Richard Linklater Developing Another Years Long Epic with Musical MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG to Be Shot Over the Next 20 Years

Richard Linklater set an unusual precedent when the 2014 film Boyhood came out. It was a film he had worked on for twelve years, telling the story of a boy, his sister, his parents, and the world around him. It was a great movie, and the most interesting part was how he chose to tell the story. Instead of casting multiple people to play each role, or use makeup to age an adult in the film, he simply shot the film over a twelve year period. So when it was all said and done, you watched those characters grow upon the screen. It was really cool. It’s more of a gamble to do a film this way, but I think it’s a pretty cool payoff with the end result. He’s now taking on a project with the same format, but this time, it’s even more ambitious.

Linklater will be beginning development on the film adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim musical, Merrily We Roll Along. The Blumhouse produced film will take place over a span of 20 years. Linklater has cast Beanie Feldstein (Lady Bird, Booksmart), Blake Jenner (Glee, American Animals), and Ben Platt (Pitch Perfect) in the lead roles. THR gives the following description of the story:

The much-beloved musical, based on the 1934 play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, follows Franklin Shepard, a talented composer of Broadway musicals that abandons his friends and career to become a producer of Hollywood movies. The story begins at the height of his Hollywood fame and moves backwards in time, showing important moments in Frank's life.

Jenner will portray Shepard, while Feldstein will play Shepard's friend, theater critic Mary Flynn.

This is really exciting, and I have full faith that Linklater will deliver a wonderful musical. Are you excited for Merrily We Roll Along? The film will be available in theaters or something futuristic we watch movies on around 2039-2040. How old will you be then?