EXCL: 9 getting 86ed?

Despite the all-around success that director Rob Marshall’s last musical, CHICAGO, had, it’s still been rough going getting his next musical, NINE, off the ground. Marshall was looking to get filming going last year when the WGA strike forced a postponement. Said delay also resulted in his star, Javier Bardem, being forced to drop out. That role still hasn’t been filled and rumors that Daniel Day Lewis is set to replace him is nothing more than rumor at this point (though the Weinsteins and producers may still be trying to woo the actor). But now comes troubling word that The Weinstein Co. is cutting the budget for the film. Luckily this doesn’t appear to impact casting (at least at this point) with Marion Cotillard, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz and Sophia Loren still a part of the film. It will impact though the songs in the film.

Scooper “Lovecraft” writes in to tell us that instead of the 16 songs that Marshall and his composers had been planning on, “music will be cut drastically from the film.” Apparently the studio felt that no one wants to watch a three-hour musical and is cutting songs left and right to bring the budget and running time down. “Production keeps getting cut and the schedule keeps getting pushed,” says the source. Strange that now the Weinsteins would get cold feet. The project has been in development for years, why now? Whatever it is, the decision is certainly causing some behind-the-scenes tension. The production is set to move to London at the end of the month but considering the delays (and the fact that it was supposed to shooting already), it’s unclear when NINE might ever get off the ground.