Overview
The City of Stars is heading to the Big Apple, and from the screen to the stage as well. In news that's been easy to predict since Damien Chazelle's Oscar-winning Los Angeles-set musical La La Land first hit cinemas back in 2016 — news that's been rumoured back since then, in fact — the Ryan Gosling- and Emma Stone-starring film is officially being turned into a theatre production, with a Broadway premiere slated.
Swooned over Gosling's crooning in the movie? Took a fancy to Stone's fine footsteps? Felt like La La Land's bittersweet Hollywood antics were shining just for you? You haven't been alone. The flick won over audiences, critics and awards bodies alike, including taking home seven Golden Globes and six Academy Awards, beaming bright in the cinema world. The stage show's powers-that-be will be hoping for the same response to the version with live tunes and routines, obviously.
The story will remain the same, following an aspiring actor and an up-and-coming jazz musician as they chase their dreams in Tinseltown. The cast likely won't, although if the La La Land stage musical can get Gosling and Stone to reprise their parts, that'd help sell tickets even faster.
As announced by Lionsgate, Tony- and Emmy-winning producer Marc Platt — who is also a producer on Chazelle's recent film Babylon — will oversee the stage version of La La Land. Tony-winning helmer Bartlett Sher (South Pacific) will direct, and the book is set to be penned by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar (Disgraced) and Barrymore Award-winner Matthew Decker. And yes, this production will feature music by Justin Hurwitz, plus lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul — all of whom won Oscars for the movie.
No premiere date has been revealed as yet, but expect a jazzy time when La La Land does start treading the boards. Fingers crossed that the show heads elsewhere, including Down Under, after its Broadway debut. Of course, this isn't the first time that the film has inspired a live performance, thanks to a concert version that's been doing the rounds.
La La Land joins considerable company in sashaying from cinemas to the stage — a list that only keeps growing. Think: Amélie, Moulin Rouge!, The Bodyguard, Matilda, Singin' in the Rain, Heathers, Carrie, Muriel's Wedding, Strictly Ballroom and Starstruck, to name a mere few movies that've followed up their big-screen stints by enlisting a new cast to sing and dance live in theatres.
Check out the trailer for the film version below:
The stage version of La La Land doesn't yet have a premiere date — we'll update you when more details are announced.