9 Insanely Ambitious Upcoming Movies You Won't Believe
4. Richard Linklater's TWENTY Year Adaptation Of Merrily We Roll Along
Anyone who has indulged in Richard Linklater's film Boyhood will know by now that the man spent 12 years capturing the growth of a family, specifically a young boy, before releasing the picture to wide-spread critical acclaim.
He's now decided to follow up that mammoth production with a 20 year production of the Broadway show, Merrily We Roll Along.
Blumhouse is backing the project that follows talented composer, Franklin Shepard, as he abandons his friends and career to become a Hollywood producer. The show begins at the apex of his fame and meanders backwards in time to showcase the defining moments in his life.
Stephen Sondheim's source material hands itself over to this level of commitment and watching Blake Jenner legitimately age as Shepard for 20 years, within the course of shooting, will be marvellous to behold. Nevertheless, it's difficult to keep stars happy within their multi-year contracts - as Marvel will attest - so here's hoping that Linklater's experience on Boyhood will keep his cast focused on the job at hand.
Linklater's comments on there not being a 'better place to spend the next 20 years than in the world of a Sondheim Musical' also bode well for those hoping he stays true to the shows core narrative and musical exploits.
Principal photography for the first extract of the film has already been completed so Linklater is definitely on schedule for his 2039 release.