Richard Linklater’s adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s musical Merrily We Roll Along is not the first time the director has taken on a monumental task of producing a movie over a long period of years. His first effort in this style, Boyhood, was filmed over 12 years. For this latest production, he’s going even longer, as filming is planned to take 20 years, with 15 more years or so to go after production officially began in 2019. Boyhood was a monumental achievement, but I have to wonder if trying it again will work again. There has already been a major issue, which I’ll address.

Two Decades Is A Long Time

I completely appreciate that Linklater pulled this trick off with Boyhood, but there are some differences here. Notably, it’s almost twice as long a shooting schedule. A lot can happen over two decades. Like Boyhood, Merrily We Roll Along has a small cast that includes Paul Mescal, Beanie Feldstein, Ben Platt, Mallory Bechtel, Hannah Cruz and Lin-Manuel Miranda. This works in favor of the director, as there are fewer chances for something to happen to one of the cast members.

However, that very thing has already happened. When filming began in 2019, Blake Jenner, who previously worked with Linklater in Everybody Wants Some!!, was cast to play the lead, Franklin Shepard. After wrapping the initial production, Jenner was accused of domestic abuse by his ex-wife (and Glee co-star) Melissa Benoist. In the fallout from that, Paul Mescal replaced Jenner in the cast, forcing reshoots to happen in 2021. Not to make light of the situation by any means, but it’s a stark example of something happening that is out of Linklater's control.

I don’t expect anything like that to happen again, but that doesn’t mean that something won’t happen to a cast member. People get into disagreements, people’s priorities change, God forbid someone gets sick… There are just so many variables. Think about where you were in 2006 and where you are today. It’s been a long time. This time, it meant reshoots early in the process, so what if something happens at the end of the full production?

If Linklater And Company Pull It Off, It Could Be Epic

If you don’t know the story of Merrily We Roll Along, it’s perfect for this kind of ambitious project. It takes place over 20 years and is presented in reverse chronological order, so presumably, the first part of the production in 2019 and 2021 was covering the end of the movie, when the cast is at their youngest. Shooting it in “real time” is very cool, and it means there won’t be a need for heavy makeup or weird CGI de-aging.

It’s also a well-known property, but it wasn’t an immediate hit. In fact, the original Broadway production, which opened in 1981, flopped almost immediately. It was panned by critics and audiences alike, and though its reputation has been re-examined over the years, it’s still a divisive entry in Sondheim’s canon. The movie, and the production style, could solve the biggest complaint critics have had over the years, that the story is a bit confusing and hard to follow because of the reverse chronology. Having family actors playing the roles across the entire two decades would make it much easier to follow.

I have no idea if Linklater and the cast will pulls this off, but if they do, they will deserve a huge amount of praise for the ambition alone.

A lot of actors in Hollywood are kids of famous parents, some scions we know well, like Zoe Kravitz and Kate Hudson. Others, though, you might be surprised to learn grew up on the inside of show business. Here's our list of actors you might not realize are the children of stars.  

Mariska Hargitay

Mariska Hargitay has carved out an amazing career in television as the iconic Olivia Benson in 25 seasons of Law & Order: SVU. That's over 500 episodes! She is also the daughter of 1950s legend Jayne Mansfield and former Mr. Universe Mickey Hargitay. Tragically, Hargitay barely knew her mother. Mansfield was killed in a car crash when Hargitay was just three years old. Hargitay was in the car too, but survived with only minor physical injuries. 

Tom Holland

Tom Holland's fame exploded when he was cast as Spider-Man in the MCU, though he's been acting since he was a kid. It makes sense he'd find his way into show business, as his father, Dominic Holland, is a comedian and TV and radio star of some renown in the United Kingdom. 

Lenny Kravitz

Sure, everyone knows that Zoe Kravitz is Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet's daughter, but did you know Lenny Kravitz is also the child of a star? Lenny's mother is the legendary Roxie Roker, who played Helen Willis on The Jeffersons.

Benedict Cumberbatch

With the massive amount of talent Benedict Cumberbatch brings to every role he plays, it's not surprising he comes from a talented family. His father, Timothy Carlton, is a BBC legend, and his mother, Wanda Ventham is also a TV legend in the U.K. (and appeared as Sherlock's mother on Cumberbatch's Sherlock). 

Tracee Ellis Ross

Black-ish star Tracee Ellis Ross took a slightly longer road to fame that many other scions of stars, but Girlfriends eventually made her one. Her mother is one of the biggest stars in pop music of the 20th century, Motown legend Diana Ross, who also dabbled in acting with roles in The Wiz and Lady Sings the Blues.

Jordana Brewster

Jordana Brewster has built her own name and reputation in Hollywood, mostly through her work in the Fast franchise, but she also comes from a very accomplished family. Her mother, Maria João, is a Brazillian legend, as she was the first Brazillian model to appear on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, in 1978. Brewster's grandfather, Kingman Brewster, was a giant in academia, serving as the president of Yale University from 1964 until 1977.

Zooey Deschanel

Of course, Zooey Deschanel has a famous sister, Emily, and together they have a couple of pretty famous parents. Zooey's father, Caleb Deschanel is a cinematographer who has been nominated six times for an Oscar, for his work on films like The Right Stuff and The Passion Of The Christ. Zooey and Emily's mother, Mary Jo, is also an actor, known best for playing Eileen Hayward in the Twin Peaks franchise. 

Vanessa Kirby

From starring as Princess Margaret in The Crown to playing a baddie in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Vanessa Kirby has shown she can do just about anything on screen. Her father, Dr. Roger Kirby is a renowned doctor in the U.K., so while it might not be a Hollywood connection, Vanessa does come from a very prominent family. 

Alfie Allen

Game of Thrones star Alfie Allen has a pretty famous sister, singer Lily Allen, and a pretty famous father, Keith Allen. Keith is very well known in his native England, but American audiences will recognize him from his roles in Trainspotting, and Kingsman: The Golden Circle, among others. Alfie and Lily's mother, Alison Owen, is a movie producer as well, including the 2024 Amy Winehouse biopic, Back to Black.

Josh Brolin

Josh Brolin made his film debut in The Goonies when he was 18, in 1985. After a solid, but far from remarkable, run for the next 20 years, Brolin became a legit superstar in the 2010s, eclipsing the fame of his father, James Brolin, but probably not his stepmother, Barbara Streisand.

Louisa Jacobson

If you haven't watched The Gilded Age, you need to, and when you do, you'll likely love the performance from Louisa Jacobson. Of course, you wouldn't expect less from the daughter of one of the greatest actors of all time, Meryl Streep. 

Zoey Deutch

Zoey Deutch is known for movies like Everybody Wants Some!! and Something from Tiffany's, as well as TV shows like The Politician and Ringer. Her mother, Lea Thompson is known for classics like Back To The Future, and Some Kind of Wonderful, where Thompson met Zoey's father, Howard Deutch, who directed the film. 

