07/24/2008
Work on Sequel to Hairspray Begins

New Line has retained John Waters to write a treatment for a sequel to the $200 million+ grossing movie musical Hairspray:
"Planning to return are director-choreographer Adam Shankman, producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron and Tony-winning songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, who will write new songs for the film. No cast has been engaged yet, and none of the stars of 'Hairspray' had sequel options. But the studio hopes to reunite the original cast in a film that will be ready for release by Warner Bros. in mid-July 2010...Aim is to pick up the Baltimore saga of the Turnblad family after the resolution of the first film, which was set in 1962."
Previously
Hairspray: a Review [tr]
Posted 8:02 AM EST by Andy Towle in Film, John Travolta, John Waters, News | Permalink
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The original Hairspray was enough. The ozone can't take anymore.
Posted by: nobama | Jul 24, 2008 8:09:38 AM
a sequel to a cover version of a mediocre movie... our culture embraces familiarity and deplores creativity.
at least Travolta will have work.
Posted by: A.J. | Jul 24, 2008 8:28:38 AM
Anything to make a buck or two.
Posted by: BusyTimmy | Jul 24, 2008 8:38:06 AM
This has disaster written all over it.
Posted by: wisebear | Jul 24, 2008 8:38:13 AM
Come on! The first one was a lot of fun & not meant to be taken seriously. I go to serious films as well as more mindless fares (I went to see both Dark Knight & Mamma Mia! last weekend). Having said that, they should just leave the first one alone. Anybody remember Grease 2?
Posted by: scar2 | Jul 24, 2008 8:44:36 AM
Get rid of Travolta. He was the lead in the balloon that kept the film from really soaring. Every scene he was in slowed down the pace of the movie to show off is lack of talent.
Posted by: ggreen | Jul 24, 2008 9:21:08 AM
Really (eyes rolled)
Posted by: Maverick69 | Jul 24, 2008 9:39:40 AM
Remember Grease 2?
Posted by: Tralfaz | Jul 24, 2008 10:11:50 AM
The ORIGINAL Hairspray was enough then they made a mediocre of a musical film, a piece of shit i say...the acting was horrible and the fact that travolta WILL NEVER FILL DIVINES nor any other dragqueen....why is john waters destroying his cult films?
Posted by: Bosie | Jul 24, 2008 10:14:55 AM
No!
No!
No!
The musical was enough of a travesty.
I hate that a lot of young people only know the musical and have never seen Waters's grossly superior original version.
Please no sequel!
Posted by: Alex | Jul 24, 2008 10:50:56 AM
It ain't got that spring witout DIVINE in tha thing!
Posted by: David B. | Jul 24, 2008 10:51:59 AM
Well I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed the new Hairspray movie. I think it's a lively and fun, if slightly nonsensical musical.
I do, however, have reservations on a sequel, but I suppose it'll fly or flop on it's own.
(Some of you folks employ no logic whatsoever. Suggesting that the new Hairspray movie will somehow generate *less* interest in the original make you sound like the MPAA or ID proponents. Please try to find reality, and take hold.)
Posted by: mrAshley | Jul 24, 2008 11:31:20 AM
MrAshley,
1. When the musical opened on Broadway, I remember reading multiple reviews on IMDB for the original film complaining that the "movie" (aka Waters's original) did not include the songs from the show.
2. When the movie came out, I was in a store and a woman saw the original DVD and said, "how can this be out on DVD already?"
For many people the only Hairspray is the musical and that is incredibly unfortunate.
Posted by: Alex | Jul 24, 2008 11:40:41 AM
Alex,
I can realte as all I could hear from the uneducated mass about Mamma Mia!
"I can't believe that they made a musical based on A*Teens songs"
It goes to show how people can be ignorant about source material. But there are many who don't invest in seeking out the source material.
I can also relate to the imdb travesty when "Throughly Modern Millie" hit the stage.
Posted by: Nick | Jul 24, 2008 11:57:21 AM
Come on, people! Any movie or tv show that shows integration and inclusion as a positive thing should be celebrated. Not every movie needs to strive to earn a Pulitzer. To me, this sounds like a great project.
Posted by: thack | Jul 24, 2008 1:40:13 PM
Thack, but the original did a good job of showing integration and inclusion (albeit in a lot more original and creative way). That Queen Latifa candle march in the movie made me gag. Waters would have had someone throwing up or jerking off during that scene. It was just wrong, wrong, wrong for Waters.
I'll stick to the original, which I never get tired of watching over and over and over and over.
Posted by: Alex | Jul 24, 2008 2:06:18 PM
BLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEGH!
That is all.
Oh, and you're still my idol, John Waters.
Posted by: Chas | Jul 24, 2008 2:32:29 PM