June
6
Keira Knightley Considering My Fair Lady Remake
As far as I'm concerned, the 1938 Pygmalion starring Wendy Hiller and Leslie Howard is far better than the terrible 1964 My Fair Lady movie adaptation of the Lerner and Loewe Broadway smash musical. The movie got by on Rex Harrison and the great music, barely. It was one of those cases where Hollywood insisted on casting a star--Audrey Hepburn, who was voiced by Marnie Nixon--instead of Broadway sensation Julie Andrews, who went on to score in the blockbuster movie musicals Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music instead!
So now Columbia's going to do it right this time, possibly with Keira Knightley, the reigning Brit It Girl, as their Eliza Doolittle. UPDATE: Here's the latest pack of Brit Boys.
Cameron MacIntosh knows how to do a musical. But can Knightley sing? UPDATE: She sings in her next, The Edge of Love.
Hard to tell from this YouTube evidence (she sings better than Scarlett Johansson, at any rate):
Here's Hepburn's unadulterated real voice in a clip from My Fair Lady:
And here's Andrews in all her glory on Broadway:
UPDATE: The next question: Assuming they cast Knightley (I'd go for Gwenyth Paltrow, who can really sing), in a British movie set in 1912, who is an age and class-appropriate Henry Higgins? Vote here.




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Based on this I'm skeptical. Maybe she had a change of heart, but the interview is only a few weeks old.
http://www.list.co.uk/article/8383-keira-knightleys-singing-fear/
Keira said: "I did some lessons with a voice coach because I can't sing. It was live. There were 100 extras and the director John Maybury was like, 'Now you're going to sing.'
"I've never been so frightened in my entire life. I never want to do it again. I don't want to be a rock star. "
Posted by: Patrick | June 06, 2008 at 05:00 PM
Alan Rickman would be a perfect Higgins. Rickman can sing, as we know from Sweeney Todd, and could be a suitably stern instructor, as we know from Harry Potter.
Posted by: Pia Susanna | June 10, 2008 at 04:48 AM
Higgins should be played by British actor, but none on the list above are suitable.
Richard Armitage would be perfect, he can sing, he can dance. He was in Cats musical before moving into television.
Posted by: Mayka | August 10, 2008 at 10:41 AM
Alan Rickman! It is his role!!! Perfect voice, perfect face, perfect attitude!
Posted by: Cindy Strickland | August 13, 2008 at 03:33 PM
Eliza Doolittle - Nicole Kidman
Henry Higgins - Hugh Jackman
Colonel Pickering - Michael Caine
"Mr. Weasley"
Patrick Stewart
Eliza's father - Bob Hoskins
Ian Holmes
Posted by: Jan | October 28, 2008 at 10:03 PM
Why isn't Emma's choice--Hugh Laurie--on this list? There isn't anyone on it who could come close to the wit and vinegar he'd bring to the role.
Posted by: Skreenz | December 22, 2008 at 04:33 PM
I think thay've already chose Knightley as Eliza.
Here I made some cast for MFL remake, it's almost like Blackadder version!
Enjoy!
Director
John Lloyd
Cast
Keira Knightley ... Eliza Doolittle
Stephen Fry/Hugh Laurie ... Professor Henry Higgins
Rowan Atkinson ... Alfred P. Doolittle
Stephen Fry/Hugh Laurie ... Colonel Hugh Pickering
Helen Atkinson-Wood ... Mrs. Higgins
Dominic Cooper ... Freddy Eynsford-Hill
Robbie Coltrane ... Zoltan Karpathy
Miranda Richardson ... Mrs. Pearce
Miriam Margolyes ... Mrs. Eynsford-Hill
Chris Barrie ... Butler
Tony Robinson ... "Wadaya tike me for, a fool?"
Adrian Edmondson ... Greek Ambassador
Rik Mayall ... Prince of Transylvania
Patsy Byrne ... Queen of Transylvania
Tim McInnerny ... Lord Boxington
I want Rowan Atkinson as Alfred Doolittle, for he performed Cockney accent a few times in Not the 9 O'Clock News including the song 'I Like Bouncing', & some thick voice in a Blackadder II episode 'Head'.
And you know what? Rowan's gonna play Fagin in the 2009 West End production of Oliver! Fagin, one of those Cockney roles!
Posted by: Hugh | December 30, 2008 at 11:20 PM
But Armitage's accent is no fit on Henry Higgins!
We need someone like Laurie, Fry or Fox Bros.!!!
Posted by: Hugh | January 19, 2009 at 01:33 AM
As someone has already noted, Thomson has indicated Laurie as Higgins: nobody can be more suitable than him: he can sing perfectly, he can dance and he's a fantastic actor.And he's got the right face and pronunciation.Who else?
Posted by: Carla | January 31, 2009 at 08:33 AM
Hugh laurie is the perfect actor for Higgins. He can sing, he can dance, he can play, he can act, he is everything!!! Most importantly, he is also a gentleman,although most people get to known him as a jerk in house md...but he is charming!!!
Posted by: Tina | March 24, 2009 at 06:18 PM
Pardon me, but the one I would choose is not provided in this poll:
HUGH LAURIE!
He would be the perfect choice for this role.
A man with such a beautyful English like his is just perfectly fitting. And please consider his peculiar charm for this role! He would do just great.
So I really hope that he will be granted that part!! Please Emma, make that work for Hugh! Would be one of his greatest roles ever :)
All the best
Max
Posted by: Max Luetgendorff | April 24, 2009 at 03:40 PM
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