Lewis Pullman

Lewis Pullman has received widespread acclaim for his performance in Apple TV+'s Lessons in Chemistry. As you may have guessed by his last name, his father is none other than the great Bill Pullman, who, of course, made one of the most inspiring speeches in movie history in Independence Day. 

Jamie Lee Curtis

Jamie Lee Curtis is a true legend and she also has two legendary parents, father Tony Curtis and mother Janet Leigh. Jamie Lee is also married to a famous actor, This is Spinal Tap star Christopher Guest. One more fun fact? Jamie Lee carries an English nobility title. The Right Honourable the Lady Haden-Guest, because Christopher's full title is Christopher Haden-Guest, 5th Baron Haden-Guest.

Ben Platt

Marc Platt has been nominated for an Oscar three times as the producer of Best Picture nominees Bridge of Spies, La La Land, and The Trial of the Chicago 7. Surely, he's most proud of being a father to Pitch Perfect star Ben Platt. 

Laura Dern

Over five decades now, Laura Dern has crushed on the big and small screen. Her father, Bruce Dern, is in his incredible seventh decade of his career and her mother, Diane Ladd, has been a star for just as long. In fact, Ladd and Laura were both nominated for Oscars for their respective performances together in Rambling Rose, one of Laura Dern's best performances. 

George Clooney

It's to imagine there was ever a time when George Clooney wasn't the most famous person in the world, much less his own family, but that was the case once. George's father, Nick Clooney, was a long-time TV news anchor all over the country, including in LA. He was also a game show host in the mid-'70s. George is also nephew to the iconic Rosemary Clooney, which also made Betty Clooney an aunt to George as well. Rosemary's son, the late actor Miguel Ferrer, was also more famous than his cousin George in the '80s, after starring in Robocop and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. 

Daniel Day-Lewis

Even the great Daniel Day-Lewis comes from a famous family. The legendary actor's father was Cecil Day-Lewis, who was the one-time poet laureate of the United Kingdom, and his mother, Jill Balcon, was a well-known stage actor in the UK. Daniel Day-Lewis' maternal grandfather, Michael Balcon, helped launch the British film industry in the 1930s and '40s, as well. Acting is in his blood, for sure. 

Rob Reiner

There's no bigger name in Hollywood than Rob Reiner. Whether as an actor, director, writer, or producer, Reiner has made his name across the board. Before all that, his father, Carl Reiner, made his name doing many of the same things. Rob's mother, Estelle Reiner, is also pretty famous, having delivered the line, "I'll have what she's having," in When Harry Met Sally. 

Zosia Mamet

From Girls to The Flight Attendant, Zosia Mamet has shown herself to be quite the ensemble player on screen. Her father, iconic playwright David Mamet, is really more famous for what he's written for the stage. David has found plenty of success writing for the screen as well, penning movies like Glengarry Glen Ross (based on his play of the same name), The Untouchables, and 2001's Hannibal.

Billie Lourd

Billie Lourd got her start working with her mother, Carrie Fisher, in the Star Wars sequels. As Fisher's daughter, she's a part of a family of Hollywood royalty, with Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher as her grandparents. It's an impressive lineage! 

Bessie Carter

Bessie Carter's star turn as Prudence Featherington in Bridgerton is right on par with not one, but both of her famous parents. Bessie's father, Jim Carter, is most famous in the U.S. for playing the stern butler, Mr. Carson, on Downton Abbey. Her mother is none other than the great Imelda Staunton, who, among many other things, has starred as Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter series and Queen Elizabeth in the final two seasons of The Crown on Netflix. It's a lot to live up to for Bessie, but she's showing she's up to it. 

Timothée Chalamet

Dune star Timothée Chalamet's father may not be as famous as some of the parents on this list, but in some circles, he's very famous. Marc Chalamet is a French reporter who worked for Le Parisien as a correspondent and for the United Nations as an editor for UNICEF. His mother, Nicole, was also in show business for a time, as a dancer on Broadway. 

Phoebe Dynevor

Bridgerton is one of the most popular streaming shows ever and among the excellent cast is Phoebe Dynevor, who plays Daphne Basset. U.S. audiences may not be familiar with her mother, Sally Dynevor, but in the U.K., she's one of the most famous people on TV, having played the role of Sally on the long-running Coronation Street soap opera. Sally has played the role since 1986! Phoebe's grandmother, Shirley Dynevor, was also an actress in the United Kingdom. 

Melanie Griffith

When you talk about the legendary Hollywood families, you have to mention Melanie Griffith. She is mother to Dakota Johnson, of course, with her ex Don Johnson. Griffith is also the daughter of a famous actress, the great Tippi Hedren, star of The Birds, among many other films. 

Jennifer Aniston

Friends star Jennifer Aniston comes from famous stock. Her father, John Aniston, played the character Victor Kiriakis on Days of Our Lives for an amazing 37 years, right up until his death in 2022. The Morning Show star's mother, Nancy Dow, was also an actress, though she never quite had the career of Aniston, but then again, few do. 

Jessica Capshaw

For over 200 episodes, Jessica Capshaw played Arizona Robbins on Grey's Anatomy. Before that, she started out in Hollywood working with her stepfather, Steven Spielberg. Her mother, Kate Capshaw, is also an excellent actress, of course. Talent runs in the family, like all the others on this list. 

Margaret Qualley

You might think "Margaret Qualley" does not have a last name I recognize. That's fair; her father, Paul Qualley, was a model for a time, but it's her mother, Andie McDowell, that lands Margaret on this list. She and her sister, Rainey, weren't raised in Hollywood, but instead in Asheville, NC. She still found her way into show business after attending NYU and studying ballet in New York. 

John David Washington

Denzel Washington's son, John David Washington, wasn't going to follow in his famous father's footsteps, trying his hand at professional football in the St. Louis Rams organization. Luckily for film fans, his football career didn't take off, but his Hollywood career has. BlacKkKlansman and Tenet definitely got John David out from under his father's substantial shadow, and that is a really impressive thing to even attempt, much less succeed in doing. 

Riley Keough

Anyone who is the granddaughter of the King of Rock and Roll deserves to be on this list. That's right, Riley Keough is Elvis Presley's granddaughter, and daughter to Lisa Marie. After Lisa Marie died in 2023, Keough also became the sole owner of the legendary Graceland, Elvis' home, in Memphis. It's an impressive legacy to uphold, but Keough is clearly up for the challenge. 

Hannah Einbinder

Hannah Einbinder is one of the brightest up-and-coming comedic stars in Hollywood, starring in Hacks as well as her very funny stand-up act. The apple doesn't fall from the tree, as her mother is SNL legend Laraine Newman, who was part of the original cast from 1975-1980. 

