With the 2008 Oscars soon to be sitting on toilets and mantels all over Hollywood, my more impatient and speculative peers have naturally turned to musing on potential contenders for next year’s awards.
One of the big marks is Rob Marshall’s Nine, the adaptation of a musical inspired by Fellini’s 8 1/2. Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Judi Dench and, um, Fergie. In proper Fellini fashion, DDL will be haunted by all those women, and he’ll experience unease to the tune of three new songs by Maury Yeston, who won a Tony for his original Broadway score.
Michael Tolkin wrote the original script draft but, in final Oscar-bait form, it was rewritten by the late Anthony Minghella shortly before his death.
Now the film has moved up to November 25 from December 11; that’s a big Thanksgiving weekend thumbs-up from The Weinstein Company. And why not? The last time Marshall unleashed a musical (Chicago) it took home many dollars and awards for Harvey & Co.