Nick-Ko-Las Enigma
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Christopher Lee dropped from Sweeney Todd film?From the Sunday Telegraph
A ghost is exorcised
Christopher Lee, whose role in Tim Burton's film Sweeney Todd had been eagerly anticipated, has been told his services are no longer required.
Even by the standards of the Demon Barber, it seems an unkind cut. The actor had been looking forward to making his fourth film with Burton as director and Johnny Depp as the star, but, at the eleventh hour, the character of the Gentleman Ghost that Lee had been signed to play was axed. Half a dozen other actors who were due to play singing ghosts in the film - including Peter Bowles - are also out. "It was a tight production schedule, so, when Johnny had to absent himself when his daughter Lily-Rose was taken ill, some scenes had to be cut," explains my man with the clapperboard.
He adds that Lee, a fine opera singer who has lately released a CD, had impressed Stephen Sondheim, who wrote the lyrics, when he saw him rehearsing at Pinewood. "It would have been worse if I had done the scenes, but I never got to film them," says Lee. "It's a shame as the lyrics were wonderful, but these things happen."
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Salome
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thats disgusting! first he doesnt get Judge Turpin..now they cut the tole they gave him role out! f*cking Tim Burton.
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antigear
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This just makes me anticipate the movie even less. Gah, I knew a (good) Sweeney Todd movie would be too good to be true.
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what_the_heck013
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This intrigues me because I assumed he was going to sing The Ballad... I wonder.
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Sweeney Hyde
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| Salome wrote: | | thats disgusting! first he doesnt get Judge Turpin..now they cut the tole they gave him role out! f*cking Tim Burton. |
Poor Christopher Lee...he has gotten the snip too often lately...his part was very minimal in the most recent Star Wars...He didn't get Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings, which is the part Tolkien himself wanted to play Gandalf, and then his big death scene was cut from The Return of the King because Jackson was stupid enough not to put his death in The Two Towers like it is in the book...let alone cutting The Scouring of the Shire.
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Trevor
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My friend who knows like... everything and a half about movies says he hasn't been cut from the Sweeney film. He says he wouldn't believe it until he sees reports of it in a big entertainment report.
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Salome
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actually Saruman's death occurs towardt he end of Return of the King in the novel.
but luckily they added his death to the director's cut of Return of the King.
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Sweeney Hyde
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| Salome wrote: | actually Saruman's death occurs towardt he end of Return of the King in the novel.
but luckily they added his death to the director's cut of Return of the King. |
Sorry. I meant that he was stupid enough not to put the scene of Saruman's death that they made for the films at the end of Two Towers. After they decided to put it in the Return of the King, but then cut it entirely because, "It felt like it was the end of The Two Towers and not the beginning of The Return of the King."  I love that scene in the director's cut...and I think it was horrible not to put it in any of the theatrical releases...especially when they didn't include The Scouring of the Shire.
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actionjaxson91
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is this true or just a terrible rumor? 
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EponineBarker
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If it is true, it's a major bummer. I was kinda looking forward to what he was going to do in the movie.
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Nick-Ko-Las Enigma
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Picked this up from Christopher Lee's offical web site, a post made by the person who runs the site.
"You guys mean well but several things are true.
He will not be in the movie and no petition is going to change that. This decision, as I understand it, was essential and remeber than Tim Burton has been around long enough to know exactly what he is doing. He is an excellent director, arguably one of the very best there is.
You are not doing Mr. Lee any favours because he has moved on, he is working on another movie and he cannot do both at the same time. Yes, he would have loved to, but he knows and accepts that it was not possible.
Technically, he has not been cut, you cannot be cut unless you are in the movie. Mr. Lee has never been in this movie. The parts of the ghosts have been cut from the story and therefore a few actors were no longer required.
I would appreciate if someone removes the link to this website from that petition because CLW has nothing to do with it and Mr. Lee does not want to be a party of any petition. Specially againts someone who he considers to be a good friend.
I understand that it is done in good faith and you mean well but to be honest, at the end of the day, it's only a movie.
LOTR was a different story altogether, the part was filmed and integral to the story, this one is not and it really doesn't matter if there are singing ghosts or there are not.
With or without Mr. Lee the movie is going to tell the same story, he was not playing a character that was essential to the story. Tim Burton wants always to have Mr. Lee in his movies, if he is able to, this time it was not possible and a petition could seriously damage their professional and personal relationship.
It's best to move on and await Mr. Lee's news on the new movie he is working in, which will be just as exciting.
Please do not asume that it is an unkind cut because that is not the case at all. What was kind, was Tim Burton's innitial thought of wanting to fit him in the movie in some way."
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what_the_heck013
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hmmm... ok.
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Ghost
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I hope this doesn't mean the Ballads are cut...
Because if they are...
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actionjaxson91
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| Ghost wrote: | I hope this doesn't mean the Ballads are cut...
Because if they are... |
...there will be hell to pay
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Monsieur D'Arque
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My suggestion now? There's NO REASON for Danny Elfman not to sing the first line of the prologue.
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Kaiana
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Yeah, I mean, Christopher Lee is amazing, but they made up the part of "a gentleman ghost" for him anyway, so I don't see him not doing the movie as such a big deal...
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Ghost
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The thing is that apparently the ghosts were supposed to have sung the ballads...
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EponineBarker
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That would've been pretty neat.
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