Rent the Movie to be Directed by Chris Columbus
 

Movie is currently at pre-production. I guess it should be released for the winter holiday run.

Re: Rent the Movie to be Directed by Chris Columbus
 

Rent is the most overrated production in American history.

Past that - I'm sure this will be a blockbuster, I just hope it's done well so I don't have to hear whiney rentaholics bitch about how bad the movie version was compared to the stage show.

oh
I thought this thread said we should rent a movie being directed by Chris Columbus.

And Rent is at least a step up from Les Mis. They guy steals a loaf of bread to feed his family and is riddled with guilt for the rest of his life. All over a piece of toast? :rolleyes:

Here's the cast list from IMDB. Almost all the members of the original Broadway cast are in it, reprising their roles. There are a couple exceptions, most notably Rosario Dawson as Mimi. Joanne is also played by a different actress. So it should be pretty good.

Well, you'd have to blame that part on Victor Hugo.

Glad to see Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs.

Re: Re: Rent the Movie to be Directed by Chris Columbus
 

Nuh-uh. That would have to be "Cats," unless depiste its disturbingly long run on Broadway, it's disqualified from being the most overrated production in American history because it started out in London.

525,600 minutes...
 

I am a die hard RENT fanatic. Funny how I give Mr. 1228 grief on how he knows almost every line in the movie "Rocky" I am the same with RENT. I recently hunted down and replaced my hardback book and I am surprised I haven't worn out the soundtrack (which is in my car CD player right now)

I hope the movie is done well and does right by the late Jonathan Larson.

I will be seeing it opening night come hell or high water

Re: Re: Rent the Movie to be Directed by Chris Columbus
 

Seriously. There is definitely the potential for lots of bitching (because when is there not bitching when a well-loved book/musical/whatever is translated to film, even when it IS done well?), and it's going to drive me nuts.

The cast list looks decent so far. I'm just glad that we're not being subjected to Britney Spears as Maureen, etc.

And I'm going to have to go with Cats for #1 overrated musical, too. Rent is definitely overrated (although I enjoyed it even so), but I don't think it comes close to topping Cats, much less Phantom or Les Miserables. Although it has plenty of time to work on that the longer it runs (Drew Lachey what?).

ETA: I'm not sure how well this musical will translate to a movie format. It seems like it will be hard to do well. Any guesses?

Re: Re: Re: Rent the Movie to be Directed by Chris Columbus
 

It's obviously up for interpretation, but most people I know (regardless of theater exposure) see Rent as some sort of transcendant work of art and pathos - as opposed to Cats or Phantom of the Opera, which are 'like seeing a movie' in that it's pure entertainment (whether or not they're entertaining is another topic).

Rent has become almost a lampoon of what its die-hard fans consider it to be, although I get the 'ground-breaking' nature of its music or whatever. It's just not that well-written, and it doesn't really do anything all that important past the introduction of 'taboo' topics like homosexuality and AIDS to a 100 year old story - and those topics are not nearly as taboo now (if they are at all) as in say 1992. It's pretty cool that I got paid for writing this, though, so it's not a total waste - sorry for the hijack arya.

I love RENT....I am not a "fanatic" about it but I have seen it four times both in London and the US, is that bad? lol.

I hope this movie is good, although I do have my doubts. I am happy to see a few of my favorite people back although I wish they had kept Maureen!

Hmm...being produced by Robert DiNero...interesting!