Tristar Pictures has tapped Oscar winnerBill Condonto direct its newGuys and Dollsmovie, for which the studio has high hopes given Hollywood’s current obsession with musicals betweenIn the Heightsand the upcomingWest Side Storyas well asDear Evan Hansen.
Condon certainly comes with a musical pedigree, as not only did he directDreamgirlsand Disney’s live-actionBeauty and the Beastmovie, which grossed more than $1 billion worldwide, but he also wrote 2002’s Best Picture winner Chicago, and co-wroteHugh Jackman’s recent hitThe Greatest Showman.
A remake ofGuys and Dollswas once in development at 20th Century Fox, whereChanning TatumandJoseph Gordon-Levittwere once poised to play the roles popularized byMarlon BrandoandFrank Sinatrain the hit 1955 film. Eventually, the studio’s rights lapsed and TriStar swooped in to purchase the rights package, which included the remake rights to the 1955 movie and the rights to the Broadway musical with its book byJo SwerlingandAbe Burrowsand its music byFrank Loesser, as well as the originalDamon Runyonshort stories about gangsters and gamblers that serve as the basis for the story ofGuys and Dolls.
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Deadlinebroke the news of Condon’s hiring, reporting that the director had been weighing several projects around town before sparking to TriStar’s enthusiasm forGuys and Dolls, which the studio aims to get off the ground quickly.John GoldwynandMarc Toberoffare producing the new film, which TriStar executivesNicole BrownandShary Shiraziwill oversee on behalf of the studio.
Guys and Dollspremiered on Broadway in 1950 and won the Tony Award for Best Musical. There have been several Broadway and London revivals over the years, including a 1992 revival, starringNathan Lanethat was nominated for seven Tony Awards, winning three. It’s the kind of macho musical that young male audiences may feel more comfortable embracing, and Condon is a smart hire, even though I sure would love to see a female filmmaker (who isn’tJulie Taymor) tackle one of these big studio musicals. That issue aside, I look forward to seeing who Condon casts in the lead roles – especially the female leads played byJean SimmonsandVivian Blainein the 1955 film.
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