Marilyn Manson Rocky Horror Rumors Fly -- But Are They True?
Filed under: Classics, Comedy, Drama, Gay & Lesbian, Horror, Music & Musicals, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Casting, RumorMonger, Celebrities and Controversy, 20th Century Fox, Remakes and Sequels
Holy sweet transvestite, Janet. Rumors are swirling around the internet about the possibility that Fox may finally be making some progress on that Rocky Horror Picture Show remake and/or possible sequel we've been hearing about since 2002 (c'mon, guys, this can't be that hard -- it's just a jump to the left, and then a step to the right ... right?) The remake was supposed to have happened to coincide with the show's 30th anniversary, but that came and went a year ago (not that anyone's counting). The more interesting rumor du jour is that shock-rocker/artistic genius Marilyn Manson supposedly let slip in an interview with E! that Fox has approached him about the possibility of taking on the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, originated by Tim Curry.Before we go any further here, folks, I want to make it abundantly clear: All these stories out there -- every single one I've found thus far -- references a single piece on bloodydisgusting.com that's based on a single report from a reader that he or she heard Manson say on an interview with E! that Fox had approached him about the role. I haven't seen the interview myself, I can't find a copy of it online, and even the E! Online website, fount of truth and knowledge, makes nary a mention of this news. Manson's official website, while visually very cool, is either not navigable at the moment, or I'm not artsy enough to figure out where to click to get anywhere.The Heirophant, the official Manson fansite, also has no news about Manson potentially taking on Frank , nor even a mention about the supposed E! interview -- although you can find all kinds of fascinating stuff about Manson there, including this interview in which Manson talks about the film we do know is really underway, Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll, which, in addition to being written and directed by Manson, will also star him in the role of Carroll. That's one I can't wait to see. The site does list Manson as being on Leno -- on Halloween, shockingly enough -- so perhaps he'll let something more substantial slip there. Even the official RHPS Fan Site doesn't make mention of this rumor, and if anyone would be on the ball about any and all things RHPS, you'd think it would be those guys.
It's kind of interesting that so many sites are reporting this as if it's gospel truth based on one unsubstantiated source, but such is the nature of the internet. Personally, I'm always suspicious of rumors that propagate across the internet like wildfire with no factual back-up, so at this point I'm taking the whole thing with a generous portion of salt (and perhaps a generous portion of Meatloaf). And yet -- I'm strangely intrigued by the idea of Manson as Frank. I mean, who else could you possibly imagine taking on that role and bringing it back to the big screen, except perhaps Curry himself? Well, maybe Johnny Depp could pull it off, but other than that?
It's not as if other folks haven't played the part of Frank-N-Furter. The live stage version, The Rocky Horror Show, has been touring since the '90s with various actors in the lead role, and every town from San Francisco to New York City and thousands of points in between has had live actors -- both men and women -- playing the role during screenings of the film with local casts ranging from the maudlin to the hard-core, practically professional troupes that rehearse weekly and spend thousands on sets and costumes, but a big screen remake is another kettle of fish.
Now I know all you Frank-N-Fans out there fall into one of two camps on this rumor. So speak up, current RHPS fans -- and yeah, all you old folks (and I include myself in this category, so don't take offense) who used to run around theaters in lingerie in your glory days, shouting out audience lines at the movie screen and tossing your toast in the air. Do you love Marilyn Manson and think that he could do an awesome job taking over the reins from the Curry, or do you get all hot and flustered at the mere thought of Fox even considering handing the role of Frank over to another performer? And are you content to occasionally wander out to a midnight screening of RHPS, or are you looking forward to a remake with antici ... pation?
More stories on Marilyn Manson and Rocky Horror:
Manson Wants Depp for New Film
Manson Takes a Dip Down the Rabbit Hole
Vintage Image of the Day: Oh, Rocky ...
Vintage Image of the Day: Shock Treatment
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-26-2006 @ 2:01PM
The Addict said...
So as the president of Pittsburgh's official cast, the JCCP, I'd not look forward to Manson stepping in the role. I'd much rather see Anthony Stewart Head (yes, Giles from Buffy) play Frank, as he makes the role truly his own and is considered by pretty much all of England to BE Frank N. Furter. If this movie gets made, and I hope so much that's a very big if, I hope Manson has no part in it, because as great a performer as he is, he's not in any way, shape, or form a Frank-like person. Rocky Horror is not goth-rock and hopefully never will be.
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10-26-2006 @ 2:18PM
Sasha Madore said...
If this remake actually happens it will destory all the shadow casts around the world, making a trendy thing out of something thats been a cult thing for more than 30 years. Think about it, a remake would bring in a whole new crowd, who would rather see the new then the old, or perhaps everyone would start Rocky casts and competition between casts would triple. Im afraid it will kill our tradition that as rocky fans hold very close to our hearts. As a girl who plays Frank, and plays Frank damn well, I can tell you that just because Marilyn Manson trendy, and wears womans clothing occasionally doesnt mean he is the right person to play Frank n Furter. I would also like to say that this new movie, if made, could never be a sequel, Richard O'Brien made "Shock Treatment" and thats Rocky's sequel.
