Bardem, Zeta-Jones for “Nine” Film
Rob Marshall has confirmed that the stars of his upcoming film version of “Nine,” based on the Broadway musical of the same name, will be Javier Bardem, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Sophia Loren, according to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The director, known for his work on “Chicago,” confirmed to the publication what had been previously speculated in Variety.
Bardem (”Before Night Falls,” “The Sea Inside”) will fill the central male role of Guido. The women who haunt him will be Marion Cotillard (”La Vie en Rose,” “Love Me If You Dare”) as wife Luisa, Penelope Cruz (”Volver,” “Vanilla Sky”) as mistress Carla, Catherine Zeta-Jones (”Chicago,” “The Legend of Zorro”) as muse Claudia, and Sophia Loren (”Man of La Mancha,” “El Cid”) as his mother.
Marshall was reportedly taken aback by the number of big Hollywood names who were willing to audition to prove their musical ability. The pool of talent is definitely international; Bardem and Cruz were born in Spain, Cotillard is French, Zeta-Jones is from Wales, and Loren is aptly Italian. No official casting has yet been announced.
Inspired by Federico Fellini’s “8-1/2,” “Nine” features a score by Maury Yeston and libretto by Arthur Kopit. The work, which finds an Italian director who is haunted by the many women in his life just as his career is in jeopardy, will be adapted for the screen by Michael Tolkin (”The Player,” “Deep Impact”).
“It’s a gorgeous score, and we’re reworking it for film, so it’s really a new book,” Marshall explained to Playbill.com columnist Harry Haun last month. “I’ve been working on it since the beginning of the year. We’ll probably be shooting next March and, hopefully, come out with it in December ‘08.”
