Merrily We Roll Along (film)

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Merrily We Roll Along
Directed by Richard Linklater
Screenplay byRichard Linklater
Based on
Produced by
Starring
Edited by Sandra Adair
Music byStephen Sondheim
Production
companies
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Merrily We Roll Along is an upcoming American epic musical film written and directed by Richard Linklater based on the 1981 stage musical of the same name by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth, which is in turn adapted from the 1934 play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. [1] Jason Blum serves as a producer under his Blumhouse Productions banner.

Contents

Premise

Talented Broadway composer Franklin Shepard abandons his friends and career to become a Hollywood producer, told over the course of 20 years in reverse chronological order. [1]

Cast

Additionally, Mallory Bechtel has been cast in an undisclosed role. [2]

Production

On August 29, 2019, Blumhouse Productions acquired the rights to make a Merrily We Roll Along film, with Richard Linklater directing the film and producing along with Ginger Sledge, Jason Blum, and Jonathan Marc Sherman. Ben Platt, Beanie Feldstein and Blake Jenner were cast to star in the film. Production on the film was announced to commence every couple of years to reflect the characters age over 20 years, similar to how Boyhood (also written and directed by Linklater) was shot over 12 years. [1] The film is based on the latest version of Furth's book, which was adapted by Linklater into the film's screenplay. [3]

Jenner exited the film in late 2019 (following the filming of the "Our Time" sequence) following allegations of domestic abuse made by his ex-wife Melissa Benoist. Paul Mescal took over the role of Franklin Shepard proceeding forward, and the sequence was reshot between late 2021 and early 2022. [4] Principal photography and the casting of supporting roles were suspended from August 2023 to November 8, 2023, due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes and have now resumed since the strikes have ended. [5] In February 2024, Mallory Bechtel was cast in an undisclosed role. [2] Isabela Merced also auditioned for the role. [6] By November 2024, two sequences had been shot. [7]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Galuppo, Mia (August 29, 2019). "Richard Linklater Musical to Be Filmed Over 20-Year Span". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  2. 1 2 Grobar, Matt (February 6, 2024). "Richard Linklater's 'Merrilly We Roll Along' Adds Mallory Bechtel To Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  3. ↑ Coleman, Nancy (August 30, 2019). "'Merrily' This Film Will Roll Along. For the Next 20 Years". The New York Times . Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  4. ↑ Sneider, Jeff (January 9, 2023). "Exclusive: Paul Mescal Replaces Blake Jenner in Richard Linklater's 20-Year Movie Merrily We Roll Along". AboveTheLine. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  5. ↑ Dalton, Ben (September 5, 2023). "Richard Linklater to resume 'Merrily We Roll Along' filming "pretty soon if we can", talks Hollywood strikes". Screen. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  6. ↑ Isabela Merced Shares 15 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About "Turtles All The Way Down," "The Last Of Us" Season 2, And More
  7. ↑ Paul Mescal’s Road to ‘Gladiator II’: Rejecting ‘Big Studio Franchise-y’ Offers, Convincing Ridley Scott to Let Him Do His Own Stunts and More
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