The Count of Monte Cristo

The Count of Monte Cristo (Musical Movie)
In Production
Original Release:	08 December 2023
Synopsis:	The Count of Monte Cristo is a movie adaptation of a musical based off the movie adaptation of the book by the same name. A young man is falsely accused of a crime and thrown into an island prison without trial. Upon obtaining his freedom and acquiring a fortune, the man sets out under a new name on a quest of vengeance upon those who stole his life from him.
Cast:	Ariah Olivie, Michael Hannigan, Beroe Kazinski, Megan Gwynn, Karolina Dean, Cecily Winters, Jeanne-Marie Beaubier, Noriko Ashida, Ted Kord, Caleb Dykstra, Xiomara Rojas, Belinda Gutierrez, Richard Stadler, Marie-Ange Colbert, Norman Osborn

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The Credits

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   Cast
   Mercedes                            -    Ariah Olivie
   Edmond Dantes / The Count           -    Nick Drago
   Fernand Mondego                     -    Dimitri Carpentier
   Danglars                            -    TBD
   Gerard de Villefort                 -    TBD
   Abbe Faria                          -    TBD
   Luisa Vampa                         -    Megan Gwynn
   Albert                              -    TBD
   Jacopo                              -    TBD
   Monsieur Morrell                    -    TBD
   Valentina Villefort                 -    Noriko Ashida
   Madame dVillefort                   -    TBD
   Noirtier de Villefort               -    TBD
   Armand Dorleac                      -    TBD
   Maurice                             -    TBD
   Old Man Dantes                      -    TBD
   Masquerade Girl                     -    Jeanne-Marie Beaubier
   Smuggler #1                         -    Karolina Dean
   Smuggler #2                         -    Caleb Dykstra
   Geisha                              -    C. Rojas
   Party Guest #242                    -    Belinda Gutierrez
 
   Producers - Norman Osborn, Timoteo DeRossi, Pete Porterman, Prentis Myers
   Production Assistant -     Anissa Yates
   Casting     -     Eric Hansen, Reanna Nelson, Patricio Romano, Wade Shaw, Lizzie Wilkenson

   Crew
   Wardrobe  -  Cynthia Schneider, Willard Fox, Kristy Ramos, Neil Peters, Carmen Preston
   Set Teachers - Naomi Winters, Richard Stadler
   Costume Design by Beroe Kazinski
   Special Security Considerations provided by Kitsune Arms
   Other Safety Considerations by Kord Industries
   Music Production - Shaw Studios
   Film Production - Gotham Cable Studios, Metropolis Films,  NYC Studios

   Orchestra - Marie-Ange Colbert, Michael Hannigan, Milo Fuller, Aidan Mccall, Ned Wilkinson, 
      Elif Banks, Susan Osborn, Hana Murphy, Elaine Sweeney, Katie Blackburn, 
      Mikayla Boyer, Ruairi Mills, Subhan Copeland, Kathleen Pace, Sallie Spence, 
      Lillian Bradford, Amir Scott, Matilda Norton, Alexandra Dale, Millicent Moyer, 
      Helena Bray, Vinnie Estrada, Eddie Boyle, Nana Sims, Zak Cardenas, 
      Henry King, Clyde Phelps, Claire Hayes, Libby Ortiz, Tessa Murray, 
      Cody Guerrero, Zakariya Roy, Azaan Mays, Jasmine Short, Joanne Ramos, 
      Jessie Perry, Mari Conway, Hermione Hilton, Sabrina Myers, Lea Krueger, 
      Deborah White, Zaynab Rojas, Liam Chapman, Maximus Hanna, Jana Fitzgerald, 
      Muhammad Blake, Paul Beck, Georgie Randall, Annabel Stevens, Esmee Singh, 
      Melanie Stephens, Matthew Schaefer, Isabella Kelley, Hannah Gray, Santiago O'Brien, 
      Clara Burke, Frederick O'Doherty, Shaun O'Quinn, Patricia Lynch, Muhammed Russo,        
      Reuben Mcleod, Mahnoor Boyd, Caitlin Franco, Connie Moses, Louie Mcpherson, 
      Kathryn Vega, Tabitha Riggs, Ian Rivera, Lachlan Riley, Zach Davenport, 
      Nell Hubbard, Lily-Mae Benson, Jackson PerkinsRafael Wang, Jasmin Hamilton, 
      Ricky Leach, Alia Underwood, Angus Roth, Callan Robles, Ryan Price, 
      Terence Garrison, Aishah Mclaughlin

