The feature film remake of the popular Broadway musical Gypsy is back on. Over a year ago we learned that Barbra Streisand was in talks to star in an update of the Tony Award-winning musical from Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents, and today it was announced that producer Joel Silver has set Julian Fellowes to write the screenplay for the remake, with Streisand officially onboard to play Momma Rose. The musical is based on the memoirs of burlesque dancer Gypse Rose Lee and centers on Lee’s relationship with her mother, the OG “stage mom” prototype now prevalent in pop culture. Hit the jump for more on Fellowes and Gypsy.
Fellowes is currently enjoying acclaim for creating and writing the highly addictive British TV series Downton Abbey. The show has gained a fervent following in the U.S. (I’m guilty of succumbing to “Downton Fever”’), and is currently in the midst of filming season three. Fellowes won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay for the 2002 drama Gosford Park, and he recently scripted a Titanic miniseries for ITV. On the musical side of things, Fellowes adapted the script for Disney’s stage production of Mary Poppins. I’m not incredibly familiar with Gypsy, but I do find Fellowes’ work highly entertaining so hopefully Gypsy won’t just be for fans of the original musical. Silver knows how to make films that are appealing to mass audiences, so I’m sure they’ll be pulling out all the stops for Gypsy. The musical was previously adapted into a feature film in 1962 with Rosalind Russell and Natalie Wood in the leading roles.
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Fantastic! The right age, the right voice. Maybe then she can do Sunset Boulevard.
Streisand is WAY too old for this part. She will be 70 in two weeks. By the time this hits production, she’ll probably be 71. Mama Rose in the film should be about 50, actually a bit younger, if you consider the time period and how early women started having children back then. When the show opens, she’s got two girls about ages 9 and 11. The show only covers about 10 chronological years. So even by the end, the girls are 19 and 21. Mama would only be 60…and that’s pushing it. I’m surprised Streisand wouldn’t know her own limits. This would have been a possibility 20 years ago, but that’s when Bette Midler did the TV version. In any case, there have been so many versions of this on film, TV and stage…we really don’t need another. Yes, there are some bad versions (Rosalind Russell) but some fantastic ones, too (Midler, LuPone, Lansbury). I’m also not sure Barbra can sing it. It’s a damn tough score. She can still croon pretty well but her belting days are done.