Looks like Dallas will be spending a few more months in the dressing room down in development hell.
Because the New Regency movie adaptation has just ditched the entire cast except for John Travolta as JR Ewing. The film is now on hold and director Gurinder Chadha has to recruit a whole new cast – and may not even stay on board herself.
So what’s brought on this sudden bout of cold feet? Those old standbys of costs and brand recognition, surely the cornerstones of all great art! The studio is worried that the kids won’t recognise Dallas and the current cast had pumped the budget up to more than $65 million, with executives panicking that the box office might not support the outlay.
So out are Luke Wilson as Bobby Ewing, who’ll pocket cash anyway as he’s got a pay-or-play deal, and Shirley MacLaine as Miss Ellie. Also, negotiations with Meg Ryan, who was planning to take the Sue Ellen role deserted by Jennifer Lopez, have now been suspended.
New Regency’s PR team insisted to Variety that the show would go on, but now we’ll all have to wait even longer. All together now: “We’re not sure we care!”