The picture above looks like a scene inside the foyer of Erik's chateau in my novel. (I didn't make it.) I have an unpublished version of my story that is quite different from the one that's published, with an entirely different ending! It was inspired by Gerry's performance as the Phantom. I was saving it for ALW if...

If you look at my photo at the top of this Blog, I'm at the left holding my manuscript. It's got a black ribbon tied around it. The manilla envelope that's on the bottom was 40 pages of script that a screen-writer adapted from my novel. It was the opening scene of a movie. As I said, I never heard from Gerry.

In a strange coincidence, on March 2, 2007, ALW announced he was doing a sequel. Oh and then there was poor Otto... *sigh* Titles: There was 'The Phantom of Coney Island', 'Once Upon Another Time', now it's 'Love Never Dies'. Originally was to open on three Continents. Now will open in one, around March 2010.
 
ALW's reason for a sequel: "I promise you, the only reason I'm doing it is because it's a very, very good story. It's a better story than the original..." He went through a few writers. Then one said to him, the problem could be solved by using the original characters. (IMO, bringing in new characters is the way to go, and preserve the personalities of the previous ones. That's how you have a successful sequel.)

But the Casting Call revealed that the personalities of the main characters will all be very different from the movie. Madame Giry, greedy and aggressive; Raoul a drunk who squandered their fortune, Meg a seductress, etc.

Also, in a preview of the First Act, the Phantom makes love with an automaton (automated life-like doll) that looked like Christine. That was reported at a Birthday celebration for ALW when he previewed the First Act. "The Phantom, having fled Paris, is running a freak show. At night he crawls into his lair and makes love to an automaton that looks like Christine." That's what Playbill reported.

Well, that's the latest on a sequel...*wink*

~Sam~