Miss Saigon - The Movie

I've always thought Miss Saigon could be an amazing big budget musical movie (like Evita or moulin rouge) Get the right actress for kim and chris, and expand the scenes like the fall of saigon....

Hey, i think makin 'miss saigon' into a film would be a good idea. r u stil writin it?

i think the role of the engineer cud only go 2 one actor and that wud be 'Jon Jon Briones'. He's been doin the stage show for years, all over the world and he's the best thing in it.

As for chris - ewan mcgregor?!?!?! (probably get hit for that idea.)
Kim- don't know - minnie driver who's recently taken to singing. i personally don't care for her though.

It wud b a difficult one to cast. wouldn't know where to start apart from Jon Jon Briones.

I would Say Miss Saigon would make a perfect movie!, done correctly.
I would urge you to look at the recent film version of "Phantom of the Opera", that was brilliantly done and stayed true to the stage production as regards scenes and songs etc...., I was so pleased to see that the Director Joel Shumacher, did'nt write any gratuitous love scenes or make unecessary changes to the piece.
The success of Miss Saigon would hinge on a director that could maintain the integrity of the origional stage production and not "hollywoodise" it, in fact maybe this could only be acheived if the origional writer's Alain Boubil and Jean-Michel Schonenbourg were to be heavily involved as Andrew Lloyd Webber was with the recent "Phantom" movie!
As for a cast, well I would say that although Pryce was fantastic in the origional stage version I would maybe say his age is against him, and maybe slightly old for the part now!. as for an alternative, I can't really offer one.
I can see why you would like Kelly Clarkson as Ellen, fact is she is an amazing singer but an awful actress! and thats the quandry, and that would be the problem hanging over the whole thing! Do you get fantastic actors at the expense of good voices or is it possible to have both!. I would say go for the latter!. It is possible to teach someone to sing, but to act (convincingly) thats another matter.
Maybe someone like Christian Bale would make a good "Chris" I don't know to be honest, but I would try and think outside what you know of the stage version. People who go to the movies do not neccesarily go to the theatre! and it's important to remember it is a MOVIE!
As with "Phantom", Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford made the parts of "Christine" and "The Phantom" their own, on stage, but they're not in the movie and to be honest it's nice to see fresh life and interpertation brought to the characters! Maybe "Chris'" friend who sings "Bui-Doi" would suit Mekhi Phifer!
It's a tough call!
And lastly, good luck with funding, it's a HUGE risk for a film company like Miramax or Paramount to just hand out the money for something like this, true "Chicago" and "Moulin Rouge" did phenominaly well and that may make it easier, but all the factors would have to be right, would they even be able to get the right's to the production's score etc.... this would not be a simple task.
I wish you the very best of luck, I really do, you're gonna need a whole heap of it! and I don't want to discourage you.
I mean you may just be writing a screenplay for your own enjoyment and not have any intentions of taking it to the next level and thats great. I'm just a regular person who has seen the stage version .I don't know anything about movie production etc, and you might think what I've written is a pile of crap!, but if these factor's occured to me who knows nothing then surely they will occur to the big exec's sitting on the millions it's gonna take to make the film.
Best of Luck I hope you finish it!.

Hello!!!!!!!!! The only person to play Kim would be the role's orginal-Lea Salonga. No one can top her. Jonathan Pryce would have to play the engineer. No ifs and or buts. As for Chris and Ellen....that's a toughie. Chris's part is important but Ellen, as long as she can sing it doesn't really matter.

Kelly Clarkson as Ellen? That would make the movie a total flop. She can't act worth a flip, and her voice is way too much like a pop star. You'd need someone who could actually pull off the part, both vocally and in acting.

I don't think Jonathon Pryce would be good as the Engineer in the movie, either. He was great in the play, but in the movie, people would notice that he's not Asian, and he would look ridiculous in a play where the characters are almost all Asian.

