The first pictures have arrived from EW for the Broadway stage version of Stephen King’s classic Misery, giving us a look at Bruce Willis in character as writer Paul Sheldon, and Laurie Metcalf as his number one fan Annie Wilkes.
Willis’ casting was something of a surprise when it was announced, but he certainly looks the part as the captive author (played, of course, by James Caan in Rob Reiner’s excellent film).
We have no doubt that Metcalf, who is probably best known to genre fans for her performance as Debbie Salt in Wes Craven’s Scream 2 (she has also appeared in The Big Bang Theory, Roseanne, and she’s the voice of Andy’s Mom in the Toy Story films), will be fantastic as Annie, the role that won Kathy Bates an Oscar.
“Laurie is a performing animal and Bruce is a machine through the middle, so you get this wonderful contrast where it becomes orchestral,” director Will Frears told EW. “They play their talents in different ways, delightfully, so that they’re both there in concert with each other. Laurie’s a genius and she’ll do things you’ve never considered possible. And there’s something just to have Bruce do Bruce, which I find thrilling to watch.”
He also teased his take on the notorious scene in which Annie makes sure that Paul isn’t going anywhere.
“There’s only ever been one way: you break his ankles with a sledgehammer. The largest conversation was, which ankle first? You can feel [the audience’s] excitement, that they spent the whole show waiting for it to come. I feel like people’s memories of the film are so extraordinary at this point — or, their memory of their memory, if that makes sense — that it always felt very important to me that you had to give them what they wanted to see. And if you’re giving them what they want, you have to give them the best version of what they want.”
Misery starts at the Broadhurst Theatre on 15 November. Keep up with the latest genre news with the new issue of SciFiNow.
