There was much excitement, and one or two heart palpitations back in 2013 when 20th Century Fox looked to be moving forward with its remake of Guys And Dolls after snagging the rights to the musical movie. Back then, rumours flew that Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt were atop the casting wish list, but nothing seemed to come of it. The remake at last has a director in Michael Grandage.
Grandage, who has worked more on TV and the stage, has some experience bringing Guys And Dolls to life: he oversaw the 2005 West End version that starred Ewan McGregor and Douglas Hodge.
The film’s plot, originally adapted from Damon Runyon’s short stories, finds roguish New York gambler Nathan Detroit (Frank Sinatra in the original) looking to set up a big craps game. Trying to drum up the necessary funds, he accepts a bet that pal Sky Masterson (Marlon Brando) can’t convince wholesome missionary manager Sarah Brown (Jean Simmons) to come with him to Havana.
Frank Loesser penned the original music and lyrics for such classic tunes as Luck Be A Lady Tonight and Sit Down, You’re Rockin' The Boat with a book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. The stage version scored a Tony, while the film was nominated for four Oscars.
This one will attract a lot of attention from musically-inclined actors (and their agents), so expect the casting possibilities to come thick and fast. Grandage's next film, Genius is out on June 10 in the States, but doesn't seem to have a UK date set yet.