Movie Reviews

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From the 'Ready the Popcorn' Movie reviews section:

The Count of Monte Cristo: An Appetizing Musical Tale of Lies, Betrayal, and Revenge

It is uncertain how many 'die hard' fans there are of the musical, The Count of Monte Cristo, but you now have that joining the ranks of musicals turned into movies. While some reading this may be happy with the news, there is likely a greater majority of readers wondering, 'There was a musical?', this article is telling you 'Yes, there is'. Being this is a musical movie, the next likely question asked would be, 'Did it have good music?' . Well, with the composer being none other than Frank Wildhorn who brought us Jekyll & Hyde, then that is a resounding yes. But because Jekyll & Hyde is so good, it tends to drown out its musical siblings.

So while the above may come off sounding like a major disadvantage the situation detailed has helped out in the case of The Count of Monte Cristo. It is likely due to another studio buying the rights to Jekyll & Hyde and doing NOTHING with it that this musical has gotten the movie treatment. And since the other one already has a Hasselhoff version recorded for posterity. This could very well be a gain for future generations who would like to see more than just one of Wildhorn's works.

But is it a faithful adaptation? Yes. Very much so. As far as the source material they were using, the plot does stay true to the course and does not sacrifice any of the musical numbers that fans of the musical may remember. Considering the scarce run in most countries, with the most recent US one having finished up a run in Utah, a lot of viewers may not be aware that the musical exists and end up comparing to the wrong source, that being the actual book itself.

Book purists may not appreciate the film as certain sub plots are neglected and the one that is focused on has taken some liberties with the ending. But being that the movie is an adaptation of the musical which did the same exact thing, this is an unavoidable complaint.

Overall, if one were to not compare the film to past versions, they may find this film to be enjoyable. The film did take several risks, most notably in the casting. Most of the cast are unknowns with the most notable names associated with it being Nick Drago and Jeanne-Marie Beaubier. Beaubier's screen time was minimal but very well used, playing a beautiful, but vital role in driving the plot forward. No words were spoken but the nature of the character was excelently conveyed.

Nick Drago's selection for the main role of Dantes does make sense in a rather roundabout way when one considers the general popularity the rock star has experienced in the Southern Europe areas, particularly Italy where several of the film locations were set. When he does get pulled for film roles he also appears to gravitate towards books to movies. While this film is actually pulling from the musical, the book's spirit is still in there somewhere. Considering past roles have had him play at being a seafarer and villain types. A seafaring Byronic hero is not too far off the beaten path. He plays his part well and considering the above, a safe choice in casting.

But the most notable part of this film beyond the elegant costuming, the scene sets, and incredible music would have to be the risks taken in the rest of the casting. Forgoing stunt casting, this film has likely some of the most diverse casting in films seen this year. This includes the presence of visibly apparent mutants amongst the Smuggler crew, including a rather adorable captain with wings .

The biggest gem in this film would be Ariah Olivie cast as Mercedes. An unknown in the singing community, Olivie won the role in a walk on audition. The story goes that she had walked into the wrong audition. This is likely the best mistake ever as Olivie took the challenging music pieces associated with the Mercedes character and made it her own. Her voice matched nicely with Drago's and Dimitri Carpentier's (Fernand Mondego) in the duets and trios and had it not been pointed out before, one would think the role was made for her. Olivie has the voice of an angel hidden in a tiny package and her acting was on point with the others. By far the best part of the film.

Overall, this movie is enjoyable. Beautiful to look at and nice to listen to. If one is looking for a short cut to reading the book by watching this movie, I would not recommend it as that's not the film's intent. The actual book is rather large, has multiple story lines, and to fit the entire contents of that book into a solitary film would be an impossible task. The book is a feast and would best be serviced by a series.

But if one wanted a quick taste, then this would make for a good appetizer. And hopefully inspire those watching to pick up the book later on. But if not, at the very least, this makes a hard to find musical more accessible for those who did not have the opportunity to see it in person.

