Thoughts I Had... while looking at new "Into the Woods" images
Thursday, July 31, 2014 at 11:00AM If there is one thing in life that's certain at TFE beyond daily postings, Actress mania, Oscar chart delays, and time-jumping movie coverage, it's this: if Meryl Streep is featured there are a bajillion comments. And yet the last two Streep attacks, a look back at 2009 and a subliminal Hours reunion proved the exception. Is this merely summer doldrums or a sign of the Streepocalypse? Or were people just waiting for Into the Woods news? If so, it has arrived.
UPDATE: And the Teaser too!
Yesterday a bunch of new images surfaced from the movie and you know how this goes. We look at the image and we list off thoughts as they come without self-censorship to keep the brain loose and the words flowing and to not be too mundane about what this actually is - free advertising for Disney and regurgitated photo sharing.
Meet Rapunzel
• I always forget her in Into the Woods because she's immobile and shares her scenes with the Witch (Meryl Streep) who invariably steals them.
• So annoying when movie studios release one image with different proportions than the others. Rapunzel gets a vertical rectangle. Is this to show off the hair?
• I love Tangled.
• When I was a wee boy it was my dream to make a Rapunzel movie because it was the only fairy tale I loved that DIDN'T have a Disney movie and also because my big sister had long hair and Crystal Gayle was still famous and yes that makes me an ancient - shut up! #40somethingisthenew30something
• Mackenzie Mauzy is literally the only Into the Woods cast member I don't know from anything. I guess she was on soaps? Are you familiar?
10 more photos after the jump...
• A still featuring The Witch scaring a man (The Baker in this case) makes me think of the great Witches Rap which might be the thing I'm most looking forward to in Streep's performance.
I let him go, I didn't know
He'd stolen my beans!
I was watching him crawl Back over the wall--
And then bang! Crash! And the lightning flash!
And--well, that's another story, Never mind-- Anyway, at last
The big day came And I made my claim.
"Oh, don't take away the baby," They shrieked and screeched,
But I did, And I hid her Where she'll never be reached.
And your father cried, And your mother died
When for extra measure-- I admit it was a pleasure-- I said, "Sorry, I'm still not mollified."
And I laid a little spell on them.
You too, son.
That your family tree would always be a barren one...
• But that's another story - never mind. That is obviously not this scene. Is this the moment she warns them about the Giant?
• It occurs to me suddenly that this is probably the only thing Streep wears in the whole movie. Unless her dress transforms when she spells herself into beauty? We can safely assume that Colleen Atwood will be Oscar nominated for her work here; there might not be many costume changes but there are plentiful iconic characters to costume.
• Damn Billy Magnussen looks good on a horse.
• Damn Billy Magnussen looks good all the time. Plus he's talented and funny.
• This is one of the two Prince Charmings. I love their duet "Agony"... people who aren't familiar with this show (I'm sure they exist) are going to be so surprised at how totally delightful it is. IF the movie is any good that is.
• This looks like an actual forest and not a sound stage. What's happening to Rob Marshall?!? (Kidding. That's mean.)
• Someone I had missed / forgotten who was playing Cinderella's step-family and such abundance here: Lucy Punch (yay! Loved her in Being Julia) and Tammy Blanchard. Christine Baranski is the step-mother. These are small parts but all three of these women can bring the comedy.
• Who do you think is a bigger fan of The Good Wife: Lucy or Tammy?
• Tammy Blanchard should be a bigger star. She's an Emmy winner (Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows), a Globe nominee, a Tony nominee (Gypsy) and does movies too (Rabbit Hole)!
• Are there any step-moms reading: Do you hate that you're always an evil bitch in the movies?
• If we see Christine lop off part of her daughters feet to fit them in a glass slipper there might be mass weeping in the theater from the realization that she didn't play Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd.
• I suspect Oscar might nominate the makeup and hairstyling... because there will be a lot of it (see also that first image of Meryl Streep as the Witch that we got almost a full year ago!).
• I think we're all super relieved that the casting of that one 5 year old YouTube star didn't pan out. But now that they're supposedly axing the sexual suggestiveness of the Little Red Riding Hood storyline maybe it wouldn't have mattered.
