Welcome to Rumorville! Here you can learn about casting news that’s about to break in Hollywood. These speculations might be only rumors, but that doesn’t mean you can’t follow the trail all the way to the audition room.
“Magic Mike” Musical
It looks like Broadway is ready to rain men! Creators of “Magic Mike” have been pushing for a musical version of the film, leading to “Magic Mike Live” in Las Vegas and London and now, seemingly soon, a musical adaptation. A recent Instagram post from Broadway actor Matt Doyle showed him, Derek Klena, Cheyenne Jackson, John Behlmann, Dyllón Burnside, Heath Calvert, Nick Rashad, and Ana Villafañe together at what seems to be a rehearsal for a reading of the musical, which is currently in its development stages. The post was, then, shared by writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who wrote, “Thanks, Gang, for a great week of work on Magic! Mike! The Musical!” Just like the film, the musical would follow the experiences of a male stripper in Florida, loosely based on the real-life stories of film star Channing Tatum. The show has already received a few workshops and will have a few more to go, surely, but someone has to cast it so keep your eyes out for those Broadway CDs.
“Shrek” Reboot
When all that glitters is gold, why not capitalize on it? According to Variety, Universal Pictures has tasked “Despicable Me” producer Chris Meledandri with finding fresh storylines for “Shrek” and “Puss in Boots” to reboot the franchise. Meledandri has no intention to change any of the vocal cast, as he told Variety in a recent profile, and will be looking to bring back original actors Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and Antonio Banderas. Universal’s parent company, Comcast, bought “Shrek” studio DreamWorks back in 2016, so the news feels unsurprising, especially in the middle of reboot and revival fever. But between managing Illumination, Universal’s animation studio, and actually getting all the moving parts going and the band back together, it does not seem likely that we would see a result any time soon.
“In the Heights”
Fans of the upcoming “In the Heights” film adaptation got a shot of joy earlier in the week when it was announced stage and screen legend Rita Moreno would be joining the cast in the role of Abuela Claudia. However, it looks like the reporting of such news was premature as Moreno is apparently not joining the film. What happened was the production expressed interest, but talks did not commence—or, at least have not yet, so there’s still a chance. As previously reported, the adaptation of the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical will be directed by Jon M. Chu, and so far, the only person officially cast is Anthony Ramos in the role of Usnavi. We can all still keep our fingers crossed for Miss Moreno, though. Telsey + Company is handling casting, and production is scheduled to begin in early summer 2019.
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