Key Points
Hannah Cruz cast as Gussie in Sondheim musical adaptation
Linklater to film over two decades like groundbreaking Boyhood
Paul Mescal stars as Franklin Shepard
Broadway musical spans complex creative journey
It is 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.
Cruz is set to play Gussie, the wife of Paul Mescal's Franklin Shepard, who after establishing himself as a talented composer of Broadway musicals, abandons his friends and songwriting career to become a producer of Hollywood movies, reported Deadline.
The story takes place over 20 years, and Linklater will shoot the film over the same period, taking a page from his playbook on the Oscar-nominated Boyhood, which was shot over 12 years.
Ben Platt, Beanie Feldstein and Mallory Bechtel will also star. It is produced by Ginger Sledge, Jason Blum for Blumhouse Productions, Jonathan Marc Sherman, Linklater and Mike Blizzard, according to Deadline.
Merrily ran for 44 previews and 16 performances on Broadway in 1981 and recently returned to Broadway with a revival led by Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez, as per the outlet.
Cruz was part of the original Broadway cast of Suffs, Shaina Taub's musical on the American women's suffrage movement, which was nominated for six Tony Awards last year, winning Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score, reported Deadline.
