EXCLUSIVE: A Broadway musical take of the six-time Oscar-winning, $472 million worldwide-grossing movie La La Land is in development, Emmy- and Tony-winning producer Marc Platt said Tuesday.
The show, based on the Damien Chazelle-directed movie, will be helmed by Tony and Drama Desk-winning director Bartlett Sher based on a book written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar and three-time Barrymore Award winner Matthew Decker. The stage adaptation will feature music by the film’s composer and two-time Oscar winner Justin Hurwitz and lyrics by Oscar- and Tony-winning composing team Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
The movie, which starred Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, followed an aspiring actress and a jazz musician as they pursue their dreams in Los Angeles. The pic won Oscars for best director, actress in a leading role, production design, cinematography, original score and original song among its 14 nominations.
“I’m thrilled to reunite with Lionsgate and the incredible team behind La La Land to adapt the movie for the Broadway stage, the next exciting chapter in its evolution,” said Platt who also produced the movie. “We’ve assembled a world-class team to create a musical that will delight La La Land’s millions of current fans and introduce the property to a whole new audience.”
“With La La Land in Concert marking its sixth year of touring worldwide and the original film a timeless and globally revered cultural touchstone, we’re excited to provide fans yet another way to experience the original movie,” said Jenefer Brown, Lionsgate EVP & Head of Global Products & Experiences.
La La Land’s planned adaptation to the Broadway stage follows the launch of several live stage productions based on Lionsgate film and television properties, including Dirty Dancing, Now You See Me, Wonder and Nashville.
The deal was negotiated for Lionsgate by Brown, EVP of Business & Legal Affairs Eva Feder and Stefan Schick at Loeb & Loeb.