516 replies to this topic

[firebird]

Oh look how nervous Rene gets when there's something he doesn't control himself hehehe   Nonetheless, looks like some crap movie

[stevethefan]

You would think that somebody in Quebec would have already made a movie like this or at least be interested in doing this project. It would be more realistic if it was done in French and more realistic if, at least her earlier years, were filmed in her home province. I know some people seem to think it's too early to make a life story type of film since she's still relatively young, but her career started at a very young and it's a rich story, which does make a nice story/movie BUT only if it's done tastefully and not "tabloid" like. A lot of times movies like this come out bad, but maybe this one will be good. It will be interesting to see how it comes out.  

[VinnyT.]

Quote

Actress Christine Ghawi, who plays Celine Dion, and Director Jeff Woolnough go through rehearsal on the set of the Canadian Broadcasting Company movie 'Celine' on Friday, April 13, 2007 in Toronto. An unauthorized biopic on the Quebec chanteuse is a rags-to-riches tale that will steer clear of dishing dirt on the popular diva. (AP Photo/CP,Nathan Denette)

[VinnyT.]

Quote

Actress Christine Ghawi, who plays Celine Dion, listens to Director Jeff Woolnough during rehearsal on the set of the Canadian Broadcasting Company movie 'Celine' on Friday, April 13, 2007 in Toronto. An unauthorized biopic on the Quebec chanteuse is a rags-to-riches tale that will steer clear of dishing dirt on the popular diva. (AP Photo/CP,Nathan Denette)

Quote

Actress Christine Ghawi, who plays Celine Dion, sings during rehearsal on the set of the Canadian Broadcasting Company movie 'Celine' on Friday, April 13, 2007 in Toronto. An unauthorized biopic on the Quebec chanteuse is a rags-to-riches tale that will steer clear of dishing dirt on the popular diva. (AP Photo/CP,Nathan Denette)

Quote

Actors Christine Ghawi, who plays Celine Dion and Enrico Colantoni, who plays her husband, Rene Angelil, rehearse on the set of the Canadian Broadcasting Company movie 'Celine' on Friday, April 13, 2007 in Toronto. An unauthorized biopic on the Quebec chanteuse is a rags-to-riches tale that will steer clear of dishing dirt on the popular diva. (AP Photo/CP,Nathan Denette)

Quote

Actress Christine Ghawi, who plays Celine Dion, and Director Jeff Woolnough go through rehearsal on the set of the Canadian Broadcasting Company movie 'Celine' on Friday, April 13, 2007 in Toronto. An unauthorized biopic on the Quebec chanteuse is a rags-to-riches tale that will steer clear of dishing dirt on the popular diva. (AP Photo/CP,Nathan Denette)

Quote

Actors Christine Ghawi, who plays Celine Dion, and Grant Nickalls, who plays Grammy Award-winning record producer David Foster, rehearse on the piano on the set of the Canadian Broadcasting Company movie 'Celine' on Friday, April 13, 2007 in Toronto. An unauthorized biopic on the Quebec chanteuse is a rags-to-riches tale that will steer clear of dishing dirt on the popular diva. (AP Photo/CP,Nathan Denette)

[Lulu]

This girl looks more like Madonna

[Pureceline]

Cant wait to see the movie!

[CelineTheBest5]

She doesn´t look like Celine

[OnlyCeline]

CelineTheBest5, on Apr 13 2007, 04:12 PM, said:

She doesn´t look like Celine

The Most Important There Is:  ACTING, But I Think She Does Kinda Look Like Celine.

[JP]

Yeah i think she looks a little bit like Celine! I hope it won't be a caricature..

[zanif]

Quote

Unauthorized Celine Dion biopic to steer clear of diva dirt, says producer

CASSANDRA SZKLARSKI
Fri Apr 13, 3:35 PM ET

TORONTO (CP) - When it comes to portraying a character as larger-than-life as Quebec diva Celine Dion, over-the-top is definitely the way to go.

Like, outrageous drag queen over-the-top, which is how newcomer Christine Ghawi snagged the coveted lead role in an upcoming biopic of the chanteuse, "Celine." "I did a transvestite doing Celine Dion," Ghawi says of her off-kilter audition in which she belted out "My Heart Will Go On."