• I'm already upset that they're cutting this material off at the knees to make it more kiddie friendly. I don't think kids would notice all the subtext in the Wolf/Red "Hello Little Girl / I Know Things Know" anyway. Don't remind me that they're going to cut some songs. I CAN'T THINK ABOUT THIS. SHUSH.
• Lilla Crawford was good as Annie on Broadway so this casting is fine by me.
• I rarely buy popcorn at movie theater and I'm always hungry so I hope there's not a closeup of her basket of goodies for grandma - I really wanna lose three pounds.
• The Baker (James Corden) is in so many of these photos. This is Corden's big shot at the A list
• The Baker's Wife (Emily Blunt) is such a plum role. Can't wait to hear Emily sing.
• Funny how few characters in this show have actual names.
• Anna Kendrick is such a cheerful social media whore that it's a smidge hard to imagine her locked in cellars and kitchens shining pots and mopping floors. Unless her castle has wi-fi.
• If you like that thought, retweet it to humor me!
Hard to imagine the very social @AnnaKendrick47 locked up scrubbing pots / mopping floors as Cinderella. Unless her Castle has wi-fi.
— Nathaniel Rogers (@nathanielr) July 31, 2014
• Oscar nomination? I know I know. Too early.
• Kendrick is going to own "On the Steps of the Palace" - Even if the movie isn't good she's a super choice for Cinderella. I'm way more worried about "The Last Five Years" which will be trickier to get right.
• Look, it's whatshisname from Les Miserables. And TRACEY ULLMAN who we definitely don't see enough.
• Tracey Ullman is a good singer but I don't think this character sings? I can't remember at this moment as it's early and I'm still on my first cup.
• Chris Pine as the other Prince Charming.
• I wish I liked him but like Michelle Pfeiffer in People Like Us I mostly just want to slap him.
• Only now it looks like we're on a soundstage again with Dion Beebe (Nine/Chicago) lighting for Marshall as per always.
• Surprisingly, Marshall's longtime double Oscar winning production designer John Myhre isn't with him for the first time. Another Oscar winner, Dennis Gassner is doing production design duties instead. Gassner's filmography is beautiful so Into the Woods will surely (at least) look great.
• They're still hiding The Wolf (Johnny Depp), eh?
P.S. The Teaser has also surfaced just an hour after I posted this collection of stills
P.P.S. Here's a possibly less official one from "Red" herself Lilla Crawford via her Instagram account...
Reader Comments (27)
1) EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
2) Agreed on virtually all counts, particularly on excitement for Meryl to rip apart the "Witch's Rap" and on the unshakeable feeling that Chris Pine needs to be slapped.
3) EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
4) Costumes! James Corden being ADORABLE! Emily Blunt looking convincing! Christine Baranski in anything!!
5) EEEEEEE-- ok fine i'll stop.
There's some beautiful shots in there. Yes Tammy Blanchard should be a bigger star also yes Billy Magnussen looks good all the time.
Ooh, I'm excited!
And so happy for Billy Magnussen! Followed him since his soap role in As the World Turns and now he's got great appearances in plays, this film and possibly in Steven Spielberg's next movie. Good for him!
Nathaniel- we were just waiting for Into the Woods news! Even if the movie happens to be bad, it sure looks really pretty! And I am looking forward to the teaser trailer which is supposedly suppose to hit sometime in the next few days....as for Meryl's costume- I am sure that they will maybe keep transformation images a secret since 88 percent of he population never saw the musical 😄
meryl streep and tracey ullman - plenty reunion!
tracey's character gets a few lines to sing, including the brilliant "we've no time to sit and dither while her withers wither with her"
So excited, can't wait to hear La Streep rap! She's going to blow us away!
Btw, here are some additional pictures (The one of Little Red and another one of Streep, Blunt and Corden): http://www.people.com/people/gallery/0,,20838715,00.html
Well, am I the only one who is a little concerned ever since Meryl called Walt Disney a sexist and hinted that "Into the Woods" could be a failure?! And especially after Sondheim talked about the changes... Let´s hope for the best!
real mike- how did streep hint Into the Woods being a failure?