Nico Parker

Nico Parker's star is just starting to rise, having received acclaim for playing Sarah in HBO's The Last of Us. Her mother is the iconic Thandiwe Newton, so again, the apple doesn't fall from the tree in this family. Her father, Ol Parker, wrote and directed Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.

As this list shows, it's not really fair to use the term "nepo baby" all the time, as all of these stars have forged their own path and careers. Sure, it helps to have the connections, and the DNA, of some talented parents, but that's far from all it takes, as these stars have shown.

The entertainment industry is a funny place, one with its own set of rules. And one that has happened countless times over the years is that oftentimes the actors playing teenagers are a little long in the tooth to be doing so. Some of these performances are beloved, and others are infamous. There are particularly 32 actors that were way too old to be playing teens but did it anyway. And if you ask me, each performance on this list is pretty iconic.

Working with actual teenagers is tricky, unless the actor is emancipated and able to deal with the long hours usually required for TV and film work. So it's definitely understandable that production have chosen actors who were too long in the tooth to play their respective roles. In no particular order, here are the infamous 32.

Rachel McAdams, Mean Girls

You can't think of Rachel McAdams without her performance as Regina George in Mean Girls. While the cast of Mean Girls was mostly age appropriate, McAdams was actually 25 years old when playing the queen of the plastics. Still, I can't imagine anyone who could have played her better. 

Joseph Quinn, Stranger Things

The fourth season of Stranger Things was a star-making moment for Joseph Quinn, who played Eddie Munson. He quickly became a fan favorite, but those same fans might be surprised to learn that he's actually already 29 years old. Unfortunately, the finale of Stranger Things 4 seemingly implied we won't be seeing him again for the final batch of episodes. 

Stacey Dash, Clueless

There are a number of epic teen movies on this list, and Clueless is truly a piece of '90s film history. The comedy followed a group of ultra rich high school students, but it turns out that Dionne actress Stacey Dash was 28 when filming her performance in the movie. Plus, she went on to reprise that role in the TV spinoff. 

Leonardo DiCaprio, Catch Me If You Can

Steven Spielberg's Catch Me if You Can came out in 2002, and told a true story about an infamous con man, Frank Abagnale Jr.. That was played by none other than Leonardo DiCaprio, and spanned many years of his life, starting at just 17 years old. However, the Titanic actor was actually 28 when he filmed this classic movie. 

Alan Ruck, Ferris Bueller's Day Off

John Hughes' Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a classic comedy, one that remains a quotable part of the pop culture lexicon to this day. Succession actor Alan Ruck gave an outstanding performance as Cameron Frye, but he was actually nearly 30 when portraying a high school student opposite Matthew Broderick. 

Stockard Channing, Grease

Grease is a beloved movie musical, one that I actually think improves upon the stage musical of the same name. While it's full of iconic performances, a lot of of the cast is  a bit too old for their roles. That includes Rizzo actress Stockard Channing, who was 33 years old. Regardless, she is THE Betty Rizzo, and she absolutely crushed the role. 

Shirley Henderson, Harry Potter

The cast of Harry Potter grew up before our eyes, with the kids joined by some legendary actors playing the universe's adults. But fans might not realize that Moaning Myrtle actress Shirley Henderson was actually a 36-year-old adult when portraying the ghostly teenager. 

Henry Winkler, Happy Days

Happy Days influenced a lot of pop culture, including being responsible for the term "jumping the shark." Henry Winkler has had a long career since then, but he'll always be Fonzie. Although he wasn't quite a teenager, as he was 28 when he landed that leather-clad role. 

Ncuti Gatwa, Sex Education

Sex Education was a beloved teenage comedy for those with a Netflix subscription, and it wrapped up after four seasons. Ncuti Gatwa played fan favorite Eric Effiong, but he was actually 26 when the show first came out. 

Andrew Garfield, The Amazing Spider-Man

While Tom Holland was praised for being an authentically young actor in the MCU, his predecessors were a bit older during their run as the wall crawler. Oscar nominee Andrew Garfield was actually 27 when he debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man, portraying playing high school student Peter Parker. And Garfield got to reprise his role in Spider-Man: No Way Home. 

Jason Earles, Hannah Montana

Hannah Montana ran for a long time on Disney Channel, and made Miley Cyrus into a megastar. The show also starred Jason Earles as her older brother Jackson. But while he was playing a 16-year-old, he was actually 29 when the show began. 

Gabrielle Carteris, Beverly Hills, 90210

Beverly Hills, 90210 has a long run on TV, and is quintessential '90s culture. While some of Beverly Hills, 90210's cast was quite young, Andrea Zuckerman actress Gabrielle Carteris was actually 29 when the show first began. 

Keiko Agena, Gilmore Girls

Gilmore Girls is a show that still has a strong fanbase, who re-watch its even season run as well as the Netflix spinoff A Year in the Life. While Alexis Bledel grew up and became a grown actress before our eyes, Rory's best friend Lane was played by Keiko Agena, who was 27 when the show first began. 

Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen

This entry is one that folks might have guessed would appear. In 2021, Tony winner Ben Platt reprised his role as the title character the Dear Evan Hansen movie. Platt caught a ton of flak for starring in Dear Evan Hansen at 27 years old, and was made into countless memes as a result. Still, I thought he was great in the role and a lot of backlash was unjust; I mean, look at the other entries in this list!

Nicholas Brendan, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a cult classic TV show that's still super popular today. The first three seasons were set at Sunnydale High School, with the characters' personal drama mirroring their battle with demons. But Xander actor Nicholas Brendan was actually 25 when he landed the role in Joss Whedon's TV series. 

Johnny Depp, 21 Jump Street

Johnny Depp has had a long career, including a number of truly beloved roles like Edward Scissorhands and Captain Jack Sparrow. But his first big role was as Officer Thomas "Tom" Hanson Jr. in 21 Jump Street. He played a young looking cop posing as a high school student, but was actually 24 years old when he started filming Season 1. And that show would go on to run for 5 seasons. 

Paul Rudd, Wet Hot American Summer

Wet Hot American Summer is a cult classic comedy, and follows a group of teen camp counselors who are into all sorts of campy debauchery. Paul Rudd gave a hilarious performance as Andy, but was actually 31 years old. Although that's nothing since the cast of Wet Hot American Summer reprised their roles in a Netflix show, all of whom were vastly over the age of their characters. 

Gabrielle Union, Bring It On

Bring It On is another beloved teen movie, one that centers around two rivaling high school cheer squads in California. Gabrielle Union gave a killer performance as Isis, although she was actually 27 at the point of filming. 

Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's

Audrey Hepburn was a classic actress with a number of beloved film credits. Breakfast at Tiffany's is definitely in that category, although she was 31 at the point of playing the 19-year-old character Holly Golightly. 

