Hayley Podschun
Hairspray is a 2007 musical romantic comedy film directed and choreographed by Adam Shankman, and written by Leslie Dixon. It is based on the 2002 stage musical by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, which itself was based on John Waters's 1988 film. Produced by Ingenious Media and Zadan/Meron Productions, the film features an ensemble cast including John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Amanda Bynes, James Marsden, Queen Latifah, Brittany Snow, Zac Efron, Elijah Kelley, Allison Janney, and Nikki Blonsky in her feature film debut.
Set in 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, the film follows "pleasantly plump" teenager Tracy Turnblad (Blonsky) as she pursues stardom as a dancer on a local television dance show and rallies against racial segregation.
Development began in 2004, with Dixon reworking Meehan and O'Donnell's first screenplay draft to tone down the musical's campiness; by the following year, Shankman agreed to direct. The musical's composer and lyricist team, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, reworked their songs for the film's soundtrack, and also wrote four new original songs. Principal photography lasted from September to December 2006 with a budget of $75 million; filming took place on locations in Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario, and on sound-stages at Toronto's Showline Studios. Recording sessions took place in San Diego, California.
Hairspray premiered at the Mann Village Theater on July 10, 2007, and was released in the United Kingdom and the United States by New Line Cinema on July 20. It achieved critical and commercial success, breaking the record for the largest opening weekend for a musical film, and ranking as the seventh-highest-grossing musical film adaptation with a worldwide gross of $203.6 million. Among its accolades, Hairspray was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards (including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy), five Critics' Choice Awards (winning two), and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.
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