Uploaded to MoviePilot on July 31st 2017
Little Shop Of Horrors is a beloved 1986 film based on the hit off-Broadway play of the same name. Now it looks like Warner Bros might be moving ahead with a remake of Little Shop, with rumours of who could take on the two lead roles starting to circulate.
The first rumour is for the role of Seymour, the lovable loser who raises the plant and ends up having to kill in order to feed it. In the 1986 movie this role was played by Rick Moranis, but rumours suggest that the current front-runner for this part is Josh Gad. Gad is probably one of the better choices for this role as he has experience with musicals, thanks to his work in the Tony award-winning The Book Of Mormon and the hit film Frozen. His singing voice is a little stronger than what one might associate with Seymour, but he is a fun choice for this role. Just gotta hope he can play the awkward loser Seymour as well as he played the awkward loser, Elder Cunningham.
The other rumour circulating is the role of Audrey, the sweet girl with the abusive boyfriend who the plant is named after and who tries to find true happiness with Seymour. In the 1986 movie this part was played by Ellen Greene but in the remake, it may end up being played by Rebel Wilson. While we know Wilson can sing, she seems a bit too abrasive for the character of Audrey if her previous work in Pitch Perfect or Fat Pizza is any indication. Maybe she’ll prove me wrong, I’d love if she did, but there’s just something about her that doesn’t fit right to me.
Right now there are no contracts signed, but these are the two front-runners for these parts. What do you think? Who else do you think could be part of this movie? Because I know I have a few ideas and while we’re here, allow me the chance to suggest people for this movie that totally needs to be remade.
Note: The following are my suggestions, these are not actual rumoured cast… but if you wanna make this into a rumour, go for it. Maybe it’ll happen
Mr. Mushnik
The role of Mr. Mushnik is one that is pretty key to the plot, and a role that can really work well with the right performer. In the 1987 film he didn’t have any songs, but in the stage play he has a really great duet with Seymour called Mushnik and Son and it’d be great if they put that song in this remake. It’d be even better if they did it with Nathan Lane playing the role. We know Nathan Lane can sing, the man is a Broadway veteran at this point. We also know he’s great with a comedic line so he’d excel at this part… and again, I NEED that duet put in the remake.
Orin Scrivello, DDS
Easily one of the best villain characters in a musical, taking on the role of Orin Scrivello isn’t one to be taken lightly. For starters, you have to sing one of the darkest songs in the entire show and get a laugh. After that, you have to play a horrific abusive boyfriend who is an absolute sadist but has a certain charm to him that at least makes you understand why anyone would go near him. Steve Martin created a genius comedic creation in the first movie, but I think Joseph Gordon Levitt could easily handle the part. We know he can sing thanks to his appearance in a Muppets Thanksgiving special (One of the few good things about that special) and his years on 3rd Rock From The Sun prove that he has great comedy chops. While he might not be an icon at the level Steve Martin is, he’d fit that dentist outfit nicely.
Crystal, Ronette And Chiffon
When it comes to shows using the idea of the Greek Chorus as an archetype, none got it quite as perfectly as Little Shop did with Crystal, Ronette and Chiffon. If you’ve seen the show live you know what a trip it is seeing these women pop up everywhere just pushing the plot along and being flawless while doing it. They have always been one of my favourite trios in film… right up until I saw Hidden Figures and was blessed with the trinity of Janelle Monáe, Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer. They already have the chemistry, each of them can deliver the comedy needed and you wanna tell me they wouldn’t absolutely destroy with a rousing rendition of The Meek Shall Inherit? Please, they were meant to take on these women.
Audrey II
Taking on the role of the carnivorous plant that is determined to take over the planet is not something to be done lightly, especially considering that it’s a voice only performance that needs to be powerful enough to give the puppeteers something to work with (Sidebar: They better use a puppet in this remake. If the plant is CGI, I will burn things). The original screen version was done by Levi Stubbs, who absolutely owned every part of the character. His high point was easily the song Mean Green Mother from Outer Space, which is one of those songs that you have to belt out right from the start. It’s a powerful number which is why you needed to get someone from the Four Tops to make it work.
Picking someone to take this on isn’t an easy job because they need to be able to be powerful and imposing just with their voice. If we’re going to remake this though, why not do something a bit different to previous versions and give Audrey a powerful female voice instead? We’re not going to find another person like Levi Stubbs with his tone of voice so how about we go for a powerhouse at the opposite end of the vocal scale. Anyone who had the honour of hearing Amber Riley belting out And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going at the Olivier Awards knows that her voice is incredible and when she is belting a song out, you pay attention. If she can take a song that’s considered one of the hardest numbers on Broadway and make it seem effortless, imagine what she could do with Mean Green Mother From Outer Space? It would blow the roof off by the time they got to the chorus.
But hey, that’s just my thoughts. I know there are other minor roles like the guy running the radio station or the masochistic patient but those aren’t something I really think I can dream cast.
Do you think Josh & Rebel seem right for the parts of Seymour & Audrey? Who would you cast in the other roles?
Sources: Screenrant, Thathashtagshow
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