Michael Rosenbaum, Smallville

Smallville was a popular series that served as a teenage origin story for Clark Kent/Superman. While the cast all portrayed teens during Season 1, some of them were a bit long in the tooth. Case in point: Lex Luthor actor Michael Rosenbaum who was actually 27 years old back in Season 1. 

Ashleigh Murray, Riverdale

Riverdale's series finale aired in August of 2023, with the show running on The CW for seven seasons. Plenty of iconic Archie Comics characters appeared, including Josie McCoy. But despite playing high school sophomore, actress Ashleigh Murray was actually 28 when she fist appeared back in Season 1. 

Cory Monteith, Glee

Glee became a huge hit when it premiered on Fox, and catapulted its cast of unknowns as full-blown TV stars. Late actor Cory Monteith starred as leading man Finn Hudson, but was 27 years old when debuting as his signature character.  

Ross Butler, 13 Reasons Why

Netflix's 13 Reasons Why was a dark adaptation of the novel of the same name, and would eventually expand to a four-season run. Ross Butler played high schooler Zach, and was actually 26 years old back in Season 1.

Darren Barnet, Never Have I Ever

Never Have I Ever centers around 15-year-old girl Devi, and we watch various love stories play out throughout its run on Netflix. She has a huge crush on Darren Barnet's Paxton, who was 16. Although in reality the actor was 29 years old when Season 1 aired. 

Judd Nelson, The Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club is a quintessential '80s movie, and was released at the height of the Brat Pack's popularity. One of the leading characters was Judd Nelson's Bender aka The Criminal. But despite being in detention throughout the movie's runtime, Nelson was actually 24 years old when portraying that character. 

Jennifer Grey, Dirty Dancing

Dirty Dancing features beloved performances by both Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. The latter actress danced her heart out as Baby, although she was 26 years old rather than her character's 17. 

Winona Ryder, Girl, Interrupted

1999's Girl, Interrupted was an Oscar winning drama that was a huge critical success. Winona Ryder starred as 18-year-old protagonist Susanna Kaysen, and provided a deeply moving performance. No one could have done it better, although she was truly 26 years old at the time of filming. 

Nicola Coughlan, Derry Girls

Derry Girls is one of Netflix's many coming-of-age TV shows that is included on this list. The show follows a group of teenage girls, and all the hilarious mistakes that occur as they grow up. But actress Nicola Coughlan was actually 30 years old at the time of filming the show's first season. 

Gabourey Sidibe, Precious

Lee Daniels' Precious is a truly harrowing film experience, one that elicits strong emotions for its title character, 16-year-old Claireece Precious Jones. Actress Gabourey Sidibe received wide acclaim for her performance in the movie, although she was actually 24 years old when she got the role. 

Barbra Streisand, Yentl

Yentl is a masterpiece by Barbra Streisand, who directed, wrote, and starred in the acclaimed musical drama. But while her character was a young woman, she was actually 41 years old at the point of filming the acclaimed film.

Florence Pugh, Little Women

Greta Gerwig's Little Women movie was a huge hit when it arrived in theaters back in 2019. It got a bunch of major awards nominations, with Florence Pugh getting a Best Supporting nom at the Oscars for portraying Amy March. But while Amy was just 13 years old at her youngest point in the film, Pugh was actually 22.

Tobey Maguire, Spider-Man

Tobey Maguire was the first actor to play Spider-Man in live-action, before being followed by the likes of Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire. But while the latter actor was the most age appropriate, his predecessors weren't. Maguire was actually 26 years old while playing the teenager Peter Parker. 

Despite the discrepancy between many of these actors and their characters, many of the actors listed above still crushed their roles. Although yes, some of these actors are somewhat infamous for being too old to portray teenagers. Still, smart money says this trend will continue with future TV and film projects. 

At some point in the distant future, Richard Linklater will add to his impressive body of work with Merrily We Roll Along, an ambitious project that’ll make Boyhood, his ambitious 2014 Texas-set epic filmed over the course of 12 years, look like a standard production. The decades-spanning adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical of the same name, which will be filmed over two decades, sounds like it could be one of the most unique cinematic experiences in some time, and we all have reason to be excited.

If this is the first you’re hearing about this highly anticipated adaptation, worry not, because we’re about to break down everything we know about the project so far. And while we don’t yet know the Merrily We Roll Along release date or even a window for its debut, we do know who’ll be leading the massive project, what it’s about, and how we may get to see the most recent Broadway revival of the timeless and cherished stage production.

What Is The Merrily We Roll Along Release Date?

Unless someone built a time machine, went far into the future, found a copy of Merrily We Roll Along, and brought it back to right now, there’s no way we’re going to see the upcoming Richard Linklater project on the 2024 movie schedule. As of the time of this writing, no one involved with the ambitious musical has said when it will come out, and there’s a good chance no one knows because it’s going to be in production for at least another decade-and-a-half.

What Is Merrily We Roll Along About?

Back in August 2019, when Merrily We Roll Along was first announced, it was reported by The Hollywood Reporter that Richard Linklater’s movie, when finally released, will tell the story of a successful and talented Broadway composer named Frank who grows tired of the experience and decides to leave everything behind (friends and career included) to start anew as a film producer in Hollywood.

Interestingly enough, instead of starting with Frank’s decision to abandon the Big Apple for the City of Angels, the movie will start there and then work its way back in time, revisiting key moments from his career and other important moments from throughout his life. So just imagine the opposite of Linklater’s Oscar-worthy Boyhood.

The Movie Is Based On The Broadway Musical Of The Same Name

We’ve seen quite a few film adaptations of Broadway musicals over the years, including several based on the work of the late Stephen Sondheim, the beloved composer known for his work with West Side Story and Sweeney Tood who passed away at the age of 91 in November 2021. And you can add Merrily We Roll Along to that list. In August 2019, Variety reported that Linklater’s ambitious project will be based on the 1981 musical of the same name.

The musical, which has seen multiple stage productions around the world over the past 40 years, was based on George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart’s 1934 Broadway play of the same name, according to Playbill. The show was brought back for a Broadway revival in 2023 and went on to win multiple Tony Awards the following year, including Best Revival of a Musical, Best Actor in a Musical (Jonathan Groff), Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Daniel Radcliffe), and Best Orchestrations.

The Merrily We Roll Along Cast

It is hard to say where their respective careers will be by the time the movie is released, but the Merrily We Roll Along cast is anchored by some incredibly talented and popular young actors, whose stock continues to be on the rise.

Paul Mescal as Franklin Shepard

In January 2023, Variety reported that Paul Mescal would be taking on the lead role of Franklin Shepard after the Aftersun and All of Us Strangers actor replaced Blake Jenner, who was previously cast to play the Broadway composer. Though Merrily We Roll Along is many years away, we’ll soon see Mescal in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II and Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet book adaptation.

