Screenwriter Alexander Dinelaris (‘Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)’) is working on adapting the 1997 Broadway musical ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ for the big screen. The original featured music by Frank Wildhorn, a book by Leslie Bricusse and lyrics by Wildhorn, Bricusse and Steve Cuden. The original staging of this musical ran for four years, although it failed to impress critics. For a period, the lead was played by none other than David Hasselhoff! A revival was launched in 2013, with plans to develop it into a film, but the new presentation failed and the film project was scrapped. The new planned film is unrelated.
Dinelaris plans for this to be the first film under his Lexicon banner and Richard Saperstein’s Bluestone Entertainment. Dinelaris’ script is reported to be complete, with him also looking to act as producer.
In a statement, Dinelaris said:
“Bringing the gritty potential of Leslie and Frank’s stirring gothic musical to the big screen made Jekyll & Hyde the perfect project to launch Lexicon, which is focused on character-driven, muscular storytelling.”
Bricusse and Wildhorn responded in their own joint statement:
“After 30 years of our stage productions playing successfully in almost every major country in the world, we are absolutely thrilled to see our musical version of Jekyll and Hyde becoming a major motion picture.”
Obviously, both the stage musical and film are based on the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, which has been adapted in multiple stage productions and movies.
A stage production starring Deborah Cox, Laura Osnes, Matthew James Thomas and Bonnie Milligan will be mounted on March 21 in New York to promote the launch of this film adaptation.
Dinelaris wrote the book for the 2015 Broadway musical ‘On Your Feet!’ about the life of, and featuring the music of Emilio and Gloria Estefan. In addition to Dinelaris, the ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ film will be produced by his Lexicon partner Rob Quadrino, Bluestone’s Saperstein, Fezziwig Studios’ Dan Angel, Brian Gott, and Marc Iannarino, with Phil Kim and David Segel acting as executive producers.
Have you seen ‘Jerkyll and Hyde: The Musical’? Would you like to see it brought to the big screen?
Source: Deadline
