What's Up With Opera Pictures, Doc?
Thursday, May 14, 2015 at 10:30AM For the past year or so various Streep related announcements have revealed a curious trend: Meryl Streep is suddenly really into musically-themed pictures with four consecutive pictures of that ilk from 2014-2016 (with the exception of her cameos in other prestige dramas). First came Into the Woods, then Ricki & The Flash and next year it was supposed to be all about the Operas. Opera? Yup. She signed on for a very promising sounding comic bio about a terrible singer Florence Foster Jenkins to be directed by Stephen Frears. The fate of the fourth picture, a filmed adaptation of the stage play Master Class, a fictionalized drama about Maria Callas's time as a voice teacher, is now up in the air. The HBO project aimed to reunite Streep with her most frequent collaborator Mike Nichols but five months after the project was announced, Nichols passed away.
Whether or not Master Class goes before cameras (with or without Streep) it will surely keep getting stage revivals since "La Divina" continues to fascinate actors and storytellers. French diva Fanny Ardant already played the opera singer for the screen in Franco Zefirrelli's Callas Forever (2002) and word broke yesterday, complete with this gorgeous promotional poster, that Noomi Rapace is next.
Noomi Rapace recreates a famous Callas photo
She'll star in the already fully funded Callas for director Niki Caro. Rapace broke out in a big way with the Swedish Dragon Tattoo movies but subsequent efforts as an international leading lady haven't attracted as much attention (sorry but Michael Fassbender stole all Prometheus thunder). Still, the writer/director Niki Caro isn't a slouch when it comes to winning her actresses attention. She's only made five movies including the very recent and very atypical McFarland USA, but two of them resulted in Best Actress nominations: Keisha Castle Hughes in Whale Rider and Charlize Theron in North Country. So chalk Rapace down as a threat for the shortlist in 2016 or 2017, depending on how quick they are about this.
Reader Comments (18)
Meryl should record an album asap. Period.
I just love her singing and I'm so happy she was finally nominated for a musical.
2016 will be interesting if Amy Adams as Janice Joplin will get made. Another Singer in the mix!
Sometimes there is quite a trend of characters in BA category.
Wasen't there a year where 3 female lead characters were farmers?
Supposedly there will be a soundtrack for Ricki and the Flash with all of the covers and the original song on it....
I thought it was kinda sad when it was announced that Streep was going to be in Masterclass after Faye Dunaway has reportedly been trying to get an adaptation off the ground for decades.
Nat, two official CAROL clips are now roaming the Internet :P
Yes I heard Faye Dunaway's Master Class was still a thing. Guess not :(
It'd be healthier for all to concentrate the conversation on Stephen Frears. Helen Mirren is the only one to win an Oscar under his direction. But the most memorable performances he has gotten from others are career best and some of them lost to weak tea --- although Huston was beaten by the kind of performance that had a man had given it it would never be questioned whether they should have defeated her or not.
Healthier?
For me Know It All. I feel like a violent fantasy episode kicking in featuring Streep. Instead of focusing on that bitch --- discussing anything else relevant outside of her is fine with me.
3rtful
What's your point??????
3rtful
Oh... now I see your point!!!! Sick POV.....
The original photo of Callas that Noomi Rapace is recreating above was taken by Cecil Beaton in 1956. It's very much like a picture of Noomi's fellow Swede, Greta Garbo, who actually had an affair with Beaton at one point. Also, if you go on Youtube, you can find a video of Callas talking about her meeting with Garbo, which I found interesting (she also liked Olivier).
Sonja - yes there was. 1984 had three farmers (Spacek, Lange, Field) -- at the time people kept saying 'three farm wives' but in retrospect those three characters were bassically running things. so why the "wives" part?
Dunaway would be stunning as Callas... but she has lost her place in the Hollywood Pantheon as she is quite difficult to work with... too bad ... talent wasted.
The one person that I want, nay, NEED, to be in an opera-themed film is Audra McDonald. SOMEONE MAKE THIS WOMAN A SUPERSTAR!
....not that she isn't a stage superstar. I just want the whole world to bask in her talents. Easier with a movie.
I love Noomi's ring. That is all.
God that picture shines bitchy diva glimmers!
Thanks Nat. 8)
Jonny- Agree! Hoping to get tickets to see Audra and her husband, Will Swenson, in O'Neill's A Moon for the Misbegotten at the Williamstown Theatre Festival this summer. Maybe she's just focusing on dramatic roles at the moment?