Ben Platt as Charley Kringas

According to the same report, Ben Platt will be taking on the role of Charley Kringas, Franklin Shepard’s creative partner and lyricist. Platt, no stranger to Broadway productions and film adaptations of famous plays, has appeared in everything from Dear Evan Hansen (both the stage and film versions), The People We Hate at the Wedding, and Theater Camp to name a few.

Beanie Feldstein as Mary Flynn

Beanie Feldstein, best known for movies like Lady Bird and Booksmart, will be taking on the role of Mary Flynn, Franklin and Charley’s longtime friend and theater critic Feldstein previously worked on Broadway productions like Hello, Dolly! and Funny Girl.

Mallory Bechtel

In February 2024, Deadline reported that Mallory Bechtel had joined the Merrily We Roll Along cast, though her role has not yet been revealed. Bechtel made her Broadway debut in 2018 after landing the role of Zoe Murphy in Dear Evan Hansen. She has since gone on to appear in everything from Hereditary to Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin.

Merrily We Roll Along’s Production Kicked Off In Summer 2019

Though we won’t likely see Merrily We Roll Along in its final form for a couple more decades, parts of the movie have already been filmed. In fact, Deadline reported in August 2019 that principal photography for the first segment of the film had already been completed, but didn’t provide any details about which portion of the movie that included. The movie is being filmed in this unique manner so that the actors can continue to play their characters as they age without the need for prosthetics and other Hollywood tricks.

Like countless other movie and TV projects, Merrily We Roll Along was impacted by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in mid-to-late 2023. Shortly before the strikes ended, Richard Linklater spoke at the Venice Film Festival premiere (via ScreenDaily) of Hit Man where he said he and his team would start up “pretty soon, if we can” after the work stoppage came to an end. However, it’s not known if production resumed by the end of the year.

The Tony Award-Winning Merrily We Roll Along Revival Was Filmed In Summer 2024

Though it’s going to be at least another decade-and-a-half before we get to see Richard Linklater’s film adaptation of Merrily We Roll Along, we may get to see a version of the Broadway musical without having to travel to New York City much, much sooner.

In June 2024, Deadline reported that the Tony Award-Winning Merrily We Roll Along was being filmed by RadicalMedia, the company that produced the Hamilton movie for Disney+ back in 2020. At the time, a production insider told the outlet that the production was being filmed for “posterity,” which is something the source said “doesn’t happen very often.” It’s hard to say if it will be released in theaters or end up on one of the best streaming services, but we should know well before 2039.

Expect to hear more about Merrily We Roll Along in the coming months, years, and decades as we look toward the film’s eventual release. If you’re looking for information on everything coming to the big screen before then, check out our rundown of the biggest upcoming 2025 movies.

Theater Camp is easily one of my favorite movies from the 2023 movie schedule so far, and that’s in great part because of its phenomenal cast. Made up of theater veterans and up-in-coming comedy legends, this comedy is all about a theater camp that’s on the brink of closing and the teachers and students who are trying to save it. Ben Platt and Molly Gordon play the acting and music teachers, and the directors/writers/composers of the camp’s biggest musical of the season Joan, Still. Noah Galvin plays Glenn, the stage manager and super shy artist. While Platt shines in his role, and Gordon slays as the star and co-director of the movie, and all three co-wrote it with Nick Lieberman, it’s Galvin’s performance that I can’t stop thinking about. 

Not only does Glenn keep the camp together, but Galvin ties the film together, and he has some hilarious and seriously impressive moments throughout Theater Camp, which is why I think he deserves a spotlight of his own. 

Glenn Is The Most Nuanced Character In Theater Camp 

While the characters in Theater Camp have been praised by theater kids as “totally delightful and eerily accurate,” as our own Corey Chichizola wrote, Galvin’s stage manager Glenn is 100% the most nuanced character. 

In the beginning, it seems like Glenn is simply the overworked stage manager. He takes his job very seriously, and he deeply cares about the kids who are working with him to create the summer productions. However, as the film progresses, it’s slowly revealed that Galvin’s character is actually a phenomenal performer, he’s just shy. 

We’re never told he wants to be in the spotlight, we’re shown it. Through an impromptu dance break while teaching kids how to use a spotlight and a light humming while he fixes a wire, among other things, we slowly figure out that Glenn has always wanted to be on stage, even though he loves his job behind it. They’re small moments, but they’re deep and meaningful, and this internal struggle Galvin’s character faces is clear, and heartwarming, making the climax of the film incredibly rewarding. 

After Joan, Still, Get Noah Galvin On Back Broadway, Now 

That climax I mentioned, is the performance of Amos (Platt) and Rebecca-Diane’s (Gordon) original musical Joan, Still. After the camp’s owner, Joan, suffers a seizure and ends up in a coma, her wannabe business influencer son Troy (Jimmy Tatro) takes over the camp and Amos and Rebecca-Diane create a musical in Joan’s honor. They cast the kids in the musical, and rehearsals cause drama. Meanwhile, Glenn is bouncing between helping Troy figure out how to save the camp and assisting everyone else with their shows.

On the opening night of Joan, Still, they’re left without a lead, and as far as Amos knows, a finale number. However, we soon find out that Glenn has taken over the lead role as Joan, and the finale was written, and it’s beautiful. There’s tap dancing, there’s high notes hit, there’s some immaculate stage managing, and overall, it’s masterful. 

When I tell you I applauded after he performed that stock exchange number both times I saw the movie (in theaters and then with a Hulu subscription), I’m dead serious. He deserved a standing ovation for that performance. 

However, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Noah Galvin absolutely killed it as Joan. Like Ben Platt, Molly Gordon, and a lot of the cast, The Good Doctor actor is a Broadway veteran. He made his Broadway debut in Waitress, where he played Ogie. Then he made his way over to the Broadway production of Dear Evan Hansen, where he followed in Platt’s footsteps as the musical’s titular character. 

Since then, Galvin has done some Off-Broadway productions, including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Alice By Heart, however, he’s been consistently working on TV for a while now. Notably, he was the star of The Real O’Neals and he’s been on The Good Doctor since 2020. 

If I’ve learned anything from Theater Camp, it’s that Noah Galvin needs to get back to Broadway ASAP. While I love seeing him on screen, he also thrives on stage, especially as our beloved Joan.  

Between Theater Camp And Booksmart, I’m Convinced Noah Galvin Should Star In More Comedies  

So, I was introduced to Noah Galvin in Booksmart. He played George, the over-the-top theater kid, and he was a showstopper. Kaitlyn Dever, one of the two leads in one of the best women-led buddy comedies said that she would have loved to see more of Galvin’s story in a sequel, and I couldn’t agree more. He stands out as a comedic light in Olivia Wilde’s well-reviewed first film, and the same can be said about his performance in Theater Camp. 

