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Report: Stephen Daldry Close To Directing 'Wicked' Adaptation


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[img]http://moviesblog.mtv.com//wp-content/uploads/movies/2012/07/Wicked-Banner.jpg[/img]

[i]By Ryan J. Downey[/i]

[url="http://www.mtv.com/movies/person/242867/personmain.jhtml"]Stephen Daldry[/url]'s last big movie included New York City as a central part of its story. Now the "[url="http://www.mtv.com/movies/movie/482668/moviemain.jhtml"]Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close[/url]" director is in talks to direct the big screen version of one of the biggest musicals to rock Broadway in recent memory. According to [url="http://www.deadline.com/2012/07/comic-con-2012-wicked-musical-wizard-of-oz-prequel-jersey-boys-movie-universalbroadway/"]Deadline[/url], Universal wants the English filmmaker to helm the movie adaptation of "Wicked," the "Wizard of Oz" prequel that began as a book before it exploded as a top-grossing musical.

Gregory Maguire's "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" fills in the blanks about the titular "Oz" villain's backstory. The Broadway musical averages $1.4 million per week. Universal was also responsible for the big-screen version of the Broadway hit "Mamma Mia!."



Daldry is no stranger to the stage. In addition to his work as film director and producer, he has a rich background in theater, including a Tony Award for "An Inspector Calls." Every single feature film he's directed has been nominated for an Academy Award for either Best Director or Best Picture: "Billy Elliot" (2000), "The Hours" (2002), "The Reader" (2008) and last year's "Extremely Loud," which grossed just under $32 million for Warner Bros.

Daldry's stage productions have included this year's "Bridget Jones Diary" on London's West End). If Universal signs him, he'll once again be telling a female driven story ("Wicked"'s other main character is Glenda the Good Witch). "I get frustrated because they say, 'How can a man talk about women?’" he told the UK's Guardian in a 2003 interview. "I say, 'Steven Spielberg didn't need to be an alien to talk about 'ET'. You don't need to be a dog to direct 'Lassie.' It seems to be a denial of the process of imagination, which is a posh word for 'guesswork.'"

[i]Would you like to see a Stephen Daldry-directed "Wicked"? Let us know what you think in the comments below and on [url="http://www.twitter.com/mtvmoviesblog"]Twitter[/url]![/i]



[url=http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2012/07/12/stephen-daldry-directing-wicked/]View the full article[/url]

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