Papa Vinyard here, now here's a little somethin' for ya...
THR announced that Warner Bros. has optioned Jeffrey Spivak's Buzz: The Life and Art of Busby Berkeley, and are developing it as a starring vehicle for Ryan Gosling. Gosling, hot off his first gig as a director on HOW TO CATCH A MONSTER, may also helm the picture.
He may be a tad prettier than the real-life Berkeley but Gosling's involvement would not only help get the picture made, but it would also put a spotlight (no pun intended) on Berkeley's work for a whole new generation. You can't tell me GLEEks and such wouldn't be dazzled by those kaleidoscopic routines.
However, Berkeley is obviously a Hollywood legend, and they're going to have to properly pay homage to the man and his work if they really want this project to sing (again, not intended), including faithfully reproducing some of his more famous numbers from movies like 42ND STREET, the GOLD DIGGERS series, and THE GANG'S ALL HERE. If Gosling the director has got the chops to execute those complicated setups while turning in a strong lead performance, then they should totally give him the gig. But obviously, a more tested musical director may be on the table in case WB wants to play it a little safer on this one, which, considering who they're depicting, may be the way to go.
What do you diehard Berkeley junkies out there think? Does Gosling have what it takes to do the impresario justice?
-Vincent Zahedi
”Papa Vinyard”
vincentzahedi@gmail.com
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