What is gender swap casting you say?
In the Wake of the controversial Joaquin Phoenix Joker movie, I was inspired by a tweet by blogger Geraldine DeRuiter who said the Joker should be a woman. I asked my Facebook friends about a theoretical Joker movie with a woman playing the Joker and asked who they thought would be a really good female Joker. Some of the answers I got were Lili Taylor, Jane Lynch, Cate Blanchett, and Famke Janssen.
In this episode of Gender Swap Casting I’m thinking of the classic Mel Brook’s movie The Producers, the one starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder. Perhaps their play could be Springtime for Eva Braun rather than Hitler.
(Not that I have anything against the Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick version of the Producers, which is a fine film!)
Imagine that Max Bialystock is Maxine Bialystock, a woman hustling rich old men, and then there’s Leo, who could be…Leontine? Who would you cast as these two?
Who would take Zero Mostel’s role? I have the perfect person in mind. Anyone who guesses gets a free coke!
And who would be Leontine? Which woman would play the unsuspecting accountant who gets caught up in Bialytstock’s scheme? I also have someone in mind of Leontine Bloom. Also a free Coke if you get it right! Get both of them and I’ll throw in a donut!
How about the role of Francine Liebkind, the writer of the play, the role Kenneth Mars played?
Then there’s the duo of Roger De Bris and Carmen Ghia. Maybe a couple of bohemian lesbians. Robin de Bris and Carmen Ghia! Who would you get to play them?
And while we’re on the subject of gender swapping, the role of Ulla should become Ulrike and a proper Mimbo put in to play the role of the beefcake. Who should that be???
Feel free to leave your suggestions and ideas in the comments!
