Rent Will Go From Musical To Movie...Again

Playbill.com reports that Sony Pictures is planning on filming the final performance of Rent (scheduled for September 7) for eventual release in movie theaters.

Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning musical made the same transition only three years ago in a movie adaptation helmed by Chris Colombus and starring original cast members Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Idina Menzel, Taye Diggs, Jesse L. Martin, and Wilson Jermaine Heredia.

The 2005 adaptation grossed a total of $31 million at the box office, which did not recoup its $40 million cost, but remains a cult favorite amongst Rent's dedicated fanbase. A release of the musical's final performance, made at a significantly lower cost, could bring in a larger profit margin and would make the landmark performance available to the musical's worldwide fanbase.

The release is part of a new initiative from Sony Pictures (who also releasd the 2005 film) entitled The Hot Ticket, which plans on "distribute event programming, including popular music concerts, the performing arts, and sporting events in high definition digital projection to select movie theaters nationwide." Hot Ticket presentations will be shown in strictly limited engagements in 2K and 4K digital theatres.

The press release goes on to note that original Rent cast members will join in on the "farewell festivities" that evening, and that special extras will be included in the final released cut of the performance.

For more information, visit www.siteforrent or www.the-hot-ticket.com

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