Idina Menzel admits starring in 'Beaches' remake could be 'career suicide'

Idina Menzel (or Adele Dazeem to John Travolta) has already done it all: Broadway star, Tony Award winner, Glee star, Billboard Women in Music’s Breakthrough Artist, Taylor Swift 1989 Tour guest… You name it, Idina’s done it.

However, is that all about to change?

The news that classic drama film Beaches is being remade by Lifetime attracted a certain amount backlash from fans of the original when it was announced last month, and Idina has admitted that being cast as iconic character CC Bloom, who was famously by Bette Midler in the 1988 original, could amount to “career suicide”.

“I said no to doing the film a few times because I love Bette Midler, I love the original movie and I didn’t want to set myself up for failure”, Menzel told Metro in an interview this week.

“I usually like to originate things and not walk in anyone’s footsteps. It’s hard to make that work. But there’s a generation that’s never heard of Beaches and the character of CC is so rich I felt I could bring a different side to her.”

The Wicked star added that the story, which charts the lifelong friendship of two women from very different backgrounds, would take on a different meaning almost 30 years after the original was made.

“In the context of what our struggles are as women now, there’s more to explore,” she said. “Which made me feel OK about potentially attempting career suicide doing it”.

With filming for the remake already underway, it’s a little too late to back out now either way. However, in Idina’s safe hands we feel reassured already…

Meanwhile, Idina is gearing up to release her fifth studio album, Idina, this Friday, and admits that despite her clean-cut Broadway star image, she’d love to release her inner rock chick on a future record.

“Maybe the next one could be Nine Inch Nails meet Evanescence, she said. “I have that side to me but no one in my life is going to give me the chance to do to”.

It sounds like the Beaches remake it probably a safer bet to us in all honesty, Idina. But, if there’s anybody who can pull it off, it’s you.

Beaches will premiere on Lifetime in 2017. Idina’s self-titled album is available to pre-order now and out this Friday (September 23).

Idina Menzel admits starring in ‘Beaches’ remake could be ‘career suicide’

In This Article: