Cinematical

The movie-turned-musical fad isn't just for rock-themed movies and cute romantic comedies anymore. Recently, I blogged about the Weinstein Co.'s plans to adapt Oscar fare like Shakespeare in Love and Chocolat for Broadway. Now, Variety reports of another Oscar nominee that's headed for the stage: Daens. Never heard of it? Maybe that's because it was up for the Best Foreign Film Academy Award 15 years ago and yet despite that honor, it doesn't seem to have ever played in U.S. theaters. The Belgian period drama won't be competing against other movie-turned-musical hits like Legally Blonde and Hairspracy, though -- at least not yet. Instead the production opens outside Antwerp this October.

Here's why it could successfully make it's way across the Atlantic: Variety compares the scenario of Daens, about a priest attempting to improve conditions in the textile industry in the 19th century, to Les Miserables, which has been an enormous hit on Broadway (as well as in London). Also, though the musical will be bilingual, with some characters speaking Flemish and others speaking French, there will be subtitles, which could also be used if a Broadway version wanted to retain the original languages. Of course, I don't know that the same tourists currently making Legally Blonde a success will want to flock to a musical they have to read. And it might make singing along a little awkward, too.