Alexandra Posted July 24, 2003 Share Posted July 24, 2003 This one's too good to languish on Links (thanks, Ari, for finding it): Well, it survived Matthew Bourne. But is it tough enough for Jean-Claude Van Damme? The star is considering a film version of Swan Lake. From the article: The limber Belgian who, lest we forget, made his bones with projects like Bloodsport, Kickboxer, Streetfighter and Universal Soldier - may take the Billy Elliot route to appear in a film version of Tchaikovsky's classic. According to Sunday's Observer, the film - featuring the English National Ballet - is an attempt to bring ballet to the masses using the effects team behind Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings....Van Damme is one of a number of stars being considered for non-dancing roles. The man behind the film, Jonathan Shalit, declared his casting wish-list to be as follows: "For Swan Lake I have been thinking of: Von Rothbart - Jean-Claude Van Damme or Ewan MacGregor; The Prince's Mother - Dame Judi Dench, Angela Lansbury, Glenn Close or Jane Seymour. As director, l have in mind the likes of Stephen Daldry, Sam Mendes or Nicholas Hynter." This would be the famous Swan Lake in the Round, I take it? Will Siegfried fight the good Baron a karate? Link to comment
Estelle Posted July 24, 2003 Share Posted July 24, 2003 Oh la la! Well, if it's a talking role, then it will really become a comical film (I don't know if Van Damme is known for that too in the US, but in France there even have been books making fun of his interviews and quotes, because every time he opens his mouths it's a real festival of grammatical mistakes, English words mixed with French ones, and complete nonsense which himself seems to consider as deep philosophy.) Link to comment
Alexandra Posted July 24, 2003 Author Share Posted July 24, 2003 Well, if it's a talking role, then it will really become a comical film (I don't know if Van Damme is known for that too in the US, but in France there even have been books making fun of his interviews and quotes, because every time he opens his mouths it's a real festival of grammatical mistakes, English words mixed with French ones, and complete nonsense which himself seems to consider as deep philosophy.) A new take on Von Rothbart! The stupid, not-quite-bilingual big owlie guy. Link to comment
glebb Posted July 25, 2003 Share Posted July 25, 2003 If Mendes directs I'll see it in a second. Link to comment
Hans Posted July 25, 2003 Share Posted July 25, 2003 I have this awful feeling that if I go to hell, there will only be two "ballet" videos that I can choose from: Barbie Swan Lake or Van Damme Swan Lake. :mondieu: Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted July 25, 2003 Share Posted July 25, 2003 I think we'll be all right if they rule out Jackie Chan for Siegfried. Link to comment
carbro Posted July 25, 2003 Share Posted July 25, 2003 I have this awful feeling that if I go to hell, there will only be two "ballet" videos that I can choose from: Barbie Swan Lake or Van Damme Swan Lake. :shhh: As long as it's not "Swan Lake," starring Barbie and J-C VD. :speechless: This production really, really needs a Jester, for which I nominate Jackie Chan. Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted July 25, 2003 Share Posted July 25, 2003 Or, in a nod to the Russian background of the ballet, then maybe Yakov Smirnoff. "This country is like my mother -- she searches my room, she reads my mail, she investigates my friends...come to think of it, this country IS my mother!" Link to comment
dirac Posted July 25, 2003 Share Posted July 25, 2003 glebb, if Mendes directs and we have "Swan Lake Meets the Road to Perdition" I shall leave the country to avoid it, if need be. You know, this project doesn't have to be awful, although it probably will. Putting aside the silly "for the masses" rhetoric, if you found a director with a genuine visual imagination and gift for shooting movement (none of which I've yet seen from any of the directors mentioned in their work for film), you might have something interesting, although it wouldn't be a real Swan Lake. Ewan McGregor is too short for Rothbart. At least van Damme would be scary (in more than one sense). Link to comment
Mme. Hermine Posted July 25, 2003 Share Posted July 25, 2003 I can see Van Damme to the hapless Siegfried now: "CROSSBOWS??? We don't need no stinkin' CROSSBOWS!" Link to comment