"It was funny, it was really funny. They burst out laughing."

Ghawi's caricature had been perfected years earlier for a play performed at Montreal's fringe festival - it was a spoof of the raunchy HBO series, "Sex and the City." She had initially been cast as a transvestite with a penchant for Dion's sappy balladry but ended up being recast in the lead role of Carrie Bradshaw.

In the upcoming CBC-TV film, "Celine," Ghawi tones down the parody but did spend hours poring over the iconic singer's CDs, music videos, taped interviews and concerts to nail down every nuanced inflection.

She says she's all too aware that the project could be her big break after six years spent playing roles in student and independent films.

"I just got into the union about a month ago," marvels Ghawi, a slim, 23-year-old brunette from Montreal. "And then this came along. I really think this is a role that ... if anyone was to play it in Canada, that I was very well equipped to play it."

The project is being sold as an inspirational rags-to-riches tale and chronicles Dion's rise to stardom from humble beginnings in Charlemagne, Que., where she was the youngest of 14 children.

It also traces Dion's unconventional romance with her much older manager and current husband, Rene Angelil (portrayed by Enrico Colantoni of "Veronica Mars" and "Just Shoot Me").

But producer Laszlo Barna says the two-hour feature will steer clear of dishing dirt on the popular diva, who in more recent years has drawn unflattering attention for her fashion failings, outlandish second wedding in Vegas and hyper-produced, effusive vocals.

However, the film has already drawn some controversy for being filmed in English, instead of French, and in Ontario, instead of Quebec.

Barna dismisses the criticism, saying that Dion's star power transcends borders. He bets that her story will find worldwide appeal.

"Everybody should be lucky that I didn't shoot this in Hungarian," jokes Barna, a Hungarian immigrant.

"Celine Dion has outgrown national borders, including Canada's national borders ... Celine is as much a hero in Iowa as she is in North Bay or Trois Rivieres. This language issue is beside the point."

The film will feature plenty of Dion music, but none of it actually sung by the superstar. Instead, her music will be interpreted by Toronto singer Trish O'Brian and lip-synched by Ghawi.

Neither Dion nor Angelil are involved in the film, which also stars 12-year-old Jodelle Ferland of Vancouver as a young Dion and traces her gradual transformation into a celebrity at age 24.

Barna says he was drawn to Dion's story by her remarkable ascent, noting many of his previous projects have included similar against-all-odds storylines: "Shania: A Life in Eight Albums," revealed Shania Twain's early struggle for fame; "Milgaard," documented David Milgaard's battle to clear his name in Gail Miller's sex slaying and "Shake Hands with the Devil," currently in production, outlines Romeo Dallaire's struggle to draw United Nations attention to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

"I found Celine's story endlessly fascinating," he says. "How is it that someone who comes from a very large family, 14 children, outside of Montreal in a small villlage called Charlemagne make it and become a world star? The odds are absolutely against you."

Source: http://news.yahoo.co..._en/tv_celine_4

[CelineTheBest5]

OnlyCeline, on Apr 13 2007, 06:35 PM, said:

CelineTheBest5, on Apr 13 2007, 04:12 PM, said:

She doesn´t look like Celine

The Most Important There Is:  ACTING, But I Think She Does Kinda Look Like Celine.

Yep Its true

[KimboCosmo]

Well, if it is going to happen, i think it sounds interesting!  I'd definately watch it!  

[Zora]

Ooh that's interesting, no doubt they won't show it on UK TV, will have to get it on YouTube as per usual

They should soooo have Jennifer Aniston playing her, that would be ace!  They're so similar!

[Elaine]

The idea of the movie is nice, I like it, but I don't agree with the point that they'll shoot the movie in English since the beginning... How can they show céline's story without including any French in it?? But anyway, i'll want to see that movie when it comes out... Let's wait and see how it's gonna turn out...

[Erin]

veronica mars' dad is RENE?!?! LMFAO. i love it.