I would be interested to know how Ellen would be cast. (If she would be Caucasian or Vietnamese.) I've seen the show twice and once, she was Vietnamese and the other time she was Caucasian. It's puts a totally different twist to the story if she's Vietnamese, like Chris could never get over Kim.

Do you have ears....the hawaiian finalist from idol was horrible, Lea is the only one worthy of the role.

you mean jasmine trias?

im proud that with her being part filipino, she has made that far in AI. but her to play kim? NO WAY! she just doesnt have the range, and she even falls flat in her expression of simple pop songs. then for her to carry out such a magnanimous role? flop!

Now I have given this great consideration, and I feel that my casting is apt for the degree of vocal talent and acting talent needed for the parts.

Kim should be played by an "unkown". Lea (while wonderful) is far too old now to play an 18 year old. I would like to see a large casting call much like they did for the Original London Cast.

Ellen should be played by Kate Winslet. I feel Mrs. Winslet would sing the part quite well and would embody all of the qualities required to act the part. Let us not forget, film is different than the stage, and you need incredible actors to capture the emotions of the characters.

Chris should be played by Jude Law. A talented singer and actor, he would be able to carry the part by being romantic and somewhat innocent and I believe that he an Kate Winslet would make a believeable couple (the scene where Chris reveals his emotions about the war would be amazing with the two of them).

All other parts are fairly negotiable, a collaboration of budding stars and broadway stars would be good. But I feel these would be best for the principals.

Engineer-Ken Watanabe

Kim-Lea Salonga

Thuy-Paolo Montalban

Chris-Patrick Wilson

John-Adam Pascal

Ellen-Emmy Rossum

hands down... KIM- lea salonga!

Lucy Liu was in Miss Saigon? I didn't know that. I know that she auditioned though. I do think Lucy is a little too old for the role. If they get Lucy, they might as well have Lea. They're around the same age.

My ultimate cast would be:

Engineer: Jon Jon Briones or Leo Valdez
Kim: Lea Salonga! The only person that should even be considered!
Chris: Ramin Karimloo. Saw him on the tour and he was AMAZING.
Ellen: Hmmmm, Ruthie Henshall, Claire Moore and Kerry Ellis are all good.
John: Hugh Maynard
Gigi: Sonia Swaby

I know they are all from the show, but I think if a film is made they should use people who have already been in the show and know what they are doing. Besides, no famous actor or actress could pull off such demanding roles (singing-wise).

Just my two cents.
Cassie xxx

ok, i think Lea should not be kim because even though she's absolutely fantastic and I adore her in the role, she's too old.....and you're all wrong! kim is 17, not 18! "i'm 17 and i'm new here today. the village i come from seems so far away......" i think Kim should be an unknown, non big name as in Phantom of the Opera and Gerry Butler (i love him!) Not trying to sound conceited, but someone like me should have the part.....for that matter, i would do it! but when i say someone like me, i mean, asian or part asian (i'm half Burmese), good English, young, small the reason i say small is I just have this mental image of Kim: small, but strong, tiny but tough, etc......

and i don't think it's nuts to suggest Ewan MacGregor for chris....actually i agree! He has the lead in Sunset Boulevard....it IS being made into a movie.......in fact, I think he'd be really good@! he's a great actor and he's sufficiently good-looking.

for John, I was thinking maybe matthew broderick, great voice, good actor, and although he IS slightly on the older side, i think that's almost an advantage because John is always kind of trying to help or hold back, or advise Chris or whatever.

for ellen, i was thinking Kelly Clarkson. the first time i heard the music, i thought to myself, kelly could do this really well!

thuy, i totally agree that Paolo Mantalban would be great

I agree that Gigi should be a cameo because she's not a very big part but a good way to attract moviegoers with a big name. i thought maybe Catherine Zeta-Jones. Absolutely beautiful, fantastic actress, good voice.....plus she could probably look asian if necessary.........