Celine Dion TV movie shooting ... in Toronto

[peo]

The Celine Dion story is coming to the small-screen but her local francophone fans will be disappointed to learn that the TV movie is being shot entirely in English in Toronto and Hamilton. There are no plans to air the bio-pic of Quebec’s most famous chanteuse in French. Shooting began Sunday (April 8th) at the Glenn Gould Theatre at the CBC Broadcast Centre in Toronto and continued Monday with scenes shot at the chic Windsor Arms Hotel just off Bloor St. in the heart of Toronto’s financial district.

 

The movie, titled Celine, is produced by Toronto-based Barna-Alper Productions, the same company that produced the Shania Twain bio, Shania: A Life in Eight albums, which garnered more than one million viewers on CBC two years ago. Celine is set to air sometime next season on CBC, likely early in 2008. It stars Montreal up-and-comer Christine Ghawi as the adult Dion and the Nanaimo, B.C.-born Jodelle Ferland as Dion from the age of 10 to 12. Producer Laszlo Barna told The Gazette on Tuesday that the Celine Dion movie is being made only in English because he wants to focus on selling the film internationally.

 

 

The movie marks a major break for Ghawi, a little-known local actress who has had some small movie and TV roles. The Cyprus-born Montrealer’s biggest gig to date was playing the Sarah Jessica Parker character Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and la Cite, a spoof of Sex and the City that ran at the Just For Laughs fest last year. Ferland, the 12-year-old actress who plays Dion at a younger age, was recently nominated for a Genie as best actress for the film Tideland. Toronto actor Enrico Colantoni – best-known for his recurring role as the fashion photographer Elliot DiMauro on the sitcom Just Shoot Me – plays Dion’s husband and manager Rene Angelil. Singer and stage actress Louise Pitre portrays Dion’s mother Therese and New Brunswick-born thespian Peter MacNeill plays Dion’s dad Adhmar.

 

 

Celine is directed by Jeff Woolnough (CSI, Battlestar Gallactica) and was written by Donald Martin, based on the biography, A New Day Dawns, by Barry Gills and Jim Brown. It follows Dion until the age of 24. The movie is not an authorized biography and neither Dion nor Angelil is involved in the project. There will be no original Dion music in the movie. Instead a selection of Dion hits will be interpreted by Toronto singer Trish O’Brian. Ghawi will not do any of her own singing.

 

 

Though it is not an authorized bio-pic, Barna has no intention of dishing any dirt on Dion or Angelil. Barna sees Dion’s life is an inspirational tale, and the film will chronicle her rise from modest beginnings in the town of Charlemagne just outside Montreal to worldwide stardom. For Barna, Dion and Shania Twain have much in common. “You have these two women who’ve had these unbelievable success stories but both come from humble backgrounds,” said Barna. “I love underdog stories. This is my Canadian idol.” Filming on Celine continues in Toronto and Hamilton until May 5.

 

[source: Montreal Gazette]

[Tal]

Should be interesting....

 

I can't believe the guy from Just Shoot Me is playing Rene

[Mrs.Goldman]

but he doesn't even look like Rene :S

[Davey84]

young céline talking english.... now this movie has credibility written all over it!

[peo]

I hope that when it airs somebody can upload it in the forum becuase we don't have that channel in Puerto Rico

[Viva las Vegas]

I guess there's already a topic about it here

[amelie]

young céline talking english.... now this movie has credibility written all over it!

 

 

:S it has nothing to do with credibility...its about english speaking audience understanding what she says...

 

Would you imagine a Hollywood production movie for Celine in French??(i'm not saying this is a Hollywood production...to avoid getting misunderstood)

 

"Just shoot me" ROCKS

Edited April 11, 2007 at 05:20 PM by amelie

[CSCfan]

This will also be released on DVD..

[#1fanforever]

That is really great to hear!!! And Im glad it will be in english Edited April 11, 2007 at 05:33 PM by #1fanforever

[Ronny83]

There's already a topic about it.

 

http://www.celinedionforum.com/index.php?showtopic=20366

 

Please, always do a 'search' before opening a new topic. Thanks.

 

Topic closed.