Hugh Jackman Won’t Sing for Cleopatra

Posted by Robin Ruinsky (robin@filmschoolrejects.com) on January 2, 2009

Hugh Jackman

Cleopatra sings? If Steven Soderbergh has his way she will, and she’ll do it in 3D to the tune of a 30 million dollar budget in Cleo.

The film is set to star Catherine Zeta-Jones. For the role of Marc Antony, Soderbergh wanted accomplished musical theater actor (see above) Hugh Jackman, but, according to Variety, Jackman pulled out of talks do to scheduling conflicts.

The film is being conceived as an Elvis-style musical with an indie rock score written by Guided by Voices. The screenplay is by James Greer who was the band’s bass player.

Ray Winstone is in talks to play Julius Caesar. Can Ray Winstone sing? And does it matter? Probably not judging by the success of the horrendous Mama Mia.

Soderbergh likes to experiment. He likes to go out on a limb, and this limb seems pretty out there. Of course you never know. Maybe this will be a wacky triumph with audiences and critics calling Cleo the feel good movie musical of the decade.

Or it could be Mama Mia with Pyramids.

Anyone out there have any casting ideas for Soderbergh? Who should play Marc Antony? Who should sing the role of the Asp?


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  • Wow. I can't wait not to see this when it hits theaters.
  • 1. it's "mamma mia" not "mama mia"
    2. did you really think mamma mia was horrible? it's not a great film, but you cant' deny its energy not its capacity to make its audience feel happy and energetic. it's a fun and light and feel-good movie, yeah, but definitely not horrendous
    3. this has the potential too be, like you said, "the feel good movie musical of the decade", and even if it ended as the "mamma mia with pyramids", that wouldn't be so bad.
  • Coming from someone who had to buy the Mamamia DVD's three time this X-Mas, I would just like to say that I felt dirty and ashamed as a true Movie Fan to give my hard earned movie to buy crap like this.
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