Alexandra Posted July 25, 2003 Author Share Posted July 25, 2003 One wonders if the Swans will also be trained in the martial arts? That could make for some interesting choreography..... not to mention feathered bicycle shorts. Link to comment
piccolo Posted July 25, 2003 Share Posted July 25, 2003 Suddenly, a scream eminated from an office building in San Diego and to this day the people of this Great Town wondered what was the cause of the disturbance... Link to comment
Petra Posted July 27, 2003 Share Posted July 27, 2003 I notice that noone has been considered to play Odette/Odile and Siegfried - Oh well, maybe the prducers are planning an American Idol audition tour to find some unknowns Link to comment
Maxi3D Posted July 27, 2003 Share Posted July 27, 2003 Not to take this off topic but I wonder if there is a dramatic version of Giselle, in both book or film form? If not, could it be done. Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted July 27, 2003 Share Posted July 27, 2003 Remember the 1987 film Dancers? It was the story of a company rehearsing Giselle and the movie plotline was supposed eerily to parallel the ballet's. It wasn't very good, except for the dancing. Link to comment
dirac Posted July 28, 2003 Share Posted July 28, 2003 If you rent or buy "Dancers" I'd also recommend that you hit the mute button every time the fair Miss Kent appears within camera range. This venture may be misguided, but I still think it's a Good Thing that people are still interested in bringing ballet related projects to the screen minus the participation of any Russian defectors. Good luck to them. Link to comment
Maxi3D Posted July 28, 2003 Share Posted July 28, 2003 If you rent or buy "Dancers" I'd also recommend that you hit the mute button every time the fair Miss Kent appears within camera range. Oh, that is not true Dirac. I think she have a wonderful voice and her acting was much better than some other actresses that I had seen on screen. Link to comment
Amy Reusch Posted July 29, 2003 Share Posted July 29, 2003 Considering some of the von Rothbarts that already exist on film, Van Damme might be an improvement. I could never quite stomach that short black wings costume that looked like it had been filched from the ice capades, or was it water ballet? As long as they leave the "dancing" parts to dancers, who cares. Perhaps we should be casting Siegfried's mother? Link to comment
carbro Posted July 29, 2003 Share Posted July 29, 2003 Amy, I read your post in my e-mail alert and instantly saw Glenn Close. Then, reading the opening of this thread, the article (ahem) which we are now discussing also mentions her :3dnod: -- along with Dame Judi Dench, Angela Lansbury and Jane Seymour. Of course, there's always Madonna, too! :speechless: Link to comment
Amy Reusch Posted July 29, 2003 Share Posted July 29, 2003 That's wierd, I had been picturing Angela Lansbury, but couldn't come up with a good reason for her. It must have lodged there when I first scanned the article, but I was so focussed on Van Damme that I didn't notice. I could see Glenn Close as Odile, character-wise, but can't bring myself to picture her doing fouettes! Now now now, this is just getting out of hand.... an image of Cher attempting the split-character role has popped into my head and is obnoxiously refusing to depart. Link to comment
salzberg Posted July 29, 2003 Share Posted July 29, 2003 an image of Cher attempting the split-character role has popped into my head and is obnoxiously refusing to depart. Sort of like Cher herself. Link to comment
Alexandra Posted July 29, 2003 Author Share Posted July 29, 2003 It's a Jeff Good to see you! Cher might be a little bit old for O/O, yet perfect for the Princess M. Link to comment
dirac Posted July 29, 2003 Share Posted July 29, 2003 Cher is ageless, O thou unbelievers. Link to comment
silvy Posted July 29, 2003 Share Posted July 29, 2003 What about Glenn Close "en travesti" playing von Rothbarth? Like a sort of male Cruela de Vil, without the dalmatians, of course!!!!! or would they be the swans? silvy Link to comment
Mme. Hermine Posted July 29, 2003 Share Posted July 29, 2003 well in that case, is this a could-be cast or a should-be cast? because in the spirit of travesti, then i could cast, say, robert helpmann as the queen mother... wait! *harvey fierstein*!!!! Link to comment
Recommended Posts