Sony Pictures is planning a film adaptation of the Broadway musical Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Tom Hanks and his producing partner Gary Goetzman will produce through their Playtone banner along with Paul Blake, the lead producer on Broadway.
The project was announced today by Doug Belgrad, SPE Motion Picture Group president, and Michael De Luca, who serves as president of production along with Hannah Minghella. De Luca commented, “Theatrical audiences both on Broadway and in the West End have responded to Beautiful, not only to relive Carole King‘s timeless classics, but to experience the ways they illustrate her triumphant and joyful life story. We’re thrilled to be bringing this inspiring and powerful musical to movie audiences everywhere.”
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Sony has obtained rights to King’s songbook from Sony/ATV, and King and her songwriting collaborators Gerry Goffin, Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, who are all portrayed in the show.
Beautiful, which debuted on Broadway in January 2014, tells the story of composer and performer King and is packed full of hit songs like “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” “Up on the Roof,” “So Far Away” and “I Feel the Earth Move.” Douglas McGrath, who wrote the book for the musical, is working on the screenplay. Sherry Kondor and Christine Russell will serve as executive producers.
The show, which earned seven Tony nominations, winning two for best sound design and lead actress Jessie Mueller, has been a hit on Broadway and has spawned a London West End production and a North American touring company, which kicks off in the fall.
Hanks and Goetzman are no strangers to musical films, having served as producers on the 2008 hit movie Mamma Mia! and 1996’s That Thing You Do!, which Hanks also directed.
The project was first reported on Broadwayworld.com, after Mann and Weil posted it on their Twitter account, calling it “exciting news.”