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Damn Yankees
Release Date: TBA
SubscribeGenres: Musical
Production Phase: In Development
Studio: New Line Cinema
Who's In It: Jim Carrey (The Devil), Jake Gyllenhaal (Joe Boyd / Joe Hardy),
Who's Making It: Lowell Ganz (Screenwriter), Babaloo Mandel (Screenwriter), Craig Zadan (Producer), Neil Meron (Producer),
Thursday, February 26, 2009
A modern day remake of the 1950s smash Broadway musical and movie Damn Yankees is in development at New Line Cinema. The studio has already assembled several key pieces of the project including attaching Jim Carrey and Jake Gyllenhaal to star in the film as well as drafting comedy writers Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel to work on the screenplay. Feelers are being sent out for the film's next most important cast member to play the part of Lola, the temptress that woos Joe Hardy (to be played by Gyllenhaal.) In the story Hardy is an everyman who wanted more to his life and so exchanged his soul with the devil (Carrey) in exchange for the persona of a big league baseball player.
New Line has enlisted Hairspray producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron to work on its new version of Damn Yankees. According to Variety the studio wants to find a way to update the musical and dispense with some of the original's 1950s elements but also retain the show's signature songs and sentiment. The studio wants to have a script completed before beginning the process of auditioning for a director.
When the original Damn Yankees stage production debuted in 1955 it won seven Tony awards including Best Choreography for Bob Fosse. Ray Walston and Gwen Verdon recreated their Broadway show roles for the 1958 movie while Tab Hunter played Hardy.
- Variety. Comment on this Scoop (0)