Chris Evans talks about how he'd like to do a remake of Little Shop of Horrors, a classic of musical theater. Evans is most known for his work as Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the actor recently starred as the voice of Buzz in Pixar's Lightyear movie, which was released on June 17. Evans made his Broadway debut in 2018 with Lobby Hero but has yet to appear in a musical.
Little Shop of Horrors follows Seymour, a meek flower salesman who raises a talking plant that consumes human flesh and eventually eats everyone he cares about. The story originated with Roger Corman's The Little Shop of Horrors in 1960, which wasn't a musical, before being adapted to the stage in 1982 with songs. That version was made into a movie in 1986 starring Rick Moranis and Steve Martin. The Little Shop of Horrors remake has been discussed for some time, with Taron Egerton, Scarlet Johannson, and Billy Porter all rumored to have roles.
In an interview with MTV News, Evans talks about how he still wants the movie to happen. Evans mentions he auditioned for the role of the sadistic Dentist, Martin's role in the original film, a campy scene-stealing character who gets eaten by the plant. Evans says he was all set to do it before COVID happened, and in the time in between, the project has stalled due to a lack of interest and budget. Read his quote below:
I was supposed to do Little Shop of Horrors a couple of years ago and then COVID happened, and then there were budget issues, and I think the director might have jumped off the project. That was a heartbreaker, that's my favorite musical.
Evans would be an interesting choice to play the Dentist, a role that would require a lot of scene-chewing and campy evil, away from his usual type of straight-edged heroes. Evans clearly has a passion for a Little Shop of Horrors remake, even encouraging a fan campaign to get the film made and calling it his favorite musical. Evans appears to be the only vocal person about making the film, with a lack of news coming from the other creatives involved in pre-production.
Evans might have a hard time with a fan campaign because people who like both Marvel and musicals aren't the biggest niche in the world. Producers are also likely reluctant since a big-budget musical isn't a sure bet at the box office after movies like West Side Story and In The Heights bombed in 2021 while the box office was still recovering from the effects of the pandemic. However, the show definitely has its fans, and Evans would clearly have fun playing a character he's never played before, so hopefully, as time goes on Evans will get to realize his dream of remaking Little Shop of Horrors.
Source: MTV News