylor Swift.
And remember, Isaac: they already cast Anne Hathaway (as Fantine).
I wonder if anyone checked to see if the Olson sister from Marlene can sing.
ReplyDeleteHey, here's a thought; can they do the right (though radical) thing and completely eliminate Gavroche? Because in terms of the musical, he's a horribly annoying character.
I think of those four, Taylor Swift is the one I'd pick. The others are too old or just too "solid." Evan Rachel Wood would have been perfect when she was on Once and Again, but that was many years and one Marilyn Manson ago.
ReplyDeleteI'm still annoyed that my one-man campaign to get Darren Criss cast as Marius didn't come to fruition. (He could still be Enjolras!)
ReplyDeleteScarJo? I love her, but NO. I think I'd also be against Taylor Swift, for no reason in particular. Lea Michele is, of course, an obvious choice; it's too bad she's still stuck playing Rachel Berry, who's become pretty much an unplayable character. (When I saw her onstage in Spring Awakening, she was a very nice, warm presence, so I think she could still do it.)
Evan Rachel Wood -- now THERE is an intriguing idea. It's been a decade since this scene -- does she still have the pipes? (Sidenote: Man, I loved "Once and Again".)
Related: A while back, Cameron Mackintosh announced an upcoming all-Canadian stage revival of the show in Toronto for 2012. And - horror of horrors - he wanted BIEBER for Marius. He might still want Bieber for Marius, I'm not sure. But there are few casting choices that could be worse than that. Even Nick Jonas wouldn't be as bad a choice, and that was a pretty bad choice.
ReplyDeleteEddie Redmayne is apparently already set as Marius
ReplyDeleteJohansson--Way too glam, and even though she's 27, she reads considerably older than the other 3.
Michele--She can belt the songs, no question, but what does she bring to the table beyond that? Also, scheduling is a major problem--Glee would have to give her several episodes off, and while there's a solid argument a Rachel-light or even Rachel-free Glee would be a better show, I'm not sure they could swing it. (I also wonder about her net favorability--I think a lot of folks actively dislike her.)
Swift--Not a strong live singer, likely reads too "cute" as opposed to the battered sort of look that Eponine needs. That said, she would appeal to tweens/teen girls and country fans, which is an audience that the current cast doesn't necessarily sell to.
Wood--Probably would be my choice--strong actress who can sing. Studio may not like it since she's not a "name," but since they have Jackman/Crowe/Hathaway already, it's not exactly like they're short of name star.
Three words: Evan Rachel Wood. She can do anything.
ReplyDeleteANNE HATHAWAY
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I hadn't heard about Eddie Redmayne; he was excellent in Red last year.
ReplyDeleteI understand that i'm almost 8 months pregnant and have no name recognition, but I will never understand why I'm not being considered over these people. I can sing, I already know all the words, and not enough people actively dislike me to hurt the box office. My teenage self was ready to jump in and perform any role, any role at all, should they have needed it.
ReplyDeleteALT INPUT> NPH IN DRAG
ReplyDeleteShe sang a bunch in the Mildred Pierce miniseries. She can sing, certainly well enough to be auto-tuned for this movie.
ReplyDeleteThat was me.
ReplyDeleteMarhsa, you sang a bunch in the Mildred Pierce miniseries? Why didn't you tell us?
ReplyDeleteShe also did her own singing in Across the Universe, and was orginally going to play Mary Jane in Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark (opposite Alan Cumming as Green Goblin) before the first of the infinite retoolings of that. Not sure if she's got the belt that "On My Own" requires, but that's a question for any of them but Michele.
ReplyDeleteAnd here is my obligitory "when will we get season 3 of Once and again on DVD!?!?!?! whine. And then my usual follow up of "why did Evan Rachel Wood get all the attention and the career when Julia Whalen was just as good?"
ReplyDeleteRachel Berry graduates from William McKinley this year, so presumably eps off from Glee would be less difficult.
ReplyDeleteI'm still waiting for "Now and Again" on DVD.
ReplyDeleteNoooo! I love Gavroche!!
ReplyDeleteMeghan, I second that. My camp friends and I could have done every role in Les Miz, Rent, Ragtime, etc in our sleep. Where is the justice!?!?! (And way fewer people hate me than hate Lea Michele...)
ReplyDeleteThe mind reels.
ReplyDeleteCompletely agree that Wood is the best of these. Strong actress and not-cute is key.
ReplyDeleteI started out liking Lea Michele on Glee, but the show has made me strongly dislike her at this point (both her singing style on the show and her character, and not in a way that lets me separate her from the character thus far).
You were not alone in your Darren Criss campaign. I don't know who this Eddie Redmayne is, but I may not like him just because he took Darren's spot. As for Enjolras, maybe Darren can duke it out with NPH -- but someone would have to lose, and it would be us.
ReplyDeleteI loved ERW in Once and Again, but ever since Marilyn Manson (and her bratty turn in Mildred Pierce), I cannot hold her in my heart. Scarlet Johanssen is too ... too, and Lea Michele I think is too polished. I wish that didn't leave us with Taylor Swift.