As we talked about, Glenn has the nuance and the talent, but he also has the humor. While Galvin’s character is serious throughout the whole movie, his physical comedy is what makes him so hilarious. When I think about how effective his physical performance was, the scene that comes to mind is the one where Troy is speaking with the businesswoman trying to claim that camp, and Glenn is trying to interrupt them by walking in between the two with a ladder, multiple times. It’s subtle, but it’s hilarious. 

Also, can we talk about the montage of Glenn fixing everything? Not only is that a hilarious depiction of the chaos that is stage management, but it’s also a great display of Galvin’s ability to commit to the bit. Him rolling down a whole entire hill, hysterical. 

Much like in Booksmart, Glavin gives his all, and this man deserves to be in more comedies!

Overall, Noah Galvin is the star of Theater Camp in my eyes. So, Ben Platt and Molly Gordon, whom I love dearly, I’m sorry, but Galvin's Glenn is the star of both Joan, Still and this fantastic film.

You can stream Theater Camp right now on Hulu and it's available with exclusive bonus content at digital retailers.

Movie musicals are a tried and true film genre, often capable of winning major categories during Awards Season. But every so often a film about the people who make musicals happen is produced, to hilarious results. The latest of these is Theater Camp, which came from the minds of Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman, Noah Galvin, and Ben Platt. I finally got to see the movie now that it’s streaming on Hulu, and as a theater kid it really came for me where I live.

Theater Camp was originally released in theaters back in July, and will reach a wider audience now that it’s available with a Hulu subscription. The movie takes place at a sleepaway theater camp located in upstate New York, and the staff and young campers who attend and put on a variety of shows. In addition to playing head of drama Amos Klobuchar, Ben Platt also helped to write the movie based partly on his own experience in these camps. And the results are totally delightful and eerily accurate.

I was a high school theater kid myself, although I wasn’t lucky enough to attend a sleepaway camp like in the new comey. Those places like French Woods and Stagedoor manor were a bit out of my family’s budget, and I was practically green with envy over my friends who got to live, eat, sleep, and breathe theater every summer. I was at theater day camp, which was less intense but no less competitive. 

The script for Theater Camp was written by Platt, Galvin, Lieberman, and Gordon– with the latter two also serving as its directors. Clearly it was written from a personal space, as all the ridiculous characters were pretty spot on recreations of people you meet in the theater. There’s the director who takes it all too seriously and treats the kids as adults, the body shaming costume designer, and the undervalued stage manager who is keeping the whole situation moving. And each character is given a hilarious set of quirks that make the cast of Theater Camp into a bonkers ensemble.

One of the main conflicts in Theater Camp comes when Molly Gordon’s Rebecca-Diane is revealed to have booked an actual performing job, singing on a cruise ship. The jealousy and resentment that Platt’s Amos feels is super relatable and has definitely ruined friendships. And the dynamic between these two codependent friends is also a tale as old as time.

But it’s in the minutia of actually performing that this new comedy really had me in hysterics. We see a camper belting out Wicked’s “Defying Gravity”, including his own set of hilariously fierce grace notes. And when a camper dares to use a tear stick to make themselves cry it’s basically World War 3. To this day I hear debate about folks who use fake tears during performances, and the “authentic” actors who take umbrage with this choice.

The last theater camp movie of this kind is the 2003 cult classic Camp, which features a young Anna Kendrick. But while that movie was more of a dramedy and had a touching story about the campers, this one is a full-fledged twisted comedy. And its accuracy is sure to get the attention of fellow former theater kids.

Theater Camp is streaming now, and available at digital retailers with exclusive bonus content. Be sure to check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

2023 moviegoers have already been privy to a host of theatrical and streaming features boasting A+ ensembles, and there are certainly more on the way, but let’s go ahead and pencil in Barbie as having the most perfect cast from end to end. (Using only the pinkest of pencils, natch.) From Margot Robbie as the lead namesake to America Ferrera as a stressed-out Mattel employee to the gaggles of Barbies and Kens populating the fantasy world. It sounds like it was a dream for the record-breaking blockbuster’s casting directors, but they revealed quite a few unfortunate instances where their original choices for certain roles inevitably had to drop out of filming, such as SNL breakout Bowen Yang.

As difficult as it is to picture anyone else filling the on-screen roles that were brought to vibrant and magnetic life by co-stars such as Kingsley Ben-Adir, Ncuti Gatwa, Simu Liu and Scott Evans, there were indeed other actors in line to play various Kens alongside Ryan Gosling. Speaking with Vanity Fair, casting directors Lucy Bevan and Allison Jones discussed the frustration of COVID constraints requiring the cast to remain in London for the entire shoot, which meant that the following three actors were no longer available to potentially take part:

• Bowen Yang
• Dan Levy
• Ben Platt

That trio alone could have been a fabulous subsection of Kens who just sit around drinking — and you know they'd imbibe on classier potables than brewski-beers — while judging the rest of the Kens for being so oblivious. (My vote would be for The Other Two's Drew Tarver and Brandon Scott Jones to also join in.)

According to Allison Jones, the creative team weren't the only ones sad about the turn of events. As she put it:

It's indeed a bummer knowing what could have been. Not that it takes anything away from the Barbie that is now blowing box office predictions out of the water, but if there were ever a time for a Sliding Doors-style experiement...

The comedy's major casting swap-outs weren't only limited to just the Ken-tourage, either. Though Scott Pilgrim and Arrested Development vet Michael Cera was a low-key scene-stealer as the one-off Allan, he came into the role only after another big name had to bow out: Hamilton and Frozen star Jonathan Groff.  According to Allison Jones:

It's not clear if he was also unable to take part due to the filming restrictions, or other scheduling issues, but it's wild to think about how Allan would have come across with Groff in the role. Cera embraced the kind of affable, passive energy that he's known for, but I'd have to imagine Groff's version being slightly less of a wallflower. And the musical vet almost definitely would have earned at least one showstopping number, and still will in the fan-fic version of Barbie that I'll be scrawling into a stack of journals later.

So anyone who hasn't yet dressed up in pink for a theatrical Barbie experience needs to get on that, so that we can start up loud conversations about a sequel with Bowen Yang, Dan Levy, Ben Platt and Jonathan Groff jumping on board. 

Ah, love is in the air! Ben Platt announced on Friday that he’s engaged to his boyfriend of over two years, fellow actor Noah Galvin. And they have a mutual friend in Kaitlyn Dever, who starred alongside both Platt and Galvin in big-screen productions. With that, the actress shared her major excitement over the engagement in a sweet way.

This is an adorable pairing, considering Ben Platt and Noah Galvin apparently met when Galvin took over Ben Platt's iconic leading Broadway role in Dear Evan Hansen in 2017. The talented couple became friends before falling in love. Upon Platt sharing that Galvin “agreed to hang out forever,” Dever took to Instagram to swoon over the engagement photos:

Dever was nearly speechless, as she shared the photos of her two good friends sharing a sweet moment together upon becoming engaged. She wrote “I …just” as she hyped up the couple’s milestone. The Ticket To Paradise actress also posted Galvin’s engagement announcement from Instagram as well, saying “I love you congratulations” to the happy couple. 

