We're not really sure why this is happening (other than these people being weird), but Mamma Mia! is huuuge in the UK. Like, top-grossing film of all time. Beats Titanic, even.

For those of you wondering how in the world Ben Stiller could possibly outdo his finely honed, full-retard character work in this summer's Tropic Thunder, fret not. The actor is pairing with Elton John for a movie musical that will require him to go full blown AIDS. John explained in a recent GQ interview:

As any of my close friends will attest, I don't know a damned thing about music. But I do know when I like it, and I especially like it when it's used to wonderful effect in cinema or television. So what's your favorite example(s) of such use? As usual, the rules are loose and fast. It can be a bone fide musical number, or a scene that simply uses music especially well (Is that a "score"? I have no idea about this stuff.) Anyway, here's my first entry. Add yours!

A little over a year ago, we noted that celebrated director/visual-flourishist Julie Taymor would be tackling perhaps her most challenging source material yet. This project would afford no opportunities for portentous lion births, or soldiers lugging Lady Liberty across a model Vietnam in an extremely literal interpretation of a Beatles lyric. Rather, Taymor set about adapting Spider-Man into a Broadway musical. Helping to sell audiences on a hovercraft-enabled lead villain whose big showstopper, "Everything's Coming Up Pumpkin Bombs," closes the first act is none other than U2's Bono and The Edge, who came on board as composers. Now all that's left to round out this spider-shit insane idea is you, triple-threat Tobey and Kirsten types!

In a world where musical theater devotees and sci-fi fans yearn for common ground, the trailer for Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog grabs you by the lapels and sings, "I am that rare beast of boogie-woogie/for fans of Buffy/and fans of Doogie." Penned during the writers strike (ssshh!), the three-part internet series (helmed by Buffy creator Joss Whedon) stars Neil Patrick Harris as timid villain Dr. Horrible, who's about as skilled at wooing cute girls as he is at defeating good guys — which is to say, not very. Two pressing questions: how will Whedon fare in a medium free of low ratings and premature Fox cancellations? And also, is Neil Patrick Harris doomed to play a blogger for the rest of his career?

The Color Purple is reportedly heading back to the screen, this time in the form of the Oprah Winfrey-produced Broadway musical currently starring American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino. "'That's going to happen and I'm going to do it,' the former Idol champ said, smiling broadly. 'They're going to work with me. They don't have to [but] that's a favor,' Fantasia said. 'Working with someone like Miss Oprah who's so talented and amazing - It's a blessing.'" Approached for comment, Miss Oprah explained, "All my life I had to fight. I had to fight my daddy. I had to fight my uncles. I had to fight my brothers. A girl child ain't safe in a family of men, but I ain't never thought I'd have the opportunity to bring this timeless musical adventure into theaters everywhere, Summer 2009! And don't forget to watch Oprah's Big Give, ABC Sundays at 9!" [moviesblog.mtv.com]

This new Broadway musical-themed ad for the Mohegan Sun Casino has inspired reaction on the ad blogs that spans the entire spectrum from "trite" to "gag" to "shit" to "I'd quit if I worked on that" (and indeed, the ad has been mysteriously pulled from YouTube—and UPDATE, the agency tells us that they didn't "pull the spot," just replaced a "rough cut" with the final version). What is for sure is that this is one casino where you are not in danger of, say, waking up in the morning with cocaine strewn across your room and a hazy memory of marrying a hooker; a more likely scenario is having a helluva energetic song and dance session with other goofy, middle aged whites, then going straight to bed to wake up in time for church. Count us in! The full ad [via Agency Spy], after the jump.

Often, the Broadway musical crowds can seem to be totally enveloped by two basic groups: The theater gays, and the theater tourists. Which is just fine. But when an average chump (hello!) not blessed with either the Broadway savvy of the first group or the utter lack of self-consciousness of the second has an occasion to wander into the theater, it's hard to know what to see. So we are here to give all the middlebrow people among you this valuable advice: It's all about "In the Heights."