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10-26-2006 @ 2:43PM
Kim Voynar said...
Sasha,
Shock Treatment is the sequel to RHPS in the rough sense, yes, but it's also been rumored that O'Brien was going to pen an actual follow-up to the original that would have Frank-N-Furter come back from the grave. Now that could be interesting.
Good points on what the impact of a new RHPS could have on the cult tradition of the original. It could end up bigger than the West Side Story rivalry, only with lingerie! Old School RHPS folks versus the Newbies.
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10-26-2006 @ 3:11PM
Jess said...
I honestly, do not want to see Marilyn Manson taking on Frank-n-furter. I've never really liked Frank, but the thought of it being played.. by Marilyn Manson really confused me. When I saw a link to this, I immediately thought: "No! This can't be!" I just hope this is all some crazy rumor..
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10-27-2006 @ 6:46AM
epobirs said...
Weren't Marilyn Manson's 15 Minutes expended a few years ago? The Onion had it nailed when they depicted him going door to door desparately trying to shock jaded suburbanites. Take away the make-up and Brian Warner looks like the guy that even the other nerds and nebbishes wanted to beat up in high school.
As for RHPS, a remake isn't needed. This is an artifact of a bygone age and should be appreciated in that form. How can a remake work in the post-AIDS world? A lot of stuff we all thought was funny back then has lost its charm when placed in a more recent time.
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10-30-2006 @ 12:53PM
The Addict said...
So Shock Treatment is technically not a sequel, but rather as O'Brien has said, it's a follow-up. The sequel to RHPS has a script floating around the net and it's called "Revenge of the Old Queen." Tim Curry was actually asked to play Brad (and Farley) in Shocky, but didn't think his American accent was convincing.
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10-30-2006 @ 12:36PM
Chanda said...
I'll second The Addict's recommendation. Anthony Stewart Head manages to top Tim Curry in some parts of his performance. It's about time he got his druthers in film.
Marilyn Manson can be an amusing little freak, but I foresee any Rocky Horror involving him being more a picture about Marilyn Manson than a great ensemble film.
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10-30-2006 @ 8:05PM
Imp said...
Whether amazing or horrible, I'd see it... in theater... with high hopes. I think they'd make enough money not to care either way.
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10-31-2006 @ 3:04PM
steph said...
As RHPS local cast alumni (http://ip.rhps.org), I don't know...
Johnny Depp- no. No offence to him, because I love love love him, but I don't know how great his singing is, and let's not forget Rocky Horror is a musical! But if he could sing, it might be interesting... hmm.
I'm not really sure if the remake should happen or not. I mean, I loved going to the show, I loved the AP lines and the throwing of things, and dressing up, etc. A new movie means no AP (at first). Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of the movie itself, the live casts are what makes it rock.
And there would be local cast members EVERYWHERE ticked off... Why? Because the Janet isn't gonna be good enough, or Rocky's gonna be weird looking, or Columbia's jacket isn't going to be at all like it was before! Unless it was an All-Star cast, I just don't know.
It's kind of like RENT the movie, Rosario ended up kicking butt, in my opinion, as Mimi, but others think she wasn't so hot. No one said a word about Maureen or Roger because they were in the OBC... See what I mean? There'd have to be a reason to not judge certain characters and no matter who plays Frank, or anyone for that matter, unless it's Tim Curry and Susan Sarandon they're going to get judged, and people are going to get upset. Period. That's just how the Rocky Groupies work.
My only suggestion to whoever is brave enough to make this movie- Do not advertise the actors. Let people go crazy over who's playing who, and then you'll get your ticket sales.
That's my 2 cents. :)
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10-31-2006 @ 1:45AM
Aaron said...
As a kid who grew up HEAVILY into Rocky Horror AND Marilyn Manson [c'mon, what goth kid didn't at least start somewhere similar??], I would go see it in a heartbeat. Manson's roles have been limited thus far to walk-ons and guest appearances [Jawbreaker, Party Monster, etc], and it's about time we see him in a big role. And while I am terribly excited over his latest jump into filmmaking, I'd definitely pee my panties if I thought for a second that he would be cast in such a role. Alas, I don;t think it will ever happen.
As for Johnny Depp... I won;t say he's a bad actor because we all know he's not. But I've been getting progressively more and more sick to death of not only seeing him in every movie ever, but also of everyone's seemingly automatic opinion that he can pull off any role or that every movie should cast him. Get over it already. I must have missed the bandwagon for the Depp obsession, and I might be the only one on earth who thinks that he's not the best actor ever, but that's fine with me.
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10-31-2006 @ 2:37AM
The Addict said...
So when did Johnny Depp get thrown into this, first off? There was no mention of his involvement at all; he's cast to be Sweeney Todd right now. Second, everyone in the RENT movie was criticized for either being too Broadway/Bon Jovi (Pascal), too old (everyone was 10 years older than they were in the OBC), or not right for the character (Dawson). I also agree with Aaron's sentiments about Depp, since I know he's a good actor, but he's not the best. At all. I'm decently sick of the guy myself, as I am with much of Hollywood atm. I just pray this film doesn't happen.
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