There’s something special about seeing your friends fall in love and then decide to get married. Kaitlyn Dever worked with Noah Galvin on Olivia Wilde’s 2019 directorial debut, Booksmart. In the acclaimed comedy, Galvin played the role of a student named George. When CinemaBlend spoke to Dever during Rosaline interviews, the actress even gave Galvin’s character a shoutout, saying she’d love to see a spinoff starring Galvin's character in particular.

Following the high school romp, Dever was cast as Platt’s co-star a year later, playing Zoe Murphy to his Evan Hansen, who Platt originated and played on the Broadway stage for several years. Unfortunately, the Dear Evan Hansen movie was not wel received by most critics, and Platt got a lot of internet hate. Many claimed that the then-27-year-old star was too old to play the high schooler.  

Ben Platt recently reflected on the movie being a “disappointing experience” due to that aspect of the reception, but otherwise has focused on the audiences who found the movie moving and “really felt seen by it.” CinemaBlend’s own Dear Evan Hansen review awarded the movie a 3.5 out of 5, calling it a “solid movie musical with some gorgeous performances.” If you’ve yet to catch the 2021 musical adaptation, it can be streamed with an HBO subscription. 

As Ben Platt and Noah Galvin get ready to tie the knot, the couple are set to star in a movie together called Theater Camp, which the couple has already filmed. The comedy was co-written by Galvin and follows the staff of a rundown theater camp in upstate New York. They must band together with the son of the founder, who falls into a coma right before the summer season. I'm exciting to see the two work together and, like Kaitlyn Dever, I'm pumped for their upcoming nuptials!

When the trailer of Dear Evan Hansen first came out, people on Twitter had no problems expressing negative criticism. They felt the need to point out that Ben Platt looked too old for the role, and that his garnering the role was based on nepotistic reasons. After experiencing backlash for his role in Dear Evan Hansen, the 29-year-old spoke about his honest feelings about the internet and Twitter.

It’s ironic that social media played into the story of Dear Evan Hansen. Evan became an internet sensation on YouTube when he raised awareness of a foundation made based on a student who committed suicide only to experience backlash when his secret of not actually being friends with that student came out. In an interview with The New York Times, Ben Platt expressed the “difficult experience” he had with the internet after Dear Evan Hansen came out and how he wished people viewed the musical film adaptation in a more positive light.

It’s a good piece of advice whenever you experience negativity. If a work of art you accomplished was able to teach the hearts of a few compared to the masses, you want to pay attention to the few. Ben Platt went through jabs about his age when fans who watched the trailer pointed out that his older appearance resembles more of a college student than a high schooler. But Platt responded to those jabs by pointing out to just watch Grease as the cast in that musical movie were in their mid-20s to 30s. There was also criticism that the only reason for the Pitch Perfect star’s casting was because his father produced the movie. I personally believe that it was a wise choice to have the then-28-year-old actor reprise the role that got him the Tony award. The problem was that they should have done a better job making him look like a 17-year-old.

Platt says he’s currently not active on Twitter anymore. But, he felt taking a social media cleanse was actually good for him.

It’s easy to want to tear down a celebrity on Twitter when you know they can’t see your face and there's a good chance they won’t respond back. At the same time, celebrities have the same feelings that any other human being has and they do read responses. Not only will Twitter users try to tear down a celebrity, but the critics can be just as hard. Reviews of Dear Evan Hansen had problems with the film’s direction but had a number of “glaring problems” and “distractions” that couldn’t be ignored. Fans also responded to the Broadway adaptation with harsh reviews pointing out the film’s flaws, Platt’s age (of course), and calling it the “worst” musical adaptation. When you see negative reactions like this by the handful, it can make anyone want to leave social media if these posts were about you.

Despite the backlash the movie faced, it’s important to see two sides of any story in that there were some fans touched by Dear Evan Hansen and loved Ben Platt’s performance. No matter what the haters say to the Tony Award winner, Platt still looks back at his Dear Evan Hansen experience with positivity. 

Ben Platt’s days on social media may be over, but his work as a performer will continue. He’ll star in yet another musical adaptation Theater Camp that’s based on the short film he starred in, co-wrote, and produced. He also made his return to the theater stage with the musical Parade where the critics responded very well to his performance. You can see the film/stage actor reprise his role of Evan in Dear Evan Hansen on your HBO Max subscription. 

Audrey Hepburn. Andrew Lloyd Webber. John Legend. Whoopi Goldberg. What do these people all have in common?

They’ve all earned their EGOT — that is, they’ve won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony. It’s known as the “grand slam” of show business, and it’s incredibly difficult to achieve (despite how easy John Legend made it seem). But, who will be the next actor, composer, singer, director, or producer to join these EGOT winners? 

For this list, we’ll be focusing on artists who seem likely to complete their EGOT during their career — so, unfortunately, that eliminates some of the greats like Bob Fosse or Stephen Sondheim who won’t get the chance to complete their grand slam. Instead, we’ll focus on people who are contenders for the very next EGOT and speculate wildly about which of them it’ll be.

Common - Missing A Tony

Common won an Emmy for his song “Letter to The Free” from the documentary 13th and earned both an Oscar and a Grammy for his song “Glory” from the movie Selma (as well as two additional Grammys he snagged in the early 2000’s).

This one seems like a shoo-in to me. We already know Common can rap, and he’s flexed his musical theater chops in movies like Smallfoot. Plus he’s got a chance to win that Tony by writing, rapping, or acting.

Cher - Missing A Tony

Miss Cher earned her first major award in 1988 when she won an Oscar for Best Actress in Moonstruck, followed by a Grammy in 2000 for her dance recording “Believe” and an Emmy in 2003 for Cher: The Farewell Tour.

Some people might say that Cher is past her prime…and some people would be wrong. We all saw her in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. In reality, Cher is only in her mid-70s and still just as fabulous as she always was, so don’t count her out just yet. I could definitely see her on Broadway…

Jennifer Hudson - Missing A Tony

The talented Jennifer Hudson has already earned two Grammys and won a well-deserved Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Dreamgirls. Hudson also earned an Emmy just last year for Baba Yaga, a childrens’ film she produced.

Here’s the thing: Jennifer Hudson is nominated for a Tony this year. As one of the producers of A Strange Loop, she actually has a chance to complete her EGOT at the awards ceremony this summer.

Kate Winslet - Missing A Tony

Unsurprisingly, Kate Winslet has already won an Oscar (for Best Actress for The Reader) and multiple Emmys (for Mildred Pierce in 2011 and Mare of Easttown in 2021). But, many don’t know she actually earned a Grammy all the way back in 2000 for Best Spoken Word Album for Children, called Listen to the Storyteller.

