Kiss Me Kline

Yes, the razzle dazzle is most definitely back. Welcome the return of the chorus line and give yourselves up to the big show stopper, because the musical has once more taken over our big screens. Proving that the blackly comic Chicago is no mere ditty-filled exception amongst the tuneless drama of our time, a biopic of legendary composer and songwriter Cole Porter is now on its way with Kevin Kline in the lead role. Entitled De-Lovely and written by Gangs of New York scribe Jay Cocks, the flick will focus on how the gay composer found his musical inspiration from the woman he married. Producer Rob Cowan explained to Variety, "Even though he wrote such great love songs, Cole Porter was a man who searched his whole life trying to find out what love really was." Cowan went on, "He was gay but married many years to his wife, the socialite Linda Lee Porter. They had an odd arrangement, but his career started when they got married, and it ended soon after she died. Whether she was his muse or inspiration, he realized his love was for this woman who inspired his love songs, even though they didn't have a sexual relationship. It's a complex love story with no traditional resolve." But musical converts need not worry that this focus will leave out the chap's tunes from the flick. "The success of Chicago makes it a nice time to do a film with musical moments, and this has fantasy sequences like in 'All That Jazz'" Cowan added. "The songs help to tell his story, and there will be a whole bunch of singers coming in to do musical cameos." In fact, toes will be tapping and tunes hummed long after the end credits roll as the film will feature interludes from 30 songs from Porter's most famous musicals, including "Anything Goes" and "Kiss Me Kate." With many other studios eyeing up their back catalogue of musicals with renewed interest, Empire Online predicts a serious case of 'jazz hands' this time next year.