4.5 out of 5 popcorn buckets

The Logs

Logs

Title	Date	Scene Summary
TCOMC: The Release Party	October 21st, 2023	After the premiere of 'The Count of Monte Cristo', attendees head over to Sion for the release party!
TCOMC: The Match Game Returns!	September 23rd, 2023	A special edition of The Match Game results in a lot of interesting answers and some amazing scholarship prizes being awarded out. Donna asks for vengeance upon Hawkeye.
Supply Run...again	September 13th, 2023	Billy and Mike swing by Nettie's shop in time to get Nettie out of a tight spot. Drinks are had and secrets shared.
Seems Like Old Shows	August 12th, 2023	Introducing... Butterfly!
TCOMC: One More Time - The Do Over	July 15th, 2023	Things are busy at Gotham Studios as the cast and crew scramble to knock out several scene reshoots. Crush is extremely useful with setting up the set and Caleb has extra duty. Mike is late.
TCOMC: From The Top Sing Me A Song	June 30th, 2023	Phoebe and Caleb visit Shaw Studios and end up getting suspicion from Larry the security guard and a tour of the place from the studio owner, Wade Shaw.
Something's Fishy at Baltimore Bubbles	June 5th, 2023	Mike runs into Phoebe at a Baltimore laundromat to tend to clothes that have experienced mishaps
TCOMC:From the Top Symphony of Movie Construction	May 20th, 2023	As Marie and Mike set out to make beautiful music together, Caleb's sister decides to add her own spin on things while a Field Trip group containing Stadler and Crush watch on. Then they go to lunch.
The Count of Monte Cristo: And Action! The Count Revealed	April 22nd, 2023	While waiting for filming to start on the scene that introduces the Count to the world, Belinda, and Crush are introduced to uncomfortable fashion, Caleb finds out about French King names, Nick scares an extra, and Rick gets an odd picture sent to his phone.
The Count of Monte Cristo: And Action! Sailing Sailing...	March 19th, 2023	All is well as The Count of Monte Cristo cast sets out to film their sea scenes. Megan looks amazing and Mike looks homeless. Caleb sneaks onto the property to sell some merchandise and instead ends up getting swept into the movie casting machine. Is no one safe?!
The Count of Monte Cristo: And Action! What A Nice Time For A Feast	February 11th, 2023	Nick and Ariah have a chat in between takes of the feast scene. Some awkward silence included
Officially An Actor	February 10th, 2023	Aurora celebrates her newfound status as actress
The Count of Monte Cristo: Safety Precautions	February 5th, 2023	Ted Kord swings by a gathering at the Shaw Studios retreat to speak with Prentis Myers about leasing his bots for safety assurance with the Metropolis based scene shoots.
The Count of Monte Cristo: A Scaled Response	January 29th, 2023	Thomas comes by the Shaw Studios Beach Retreat to pick Megan up from vocal training for her movie role. There they run into several key figures of the movie's production process. And it turns out at least one of them is a (TV) Catman fan.
Drive, Phoebe, Drive!	January 18th, 2023	Alfred takes Phoebe for a driving lesson in Gotham. It goes about as well as you'd expect.
The Count of Monte Cristo: Fashion!	January 16th, 2023	Aurora shows up for fitting appointment and shares some small talk with Carmen, one of the costume makers.
The Count of Monte Cristo: Costume Fitting	January 15th, 2023	Early Bird Noriko doesn't catch the worm but she does leave a hamburger! Nick 'Edmond' Drago and Ariah 'Mercedes' Olivie meet for the second time in months and holy water under the bridge doesn't keep them from vowing to make a memorable movie together.
Showing Around An Odinson	January 8th, 2023	Balder is shown around Happy Harbor High School and meets some new people as well!
Holiday Chaos. ROUND 3.	December 26th, 2022	Mike Hannigan and Jake Lockley catch up over the Holidays. The movie is brought up and Jake makes an offer that needs considering
The Count of Monte Cristo: Open Casting Call	December 16th, 2022	An open casting call leads to an open season of eager actors seeking limited roles and singing odd medleys in the waiting room. Several misunderstandings lead to some interesting results
Midtown shenanigans!	November 4th, 2022	Sandwich turns into Social Media Ads, turns into fangirl moment when the Scarlet Witch shows up.

Cutscenes

Title	Date	Scene Summary
Lemon Bars and Value	October 3rd, 2022	Mike comes home bringing a Lemonbar. Work is discussed.