A Great Comet on the Horizon

 As most of you are aware by now, Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 is expected to be released during this round. I was not expecting this movie to appear during this season, but it's always good to see what you've worked on be showcased. Ruben Schwartz also released his Trades article for this season and it's a wonderful read as always, being very informative and detailed about which movies could be contenders for awards and which movies may soon join them. With that said, I'd like to address the casting for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 and explain why I made some of the decisions I did. I'm aware some of you may be surprised by some of them ('Weird' Al Yankovich being the most eyebrow-raising), but I'm hoping to quell most concerns some have. This will also give insight as to how I cast musicals.

1. Do they have the voice?

This is the most crucial part. You can be the perfect person for the role, but if I don't have proof that you have the skill necessary to carry a tune, you aren't getting cast. Musicals have three engines that need to work together. There's the script (the meat and bones of your musical), the songs (the heart of every musical) and of course, there are the actors (the people who work to make this as good as it can be). If one part fails, the whole project goes down with it. We saw this firsthand with Gerald Butler and 2003's Phantom of the Opera and while I have respect for him and know he's a much better singer now than he was back then, he along with several other factors played a big role the movie's low critical reception.

It's more than just finding the voice to, it has to fit the character in question. Let's talk about Natasha for a moment. She's a young girl (nineteen years to be exact) and is still learning what love is like. She's cheerful and bright but also a little selfish and childish. Selena Gomez can do just that. She has proven to be a very dynamic actor that can play almost any kind of character you want. She also has the perfect voice for Natalie. It's very sweet, very delicate. It can be light and dainty as well as be enchanting and dramatic.  Finding the right voice for the character may sound difficult, but if you observe the character, get a good feel for who they are and why they are here, you may find the right person.

2. Do they have the look and feel?

While having a good voice is crucial, it's also important to find someone who fits the characteristics and look of your character. For example, let's look at Pierre. In the novel, he is portrayed as a socially-awkward, beleaguered man who struggles to find himself in spite of having wealth and a beautiful wife. On the flip side, that wife (Helene) is proven to not be very faithful to Pierre and among other issues makes life hard for him to obtain. For the movie, I tried to stay as close to the look of the characters in the musical as possible and with that, I came across Jared Leto. Jared, in my opinion, is the perfect fit for Pierre. Like with him, Jared has had to overcome many hardships to find himself and faced many obstacles over the years.

He also matches the description of Pierre. In the musical, Pierre is slightly disheveled and in-spite of his wealth and power wears clothes more common to those on the streets or in the middle-class. He also has a large beard on his face, something Jared has obtained many times in his career. As such, Jared Leto fits every criterion needed to be Pierre. The same case can be made for Justin Timberlake, who will be playing the role of Anatole. Anatole is the younger, attractive brother of Pierre. A true ladiesman who walks with an amount of swagger unlike anyone in 19th century Russia.

Justin Timberlake and Anatole are one in the same. They are both very charismatic, good-looking men who know how to win over the ladies with the charm, allure and sensual nature. While Anatole uses his powers for his own selfish needs, Justin has used them merely to entertain others. From his time in N*SYNC to branching out into a solo career, Justin Timberlake is still one of the finest musicians in America today and has translated that success into film. It is my hope that all three in question (Justin, Selena and Jared) will be successful in their roles and I am confident that they will be.

However, you may still be wondering why 'Weird' Al Yankovich is here. Or what Brittain Ashford is doing with a bunch of movie-stars. This leads to the final point I'd like to make.

3. Are they worth the risk?

This is admittedly the most selfish reason for some of the casting, especially some of the more minor ones. But I believe this needs to be said. I'm a gambler. I like to take chances with my projects and see if they stick or not (as we've seen with Whammy during Round 2). Sometimes, they pay off (Accordion de Chanson was my most well-recieved film and Oh Deer remains my most profitable) and other times, they don't (Nexus, Odette and AGOS). What matters is that if you're confident in what you are doing and you truly believe that this can work. I believe 'Weird' Al Yankovich can work. As Balaga said, he is just for fun and Al fits this quota. His parodies of famous songs continue to be on the minds of people even decades after his debut. He is a wacky, creative, talented performer that knows what it takes to be successful. His acting experiences also tend to go unnoticed. We've seen him on My Little Pony: Friendship in Magic, Robot Chicken, Spy Hard, Milo Murphy's Law and of course, UHF. He has proven that he can act and sing and he is worth taking the risk because I believe he can do Balaga justice.

And then there is Brittain Ashford, the Sonya from the musical. I have a belief regarding musicals turning into movies. If you have the star power for it, then you can get away with at least one person from the original show making an appearance, be it a big role or small. With Brittain? This comes down to one reason. She is the perfect candidate for Sonya and really, the glue that holds everything together. Her haunting melodies and impeccable character work make her worth giving a chance to show herself on the big screen. To me, this film would not be complete without her and I am so happy to have her on the cast.

The Comet's Flight:

Lastly, I want to discuss how the movie came to be. I first discovered this musical several months ago during one of my treks on the internet. Immediately I was blown away by not just how well-crafted the music was, but also how gripping and intriguing the story was. It was unlike any musical I had ever heard before or since and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it could be turned into a movie.

After getting the rights from Dave Malloy, I had a decision to make regarding who to be director. I had three ideas in mind, Damien Chazelle (the best musical director in film today in my opinion), Baz Luhrmann (the man I felt fit the movie most), and my good friend Rob Marshall. When Damien and Baz became unavailable, that left Rob as the director. We immediately got to work, trying to figure out how to best capture the spirit of the musical while also marketing this to a bigger audience. The result, hopefully will be a movie that will please fans of the musical as well as movie-goers and do the legacy of Dave Malloy's work proud.

I hope I was able to quell some concerns regarding some of my casting decisions and clear up some of my viewpoints. Creating a movie is a difficult task and you need to have the craftsmanship, imagination and negotiation skills necessary to succeed. At the end of the day, we all do this with one purpose. To entertain, to make people think and understand others better. To tell a story or share an opinion. I have full confidence in myself and my cast that Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 will be a success and serve as a good appetizer for my final film of the season, Kiss Me Katie.

This is Jacob Jones, signing out.