[Taya_Janeway]

No Way how about Jessica Holmes? She is awesome when she portrays Celine

[stevethefan]

Thanks for posting the pictures from the rehearsal. When I looked at Christine's publicity photo I can see why they chose her because she does resemble Celine, at least enough to be believable, but when I looked at those rehearsal pictures, even with changed hair, I don't think she looks like her. When I look at the guy playing Rene, all I can think of is when he was playing the guy on "Just Shoot Me." I guess that scene must be trying to create the late eighties phase since they have "Rene" with more hair and "Celine" with curls. I still would like to see this
someday. At least they claim to not be digging up any dirt.  

[Ronny83]

Quote

Newcomer Christine brings Celine to life in TV biopic

17 APRIL 2007

Quebec-born chanteuse Celine Dion may still have a long career ahead of her, but her life so far clearly has all the ingredients for a drama-filled biopic. The singer is being portrayed in the made-for-TV movie Celine by newcomer Christine Ghawi, whose uncanny resemblance to the Canadian superstar in her Nineties heyday helped land her the coveted role.

The 23-year-old put in some considerable research before auditioning to play the legendary singer, delving into the Grammy-winner's CDs, music videos, taped interviews and concerts to get her every nuance down pat, including a memorable performance of Titanic theme tune My Heart Will Go On.

Christine, who was working on set in Toronto on Sunday, says she particularly relates to Celine's famous rags-to-riches story. "I really think this is a role that... I was very well equipped to play," reveals the 23-year-old starlet, who appeared in university and independent films for six years before landing her big break.

The inspirational screenplay is based on the biography of the superstar Celine Dion: A New Day by Barry Grills and Jim Brown, which chronicles Celine's fascinating life from her humble upbringing as the youngest of 14 children in Charlemagne, to her rise to fame and the love story between the star and her manager-husband Rene Angelil.

Filming is set to continue until May 8 in Toronto and Hamilton, with the TV movie airing on CBC early next year. It also features Veronica Mars actor Enrico Colantoni, who plays Rene, and Grant Nickalls who portrays Canadian-born music producer David Foster.

http://www.hellomaga...ne-dion-biopic/

[blue.grave]

Sound good so far. I can't wait to see it next year.

[Kian]

I guess I'm in minority here not wanting to see this movie. I just can't imagine watching someone playing Celine, not even out of fun or curiosity   .

[one heart]

wow , great news !!! i can't wait to see it !!!!

[Snowhite]

a movie??i dont like this actress to play celine.i dont like this idea

[Lulu]

Found this excerpt from the film...
I have to say I am not impressed with the casting....


www.flashmag.ca/html/aLaUne/topos.htm?1707

[artistman2007]

camon guys she's beautiful and to be onest that's good bec she looks better than celine  but i think in the pics she realy looks like celine

[stevethefan]

I was just wondering how much of Celine's career will they show? Will it be up to when she broke through in the US around 1990, or will it be up to now? In the time they have, and with the actress' age, I would think it would be more realistic to stop around the early nineties. I think the actress they chose for the "older years" seems
ok, but the picture I saw of the girl playing the younger Celine doesn't look anything at all like her IMHO.
I can live with that, as long as they make the story convincing. Only time will tell.  

[KimboCosmo]

Zora, on Apr 15 2007, 12:50 PM, said:

Ooh that's interesting, no doubt they won't show it on UK TV, will have to get it on YouTube as per usual

They should soooo have Jennifer Aniston playing her, that would be ace!  They're so similar!

I totally agree on Jennifer Aniston playing Celine's part!!  I always think of Celine when I watch Friends...they do look alot alike!!  She would ROCK playing Celine!!!

[Lulu]

Part 2.......

www.flashmag.ca/html/aLaUne/topos.htm?1713

[Lulu]

www.thestar.com/artsentertainment/article/205839

[stevethefan]

Thanks for that article from "The Star." I'm glad that the actor playing Rene mentioned how he did not want to in something too "cheesy." That give me hope that it might be a good movie. The other good thing in that article is that the director has done shows like Bones and CSI so he's pretty good. It sounds like it will concentrate on the relationship between Celine and Rene. There are so many ways they
could go with this movie and I will be interested in seeing what angle they go with. I hope that those of us outside of Canada will be able to view this movie at some point  

[VinnyT.]