Is Chris Evans finally getting his musical? Maybe. But he’s going about it in an unusual way. According to Variety, Chris is in discussions to put together a project based on legendary song and dance man Gene Kelly. It’s not a biopic, though. It’s a fantasy and, apparently, Chris’ idea. The original concept was that a 12-year-old child in the 50s on the MGM lot discovers an imaginary friend who just happens to be Gene Kelly. It sounds out there, but lord help me, I think it might just be s’wonderful.
Chris Evans is in talks to step into the shoes of legendary actor Gene Kelly in a developing film project produced by John Logan, Variety has confirmed.
According to a source close to the project, the untitled film is based on Evans’ original idea in which a 12-year-old boy who works on the MGM Lot in the 1950s finds an imaginary friend in Kelly while working on his newest film.
Though a studio is not yet attached to the project, Evans is set to produce the film alongside Logan, who is also writing the script. Rian Johnson and Ram Bergman will produce through their company T-Street Productions, as will Mark Kassen. Evans, Johnson and Bergman last worked together on 2019 box office darling “Knives Out,” whose sequel is in post-production. Three-time Oscar nominee Logan’s oeuvre includes penning Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator,” Martin Scorsese’s “The Aviator,” Tim Burton’s “Sweeney Todd” and James Bond movie “Skyfall.”
Here’s my argument, just going off what little information we have: it sounds like a movie Gene Kelly would have made himself. So it’s more of an homage than anything. And I like that because Kelly is possibly my favorite male screen persona. I am transfixed by him on film. However, I know he was not always the nicest person off screen, at least to some of his female dance costars. Some say he was just a perfectionist, others say it was more than that. Either way, I don’t want to see that part. But I wouldn’t mind seeing a fantasy version of him. And John Logan has some varied writing credits under his belt so if he can capture the whimsical feeling of a 50s musical, this could be a fun movie. I am confused by the imaginary friend part because Kelly was very much alive and making movies in the 1950s (Singing in the Rain came out in 1952). Does this kid meet his idea of Kelly? Guess I’ll have to wait and see.
The real question is can Evans pull off Kelly? The reasons I am so enamored of Kelly the actor is his dancing (duh), his voice and his charm. I’ve never actually seen Chris dance, although I hear he can. Same for his singing. He is charming, although I find Kelly debonair, and Chris is more prom king kind of charming. He’ll have to reshape his body to a dancer’s physique. And Chris has a great speaking voice, but not the slow, velvety rasp that Kelly had. He does have the right smile, though. Chris and Tom Holland are certainly ambitious to think they can take on a pair of the greatest dancers we’ve had on film. Maybe Anthony Mackie can make the Gregory Hines story to complete the Marvel-dancing trifecta?
I’m sure Ms. White would approve of Chris’ choices:
Back in 2015, Chris Evans hopped out of his seat to help escort Betty White to the stage and this is one of those moments that will make us love Chris forever. 💙pic.twitter.com/lL5V71Jlb5
— Sílvia (@JustMe_Silvia) October 13, 2021
Oh my gawd – I’m going to need a minute *swoon*
Oh look! It’s Chris and Tom at the end of Avengers 16
Photo credit: Avalon Red and Twitter
I watched Singin’ in the Rain over xmas while my little one had chicken pox and my god Gene Kelly had the most amazing and elegant body.
I’ll go see it.
So this is why Chris Evans got jokingly twitter shamed yesterday over a Gene Kelly clip. I read that thinking Chris Evans is such a random reference.
I watched a whole bunch of Gene Kelly movies over the pandemic as well. Several of his films had whimsical and imaginary sequences, so Evan’s concept might not be totally out of context. I’m all in for musicals, tap and dance to come back in style.
Chris Evans has the CapAss for a fantasy Gene Kelly. This movie sounds like a mash up of JoJoRabbit (imaginary famous friend) and Singing in the Rain.
I LOVE Gene Kelly. This sounds intriguing.
For how the imaginary friend part of it could work, the Simpsons did an episode last year where Lisa had an imaginary friend Willoughby, who was absolutely not a take off on Morrisey (it totally was)
It worked well and was very entertaining. So having a kid with an imaginary friend version of someone who also exists as a person in the ‘real’ world of the story can be done.
I’d watch this CE movie.
I love this journey for him and us. I think he’s talented and hope that he nails the role.
I dunno man. He’s got the physicality and he’s certainly athletic but can he DANCE? Gene Kelly was as smooth as he was athletic. That’s why his dance routines were so fantastic. At least Tom Holland has the dancing skill set to build off of with playing Fred Astaire. Even then, he’s got a HUGE task ahead of him.
I don’t know if Chris will be able to cut it no matter how much he practices. He can probably get the singing and the look down but Gene was such an extraordinary dancer. I dunno man.
Gene is one of a kind and no-one could ever dance like him. However, Chris has been tap dancing since he was a kid and continues to this day, apparently. So, I’m keen to see what he can do. I’m pretty sure he’s already had a tiny tap dancing scene in a movie, can’t remember what it was though.
He’ll never be able to compete with him. No one will.
I think this kind of movie will give them the opportunity to “dance around” Kelly’s dancing. It’s the kid’s imagined version of Gene Kelly, so they can control the way he sings and dances.
It’s good it’s not an actual bio-pic or he would have set himself up for failure.
They’ll have a double and a lot of camera trickery, and he will do some of it. Which is fine, Gene Kelly was a singular talent and this sounds like a cute little kids movie anyway, not a serious biopic.
Just for the love of god, let’s acknowledge the dance double when the movie is made. None of that “Oh Natalie Portman trained for a year and totally did all of her own ballet in Black Swan. No really…now please oh please give her an Oscar” bull**t.
My question is- if they want to do Gene Kelly faithfully, who has been called a dick by his contemporaries, will they include that, and if not, why Gene Kelly? If they want it to be him on a movie set but have him act out or character, I don’t see the point.
Gene Kelly + fantasy/dream sequence checks out for me, the Cyd Charisse sequence from Singin’ in the Rain came to mind immediately. No one better try to play her because Gene is hard to mimic but Cyd is inimitable.