14 stories
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum
WB has just announced a new LOTR film, titled “The Hunt For Gollum”, to be directed by and starring Andy Serkis in the title role. It’s unclear at this time exactly what the film will be about, but we can imagine it will share at least some story similarities to the 2009 fan film “The Hunt For Gollum.”
Ani: A Parody (Musical)
Ani Skywalker is in the dumps. His wife is dead. He's stuck in a bogus government job he hates. He spends most of his time staring out into space, thinking about the good old days. But things are about to change for Ani as he sets off for adventure in the galaxy's biggest come-back...
Lord of the Rings (ANIMATED Film)
I was inspired by some fanart by animator/artist Jessica Mahon (@my2k on Instagram) that imagines some of the Lord of the Rings characters as animals, with a sketchy line art evoking Disney movies from the 60s and 70s (Robin Hood, Sword in the Stone, etc.) I immediately started to imagine what a LOTR film would look like were it made back then, and made a quick mock-up poster using some of her character designs. In terms of casting, I’m steering clear of a lot of the predictable British fantasy actors you tend to see in LOTR/GOT stuff, instead using actors with more unique voices and character backgrounds.
Holy Musical B@man!
One of the earlier works by the musical comedy group Team Starkid, Holy Musical B@man! is a musical parody of the DC universe, full to the brim with meta-commentary and satirical jokes about toxic fandom, continuity inconsistencies, and even US politics. The musical envisions an old-fashioned, campy Gotham city in line with the 1960s Adam West TV show, juxtaposing a melodramatic, grim and gritty “modern day” Batman, as a means of mocking both what the franchise once was, and what it has become.
Little Shop of Horrors Remake
A classic of both stage and screen, “Little Shop” has managed to be both a cult classic and audience favorite, retelling the plot a schlocky B-list horror film through the lens of a crowd-pleasing movie musical comedy. Supposedly a film remake was in the works for a few years under director Greg Berlanti, but was sadly dropped by the studio. Maybe this was for the best? As some casting choices made more sense than others. All the same, I’m envisioning for this remake a similar budget and level of A-list actors.
The Music Man
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Into the Woods Recast
Into the Woods is my favorite piece of theatre ever created. It is a truly powerful, emotional story that weaves a number of themes—loss, grief, growing up, love—around the central idea of parenthood. I feel it’s 2014 film adaptation, for all its positive elements, ultimately failed when it took what is in many ways a narrative or parody and deconstruction, and changed the entire genre being deconstructed (going from a farsical riff on classical fairy tale iconography to a more vague, appropriately 2010s “dark fantasy” aesthetic.) This fancast imagines an ensemble of actors more in line with the comedic, musical aspects of the show.
Super Mario Bros - The Musical!
Mario is a simple franchise; clear cut heroes and villains, a cute art style, tunes that could easily be mistaken for jazz standards. In the internet’s ongoing attempt to imagine the Mario Bros into a full feature length narrative format, I’ve seen many ideas which try to add needlessly grandiose and complex stories and themes into what ought to be a tale as old as time; hence, “the musical.” With so many video game films suddenly becoming creative in their genre interpretation—Detective Pikachu as a neo-noire mystery, Rampage as a bonkers Kaiju flick, and Mortal Kombat as a violent martial arts fantasy film—a musical for Mario just makes sense.
The Hobbit (Animated Film)
Thrust into unexpected peril when the wise wizard Gandalf the Grey introduces him to a group of nomadic dwarves, the posh and sheltered Bilbo Baggins must learn humility and nobility to overcome forces far beyond his understanding. A frequent entry point into the grander world of Middle Earth, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit is a far cry from his later tales of epic mythological scope. Rather than being a grand tale of good and evil, The Hobbit focuses on the mundanity of life which every being faces regardless of cultural origin, be they hobbit, dwarf, elf, or goblin.
Jesus Christ Superstar Remake
One of the first installments in what would prove to be a long lasting collaboration between Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, Jesus Christ Superstar tells the story of the last week of Jesus of Nazareth’s life through the lens of 1970s deconstructionist rock. No character is left unexplored in a truly revolutionary look at this tale as old as time.
Assassins (musical)
In one of the less discussed works within the larger collection of Stephen Sondheim, this musical explores the minds of the nine people in American history to attempt to assassinate a US president through the abstract theatrical framing device of a carnival shooting game. In doing so, a shockingly complex revelation about the inner workings of American society comes to light, making each audience member question how far away they themselves are from an assassin.
The Little Prince
Told through multiple framing devices and various levels of reality, The Little Prince marks the journey of one small boy through a strange expanding universe of materialism, specialization, depression, narcissism, and much more all interpreted by the strange eyes of childhood naivety. Balancing the comedy with tragedy, happy with melancholy, and absurdity with reality, The Little Prince has endured across language, time, and different media adaptations through it’s never ending supply of insights and commentaries on the world around us.
Robin and the Seven Hoods
A modern reimagining of the classic Robin Hood legend, ‘Robin and the 7 Hoods’ reframes the story around a gang war between two of Chicago’s top crime bosses: Big Jim and Guy Gisbourne. In the middle of murder, mystery, and more jazz dance numbers than you can shake a stick at are Robbo and his Seven Hoods, just trying to make a quick profit and evade arrest.
Singin’ in the Rain
When two silent movie stars', Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont, latest movie is made into a cutting edge “talking picture,” an unknown chorus girl is brought in to dub Lina's speaking. Don is on top of the world… until Lina finds out. Cast old actors, young actors, people with as much or as little resemblance to the originals as your heart desires - as long as Hugh Jackman isn’t involved.
