8 Reasons Why Rian Johnson Should Direct Phantom Of The Opera
Phantom deserves more and he's the man for the job.
Broadway coming to film is not anything new.
For years, Hollywood has looked to the stage, just as often as the stage looks to Hollywood, for inspiration. Sometimes these film adaptations work very well (see: Chicago, Grease, Little Shop of Horrors) and sometimes they do not (see: Rock of Ages, Nine, Camelot).
In recent years, the art of musical adaptation has been almost entirely transitioned from film to television. Networks such as Fox and NBC have begun airing star-studded, live performances of classic musicals to great success. The most recent of these was the John Legend-starring adaptation of Jesus Christ Superstar, which aired on April 1st.
The show received (mostly) rave reviews and has, to a certain extent, legitimized this still-new-artform. In the aftermath of its success, the entertainment world has been buzzing with which classic Broadway production could be making its way to the small screen next and a big-time director just threw their name in the ring for contention.
Rian Johnson tweeted out a simple "Dibs on Phantom," stating that he would like to direct a live-action adaptation of Phantom of the Opera. Whether for film or for a live television special, Johnson might be the perfect choice to bring this classic Broadway production to a larger audience.
8. He's A Huge Fan
First and foremost, it is crucial that the director of an adaptation have an understanding of what makes the show work. Film and television adaptations that have failed in the past regularly fail because they are unable to dig deeper. They take the play at surface value and run with it from there, never getting to the actual meat of the story.
As re-iterated by Johnson on Twitter, this shouldn't be an issue for him. He joked that he would see Phantom of the Opera anytime, anywhere. Ensuing responses prompted him to begin a back-and-forth dialogue with fans about various characters and musical numbers. He cited love for characters such as Raoul and went on to discuss how Phantom was the play he obsessed over as a theater kid in high school, even down to owning the 'making-of' book.
All of this was in good gest with the fellow Broadway-lovers who were responding to him but it also comes from an honest place. Johnson knows this material through and through.