Jamie, she did so at the Palm Springs Film Festival. She said something like she is thankful for all the amazing things that happened to her so far...but there´s still "Into the Woods" which could be...
Well here´s the link. It´s somewhere around 5:10....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lOIMpQgW58
That's just Streep! She always wonders when her next flop will be or when her good fortunes will come to end. It is not meant to be disparaging to the production.
As for Streep calling Disney sexist- I do not think she said something that was new to anyone.
Looks like despite Streep, Disney wants to make a ton of money off this anyway- even putting the teaser before Guardians of the Galaxy....
Wow, there are some really beautiful shots there. I'm still nervous about what they're cutting, but it does look lovely.
I saw Mackenzie Mauzy on Broadway in the A Tale of Two Cities musical a couple of years ago, and the only thing I remember about her is that she had really nice hair.
And now I desperately want to see Christine Baranski as Mrs. Lovett.
Emily Blunt looks so glow-y in that pic. Wasn't she really pregnant at the time? Baranski, Punch, and Blanchard? Man, they need their own show right now! And Billy Magnussen? I have had a crush on him since he wiggled one foot away from me on stage in Vanya, Sonia, et al.
I saw Christine Baranski play Mrs. Lovett opposite Kelsey Grammer a few years ago at the Music Center in L.A. Neil Patrick Harris was also in it and a few others. She was, of course, terrific.
These photos and the teaser trailer make me less nervous about the movie. At least it looks terrific and that counts for a lot.
I want to go drinking with Christine Baranski.
A lot of reunions going on for Streep, I wonder if she had any input into casting?
Christine Baranski (Abba reunion) count me in for drinks
Tracy Ullman (Plenty and Heartburn)
Emily Blunt (Devil Wears Prada)
Add with newcomers like Lucy Punch, Anna Kendricks, etc - what fun to be at a party or dinner with that cast... Whatever else, the dvd interviews with the cast will be interesting.
Off topic but, could Christine Baranski encourage The Good Wife to please give us a musical episode?
Looks promising! And since you brought it up, you really need to watch The Good Wife! Margulies and Baranski actressing up a storm on a weekly basis is a real pleasure.
Shots looks great. I have renewed hope that this just might be a decent film. Certainly Oscar noms for costumes, make-up, set decoration. Absolutely thrilled with the cast.
Sorry gang - I think this whole thing looks positively ghastly. remember - you read it here first. a major league bomb.
Well with such beautiful shots I have to say I'm relieved so far, nd I alse love the trailer.
Can't wait to hear Streep rap and everyone interacting, also interested in the cast intervies, how the whole shooting was. So far so good.
For me they all look quite staged. More like elaborated Leibovitz pictures with careful artificial lightning, and not snaps of living people in motion. Only the first Prince Charming and the one with the cow look natural to me.
I'm with Jimmy
I always thought that the best director for a film adaptation of "Into the Woods" would be Joss Whedon: He's a genre director who has musical experience (and a Sondheim fan to boot!) who has shown he can handle humor, pathos and darkness as well as knowing how to direct an ensemble cast and multiple plot lines.
"Lucy Punch (yay! Loved her in Being Julia)"
Oh, Nat, I love you. She WAS great in Being Julia and I hoped that that would lead to great things for her. Imagine my surprise years later when she randomly turned up in Dinner for Schmucks and yet she was still totally game even with a ridiculous part.
Otherwise, I'm holding still my opinions on this project. It could be great, it could be awful, but like so much Hollywood output, it'll probably be something right in the middle.
Nathan, I loved Crystal Gayle! I had the When I Dream album on eight-track tape LOL
I always wondered how she shampooed all that!
I love Christine Baranski! the bitch is crazy talented.
and everyone LOVE Meryl afterall, so no need to talk about it again
Irvin -- what a brilliant idea!!! alas it was not meant to be.
Christine Baranski is my favorite supporting actress.
She never had a lead role, sadly, but she's great in every small role. Recently The Good Wife.
And she's the PERFECT version of Cinderella's stepmother, more than anyone else (except Anjelica Huston).
Too bad the stepmother doesn't have a song...