Rumors continue to be bandied about that Fight Club, a novel by Chuck Palahniuk and later a film by David Fincher, could become a Broadway musical. The tale of two men (SPOILER: It's one guy) who start a brawling, anarchistic little gentlemens club that quickly gets out of hand seems like a strange fit for the singing stage, but the recent critical lauding of both the bare bones Broadway revival and hyper-violent film versions of Steven Sondheim's Sweeney Todd may be encouraging producers that it could work. Reports have even suggested that Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor might be writing the score. A film (and book) with a dark cult following, made into a musical by a musician with an even darker cult following? Seems like a strange fit for the bubblegum cult of Broadway. I suggest taking it to The Atlantic, where more off-beat shows like Spring Awakening get a chance to stretch their legs. [EW.com]

Ready to experience 'The Ultimate'? The MTV Movie Blog reported earlier today that writer/director David Wain is contemplating putting together a musical adaptation of Wet Hot American Summer, the 2001 cult fave that is to comedy nerds what Strunk & White is to English majors. Even though we're almost 100% certain that Wain pulled a fast one on the cub reporter and has no serious intention to make this happen, the sheer possibility that it might one day happen is enough to make us pound a 2-liter of bug juice. Now pardon us while we go hump a refrigerator. [MTV Movie Blog via Lindsayism]

Miracle on Bedford Ave [MySpace]

Clear your calendars, underemployed, musical-loving actors of Los Angeles, for you've been officially notified that the cattle-call that could deliver you the kind of Broadway superstardom you've always dreamed of is at hand. Next Wednesday, thousands upon thousands of singing-ogre hopefuls, their voices colored with the frustration of scores of commercial callbacks that never came, will descend upon Burbank, trying to demonstrate they can belt out rock lyrics through an impenetrable faux-Scottish accent. Please note that the producers have taken special care to invite performers "of all cultural backgrounds" to audition for both leading roles—the words "urban edge," "hip hop," and "R&B" are just fun little lawyer-approved suggestions about what they're looking for in their perfect Donkey.

If while flipping through the pages of a Spider-Man comic book or watching a DVD of one of the wildly successful movie adaptations starring the character, you've ever found yourself saying, "You know what? This superhero stuff would be pretty good if there were some singing and dancing involved. These people are really leaving a lot of money on the table by not putting this on Broadway," today is truly a happy day. Marvel Comics has revealed plans for Spider-Man: The Musical, which will be directed by The Lion King's Julie Taymor, and, in a true masterstroke of surreality, feature original music by Bono and The Edge. In its story on the big announcement, the LAT notes some of the the technical challenges Taymor will face on the seemingly insane quest she's about to undertake:

Despite the fact that Studio 60 will eventually return from its indefinite, Haggis-enabling hiatus to triumphantly claim the Nielsen validation it so richly deserves, pragmatic showrunner Aaron Sorkin is nonetheless preparing for a post-60 existence. A recent career brainstorming session that may or may not have involved an unexpected psilocybin flashback induced by listening to his favorite Flaming Lips album seems to have yielded inspiration for a new creative direction in his life, as EW.com reports that Sorkin will be writing the script for a Broadway musical based on the Lips' Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. Even frontman Wayne Coyne, a guy known to cavort with pastel, flashlight-wielding teddy bears, seems a little freaked out by this development:

Interesting news for fans of the legitimate theater: Playbill reports that foul-mouthed artiste David Mamet's first-ever musical wll have its world premiere this June. A Waitress in Yellowstone, "the story of the title service worker who, on the eve of her trip to the national park to celebrate her son's 10th birthday, discovers a Congressman stealing her tips and reports him to the police," will close the Los Angeles Center theater Group's season. No word yet on any Broadway action, but with songs like, "Could I Have The Fucking Check, Please?" "Everything's Coming Up Fuckin' Ruthie," and "You Know What You Get When You Steal a Tip? You Get Fucked in the Ass (Reprise)" how could it not be a candidate? It can't be any worse than Lestat.