CHRISTOPHER WALKEN - WALKEN TEAMS UP WITH TRAVOLTA FOR HAIRSPRAY

WALKEN TEAMS UP WITH TRAVOLTA FOR HAIRSPRAY

CHRISTOPHER WALKEN is set to play JOHN TRAVOLTA's husband in the big screen adaptation of HAIRSPRAY. The PULP FICTION star is replacing JIM BROADBENT, who was originally cast as WILBUR TURNBLAD. Walken will join Travolta, who will play his screen wife EDNA, along with QUEEN LATIFAH, AMANDA BYNES, MICHELLE PFEIFFER and newcomer NIKKI BLONSKY in the cast. Lyricist-composers MARC SHAIMAN and SCOTT WITTMAN, the Tony-winning team that wrote the original Hairspray score, are penning several new tunes for the movie. Shaiman says, "Chris was the person Scott and I wanted in the first place, and this is a happy ending to this particular saga. It seems like this part allows him to coalesce all his skills into one role." Walken danced in the movie PENNIES FROM HEAVEN and often works dances into his films. Hairspray begins shooting next month (SEP06) in Toronto, Canada and will be released next summer (07).