It looks like Steven Soderbergh has decided to tackle the story of Cleopatra in the stylings of a rock musical. We get the scoop from our friends at Latino Review:
For his next directing effort, Steven Soderbergh is plotting a 3-D live-action rock ’n’ roll musical about Cleopatra. He is courting Catherine Zeta-Jones to play the Egyptian queen and Hugh Jackman to play her lover, Marc Antony.
The music has been written by the indie rock band Guided by Voices, and the script is by James Greer, a former bass player for the band and an author. While Soderbergh has recently done a spate of wildly different projects, this one will be his first full-blown musical.
International friends, I’m not sure how you feel about musicals. I generally dislike them, but will from time be surprised and enjoy a musical greatly. Bing Crosby’s song and tap movies are fantastic and I recently enjoyed Sweeney Todd quite a bit. Now this idea does sound ridiculous, I cannot deny it; but I’ m curious to see if they can pull it off.
Catharine Zeta Jones as Cleopatra rules. I think having her in exotic period garb will be the cause of legions of boners across the globe. If you could harness all of that boner energy I think you could power Singapore for a week. I think few actresses are as delicious as the Zeta Jones, and having her play the legendary Queen is an excellent choice. Liz Taylor, I have a feeling that you may be upstaged.
I hope the soundtrack features the Iron Maiden song Powerslave. It’ s an Egyptian themed song, and oddly enough in the past when I have listened to it; I envisioned Zeta Jones (as Cleopatra) having sex with a Rooster Man (human with a head of a rooster). This rooster being was known to me as Roostor Al Ak’atta Sulgruth the Plunderer.
Talk about Deja Vu.
She makes me very happy in pants!
I personally don’t understand why people dislike musicals at all. I think it may be that the musicals that most peope dislike sort of have a problem with being a musical in that some instances they come off as a non musical film, yet after a while they bust into song and dance, and it comes off really lame. However, you have films like Hairspray and the aformentioned Sweeny Todd, that start out in song and people can then realize that this is indeed a musical and then go from there. Also, times change, and I know a lot of people who don’t like musicals because they just seem really silly to them. I’m 18 and I love musicals, especially older ones, but I think times change and the populations perception of musicals and their place in film has changed. I could be totally wrong though…
thank you for you blog
@Kristina
Musicals might have been cool back then. It’s like how disco was cool in the 80’s and now rap is the main thing people listen to now. Personally I’ve never really liked them, save Sweeney Todd, which I only saw because it had Johnny Depp in it and it was directed by Tim Burton, and that was a masterpiece.
update: The BBC is reporting that it will be set in 1920’s America instead of ancient Egypt…
Understandable. Sweeney Todd ruled.
I have always wondered why people are so turned off by musicals. Is it that they’re disturbed by people breaking out into song? Then why are older musicals like Wizard of Oz, Singin’ in the Rain, and Grease(stupid-ass movie) so beloved by so many, but any new musicals that come out are ignored? Whazupwidat?!
I am NOT a fan of musicals, and the only one I ever liked, in fact loved, was Sweeney Todd.
I fucking love musicals. Hugh Jackman’s got a great singing voice and he’s a Grade-A piece of ass, and Kitty was the best thing about Chicago. I’m in.
Do not want.
I’m with dragonslayer. damn! always the best pics!
@ray, zeta-jones is over forty she lies about her age..
@ EZELL
I agree she is much more attractive then “joe lee”. I would put her in my top three, but to be picky, shes not over 40.. I m fairly certain shes 39, just turned it. Over 40 women all fail in the beauty that is Monica Belluci..
As for the movie, I don’t like musicals, but Across the Universe was very good.
“For the Win.”
I sort of look forward to this, just because it’s a really random idea and I always welcome a good musical.
No interest at all. Just curious, since I see this more and more, can someone tell me what FTW means?
She has to be the hottest woman in Hollywood fuck Joe Lee she is not evan in the same ball park. This woman is over 40 and she still rocks my world when looking at her.
IRONMAIDEN makes every musical better!
WOAH! Damn, you guys always get the best pictures
…the fact that Catharine Zeta Jones is amazingly gorgeous will help this movie tremendously.
I am not a fan of musicals either, but I have been surprised myself by a few so I will not rule this idea out. Moulin Rouge and Across the Universe I found to be very well done and highly entertaining.
As I was reading this it seemed like a terrible idea, until I saw the music was written by the great band that is Guided by Voices. This group has been around for awhile and continuously write great songs, but I am somewhat surprised because they are pretty much an alternative band, something you wouldnt thing would be in a musical.