'Slumdog Millionaire' stage musical suffers another setback
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By NEWSCORE
NEW YORK -
"Ghost The Musical" director Matthew Warchus will not be moving on to a musical stage version of "Slumdog Millionaire."
Warchus -- who reportedly was in talks to take the reins of the project alongside "Downton Abbey" writer Julian Fellowes after producers broke off talks with Danny Boyle -- is no longer in the mix, sources said.
A musical adaptation of the hit film has courted controversy after its producer, TV mogul Paul Smith, made plans to produce a live show without the movie's Oscar-winning creative team, including Boyle.
In protest, A.R. Rahman, composer of the film's hit tune "Jai Ho," refused to allow Smith to use the song in the musical.
Warchus was then said to be in talks to take Boyle's place. But sources close to Warchus said he now has dropped out in solidarity with Boyle.
"He's walked away from it," one insider said. "He said he was not given all the information [when he was approached] and didn't know about the problems with its rights. Once he knew, he immediately decided not to do it."
Another source close to Warchus insisted he was never attached. "Matthew was never brought on," the source said. "He had a cup of tea with [Smith]. Then he went on vacation. They had a meeting, and he didn't walk away attached."
Smith was an executive producer on "Slumdog," which made $338 million worldwide and won eight Oscars.
But when plans for a stage version were hatched, Smith would not guarantee Boyle creative control. The rest of the film's creative team -- including Rahman, screenwriter Simon Beaufoy and producer Christian Colson -- then said they would only do the show if Boyle was involved.
Smith did not respond to a request for comment. He said last month that "discussions have been taking place, but the whole project is in an embryonic stage."
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