Jersey Boys and Into The Woods both one step closer to becoming movies

By Sean O'Neal | January 11, 2012 | 9:33pm

Aux Features Film

While Rock Of Ages and that upcoming movie where Dolly Parton has a chicken-fried sass-off with Queen Latifah threaten to end the ongoing love affair with people singing on the big screen, the studios remain convinced that America still has a song in its heart, one that can convey characterization and exposition far better than normal spoken dialogue. So today brings updates on two of the highest-profile Broadway adaptations in the works besides Brett Ratner’s imaginary version of Wicked. First, the previously announced Jersey Boys movie has been handed to John Logan, who writes all the things—including Gladiator, Hugo, Rango, and the upcoming Bond film Skyfall, in addition to the more germane Sweeney Todd. Logan is also an accomplished playwright for who picked up a Tony for his drama Red—which makes him slightly overqualified to adapt a jukebox musical about The Four Seasons, but no doubt he’ll find a way to cope, possibly with money.

Secondly, director Rob Marshall—a veteran of this genre from the very successful Chicago and the less-so Nine—is reportedly circling Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods, a project that's been rumored in some form since the late '90s, but which now has the doubly-appealing-to-Hollywood-circa-today bonus of also being a fairy tale reimagining. And while normally that would mean it should be rushed into production right now, Marshall tells The Hollywood Reporter he’s uncertain whether he’ll adapt Into The Woods next or do that remake of The Thin Man first—though he does add that Sondheim is expected to write all-new songs for Woods. Which means he has to do it, because you don’t disrespect Sondheim like that.