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CNN Live Today
Interview With Bill Condon
Aired March 13, 2003 - 10:58 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The buzz this year is the lavish musical "Chicago," a heavy favorite for best picture. It has already won three Screen Actors Guild awards and three Golden Globes, and a big reason is Oscar-winning screen writer Bill Condon, who wrote the screenplay based on the long-time Broadway hit.
He joins us live from Los Angeles to talk about the film and his own nomination for best adapted screenplay. Good morning and congratulations.
BILL CONDON, SCREEN WRITER: Oh, thank you, Carol.
COSTELLO: So does it feel different this time?
CONDON: You know, it does a little. The first time, it was with a tiny movie, "Gods and Monsters," and we were really storming the barricades. This time, it's sort of a much bigger phenomenon.
COSTELLO: Boy, you are not kidding. It's all anyone is talking about.
CONDON: Yes. It's strange, isn't it?
COSTELLO: It is strange. Why do you find it strange, though?
CONDON: Well, when we doing it, we were just trying to figure out how to take this classic musical and make it work on the screen. To see it with audiences is really remarkable. It is like watching an action movie, you know? People applaud as though the actors were there. It's very visceral for an audience, so that is exciting.
COSTELLO: So when you sat down to write this thing, did you have any idea that it would transfer so well to film in the first place, and that it would become such a big deal?
CONDON: Well, we weren't sure, but I have to say that because of -- it came out of the collaboration of Cander and Edwin (ph) Fosse in "Cabaret," we did kind of have a model for how it could work. With the numbers not interrupting the action the way they do in normal musicals, which makes people feel uncomfortable, but they sort of act as a kind of ironic counter-point to the action, and having seen work in "Cabaret," we were hoping we could come close to something like that with "Chicago."
COSTELLO: Oh boy, did you ever, and it certainly works. And good luck to you on Oscar night. Bill Condon joining us live...
CONDON: Thank you so much.
COSTELLO: ... from Los Angeles.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired March 13, 2003 - 10:58 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The buzz this year is the lavish musical "Chicago," a heavy favorite for best picture. It has already won three Screen Actors Guild awards and three Golden Globes, and a big reason is Oscar-winning screen writer Bill Condon, who wrote the screenplay based on the long-time Broadway hit.
He joins us live from Los Angeles to talk about the film and his own nomination for best adapted screenplay. Good morning and congratulations.
BILL CONDON, SCREEN WRITER: Oh, thank you, Carol.
COSTELLO: So does it feel different this time?
CONDON: You know, it does a little. The first time, it was with a tiny movie, "Gods and Monsters," and we were really storming the barricades. This time, it's sort of a much bigger phenomenon.
COSTELLO: Boy, you are not kidding. It's all anyone is talking about.
CONDON: Yes. It's strange, isn't it?
COSTELLO: It is strange. Why do you find it strange, though?
CONDON: Well, when we doing it, we were just trying to figure out how to take this classic musical and make it work on the screen. To see it with audiences is really remarkable. It is like watching an action movie, you know? People applaud as though the actors were there. It's very visceral for an audience, so that is exciting.
COSTELLO: So when you sat down to write this thing, did you have any idea that it would transfer so well to film in the first place, and that it would become such a big deal?
CONDON: Well, we weren't sure, but I have to say that because of -- it came out of the collaboration of Cander and Edwin (ph) Fosse in "Cabaret," we did kind of have a model for how it could work. With the numbers not interrupting the action the way they do in normal musicals, which makes people feel uncomfortable, but they sort of act as a kind of ironic counter-point to the action, and having seen work in "Cabaret," we were hoping we could come close to something like that with "Chicago."
COSTELLO: Oh boy, did you ever, and it certainly works. And good luck to you on Oscar night. Bill Condon joining us live...
CONDON: Thank you so much.
COSTELLO: ... from Los Angeles.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
