Movie News for
Hairspray
Release Date:
July 20, 2007
August 17, 2006
Walken to be Dad
Casting is complete for all key roles on New Line Cinema's Hairspray, the movie adaptation of the musical adaptation of John Water's 1988 film. Christopher Walken will play dad Wilbur Turnblad, a role that had previously been given to Jim Broadbent.
Source: Variety
July 17, 2006
Pfeiffer Joins Hairspray Adaptation
Michelle Pfeiffer has joined the cast of New Line's Hairspray, the movie adaptation of the musical adaptation of John Water's 1988 film. Pfeiffer will play the role of Velma von Tussel, a former Miss Baltimore Crabs beauty queen, now a bitter Baltimore TV station owner. Others already in the cast include John Travolta, Queen Latifah, Amanda Bynes, Zac Efron and Nikki Blonsky. Adam Shanman is directing the movie, from Leslie Dixon's screenplay. In other news for the movie, it will now be shot entirely in Toronto; parts of it were originally going to be shot in Baltimore.
Source: Variety
June 26, 2006
From High School to Hairspray
Zac Efron will star in Hairspray, New Line's adaptation of the Broadway musical that originated from the 1988 John Waters movie. He will play the role of Link, a popular heartthrob of the fictional Corny Collins Show within the film. Efron has also starred in Disney's hit High School Musical.
Source: Variety
September 29, 2005
Helmer ready for Hairspray
New Line Cinema has hired Adam Shankman, director of Cheaper by the Dozen, to helm the movie adaptation of the musical adaptation of the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray. He'll direct from a script by Leslie Dixon, and also will be collaborating with lyricist-composers Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. Currently, John Travolta is the lead actor under consideration for the Edna Turnblad role. Additionally, since Shankman worked with Queen Latifah on Bringing Down the House, it is believed that she is probably on an inside track for a key part as well.
Source: Variety
June 22, 2005
Hairspray gets a makeover
New Line is rebooting their plans for Hairspray, moving its start date from Fall 2005 to Spring 2006 and shifting the release date from Christmas 2006 to Summer 2007. As a result, co-directors Jack O'Brien and Jerry Mitchell have left the project since the move conflicts with their schedule. Both men were directors of the stage musical and would have been making their theatrical debuts. Now, New Line's short list of replacements includes Rob Marshall, who previously directed Chicago and also worked to bring the stage play version of Hairspray into existence. The move will also likely change the casting a bit. John Travolta and Billy Crystal were somewhat attached, though no official deals had been made. Now, the producers will wait for a completed screenplay from Leslie Dixon.
Source: Variety
March 15, 2005
Crystal to pick up some Hairspray
Billy Crystal is in talks to play Wilbur Turnblad in the musical Hairspray for New Line Cinemas. In addition, Aretha Franklin may play R&B record shop owner Motormouth Maybelle. No final offers will be made until Leslie Dixon completes the script, and she is in the process of working on the project. John Travolta is also reportedly the leading contender to play Edna Turnblad, wife of Wilbur.
Source: Variety
March 11, 2005
Travolta gets some Hairspray
John Travolta is in final talks to star as Edna Turnblad in movie version of the Broadway musical Hairspray, itself an adaptation of an earlier John Waters film. In the first movie, the Edna character was portrayed by Divine, while in the musical the role was reprised by Harvey Fierstein. In addition, Leslie Dixon has replaced Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan as screenwriter. The ousted duo wrote the book for the musical.
Source: Variety
November 29, 2004
Chicago producers get onboard Hairspray
Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who won an Academy Award for Chicago, have come aboard to produce Hairspray for New Line Cinema. The film is an adaptation of a Broadway musical, which was itself an adaptation of a 1988 John Waters film. Already hired to work on the film include director Jack O'Brien, co-director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell, and Marc Shaiman, who will write the music and lyrics, including some new songs. Scott Wittman will be co-lyricist, while the screenplay will be written by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, who also wrote the original stage libretto. The only actor from the stage cast who will be approached is Harvey Fierstein, who would reprise his role as Edna Turnblatt, the mother of heroine Tracy. The film will be released in theaters in 2006.
Source: Variety
September 30, 2004
Hairspray coming back to big screen
New Line has reunited the Broadway musical Hairspray director Jack O'Brien and choreographer Jerry Mitchell to make their feature film helming debut with a second big-screen adaptation of the story. The musical itself was based on a film from quirky Baltimore director John Waters.
Like the first film, the story will center around the full-figured Tracy Turnblad and her journey from outsider to fabulous celebrity.
The Broadway musical debuted on August 15, 2002, and eventually won nine Tony awards, including prizes for Best Musical, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Directing and Best Score. Waters' film was released in 1988 and broke Ricki Lake as she portrayed the Traci Turnblad.
Source: Variety
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