Kate Winslet winning a Tony doesn’t feel far-fetched at all. She's acted in several plays early on, so taking to the stage wouldn’t be brand new to her.

Trent Reznor And Atticus Ross - Missing A Tony

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (yes, from Nine Inch Nails) are one of the most sought after composing teams in all of Hollywood at the moment, earning accolades from the Academy for their Best Original Scores in The Social Network and Soul. They also earned two Grammy awards for Score Soundtrack, again for Soul, and for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (in addition to the Grammys they won years ago with Nine Inch Nails). Add in their Emmy for Music Composition in A Limited Series for Watchmen and you have three prongs on the quadruple crown.

These two are definitely capable of writing the score for a Broadway musical. Crazier things have definitely happened. I mean, if the guys from South Park can write a musical…

Viola Davis - Missing A Grammy

Viola Davis started out as a stage actor, earning Tony awards for King Hedley II and Fences. She then earned an Oscar for the movie version of Fences, and as we all know, won an Emmy for Lead Actress in a Drama Series for How to Get Away With Murder.

Viola Davis is not known for singing. But, as we’ve learned from some of the other Grammy winners on this list, there’s more than one way to earn a Grammy. I’d love for Viola Davis to narrate a spoken word album.

Elton John - Missing An Emmy

This is another EGOT that feels inevitable. Sir Elton John has won many Grammys, and earned a Tony for Best Original Score for the musical Aida. He also won an Oscar for Best Original Song for “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from The Lion King, and more recently, earned another for “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from Rocketman.

All Elton John has to do is compose one perfect song for an HBO show and that Emmy is his. I could also see potential Emmy nominations for a live action musical or Elton John documentary.

Cynthia Erivo - Missing An Oscar

And now for my personal pick for the next EGOT — Cynthia Erivo. She’s won an Emmy, Tony, and Grammy, all for her performances in The Color Purple, so she’s just missing an Oscar.

But, Erivo has already been nominated for two Oscars (Best Actress for Harriet in 2019 and Best Original Song for “Stand Up” from Harriet). Half of the people on this list haven’t even been nominated for the award they’re missing, so she’s right on track to earn an Oscar soon. Keep in mind that Cynthia Erivo is also set to play Elphaba in the Wicked movie in 2024, so at least one future Oscar nom seems eminent.

Hugh Jackman - Missing An Oscar

I can’t believe the only award Hugh Jackman is missing is an Oscar. That seems impossible, probably because most thought he would win one when he was nominated for Best Actor for playing Jean Valjean in Les Miserables.

Jackman already won an Emmy for his hosting gig at the 58th Tony Awards, a Grammy for The Greatest Showman soundtrack, and a Tony for Best Leading Actor in The Boy from Oz. He’s also nominated again in 2022 for The Music Man, a role that's earned huge applause from audiences, so this could be his year.

Audra McDonald - Missing An Oscar

Just because she hasn’t won an Oscar doesn’t mean she can’t act — Audra McDonald has won six Tony awards, as well as an Emmy award for Outstanding Special Class Program for Sweeney Todd (Live from Lincoln Center). She also has two Grammy awards for Best Classical Album and Best Opera Recording.

I’d love for Audra McDonald to earn her Oscar starring in a movie musical, but she also could earn a nomination for writing an original song for a movie.

Lin Manuel Miranda - Missing An Oscar

Like Hugh Jackman and Cynthia Erivo, Lin Manuel Miranda is only missing one award, and he’s already been nominated for it. His EGOT was put on hold when he lost the Oscar for Best Original Song for “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana, and again for “Dos Oruguitas” from Encanto. 

Previously, Lin Manuel Miranda won two Tony awards for In The Heights and Hamilton, as well as Grammys for each soundtrack. He earned his Emmy for writing the opening number of the 67th Tony Awards, “Bigger!” and again for Hamilton.

Miranda’s obviously not done writing forever, although he did say he’s looking forward to taking some time off to spend with his family. Whether it's as an actor or composer, he'll eventually get redemption for Moana and Encanto and earn that Oscar. It could even be for a sequel to Encanto, which Miranda has mentioned he'd like to do.

Trey Parker And Matt Stone - Missing An Oscar

Oh, right. The guys from South Park did write a musical.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone won four Tony Awards for their musical, The Book of Mormon, in addition to a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album. When you include their Emmy awards from South Park, the pair are only one away from an EGOT.

Again, this one feels destined to happen. Whether it will be a South Park movie or maybe a new movie musical, these guys definitely have the skills to earn their Oscar.

Ben Platt - Missing An Oscar

Ben Platt snagged his E-G-T for his work in Dear Evan Hanson and its soundtrack. Since he’s the youngest person on this list at only 28, he has more than enough time to earn plenty of nominations for Academy Awards.

Consider the fact that Ben Platt became the youngest person to win Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical at the age of 23, and you’ll understand why I’m not concerned that he’ll ultimately complete his grand slam. Let's continue the tradition of Dear Evan Hansen and cast Platt in one of the many other modern musicals that should be made into movies.

Billy Porter - Missing An Oscar

Billy Porter is going to win an Oscar soon, I can feel it. He already won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in Pose, as well as a Tony for Best Actor in Kinky Boots. He might even earn another Tony this year as a producer of the Best Musical nominee, A Strange Loop.

Porter earned his Grammy for Kinky Boots, as well, so I’m wondering if it’s time for another Kinky Boots movie. Whether that happens or not, Billy Porter is an extremely talented actor and definitely on track to complete his EGOT.

Lily Tomlin - Missing An Oscar

Finally, comedy legend Lily Tomlin has won six Emmys for her comedy and variety specials, one Grammy for Best Comedy Album, and even won a Tony for Best Actress in a Play for The Search of Intelligent Life in the Universe.

The Grace and Frankie actress has nothing to prove, but definitely has the ability to take on a dramatic role or maybe even provide some comic relief in an Oscar-worthy movie. 

Again, my money is on Cynthia Erivo getting a full EGOT first, but Jennifer Hudson does seem to be walking away with this one. To keep up with the progress of these EGOT contenders, tune into the 75th Tony Awards on Sunday, June 12.

Dear Evan Hansen has been a huge hit musical on Broadway since it arrived to the New York stage in 2016 and went on to become a Tony-winning production, including receiving the Best Musical accolade. Last weekend, the coming-of-age story’s movie adaptation hit theaters, and fans of Dear Evan Hansen, along with movie fans who’d never watched it on stage, had the chance to see it on the big screen. So now we answer, how did the movie play with audiences? 

Dear Evan Hansen follows the eponymous socially anxious teenager (played by Ben Platt), who is asked to write letters to himself by his therapist. When one of his classmates, Connor, dies by suicide, Evan Hansen becomes unexpectedly connected to him when his parents come to believe that one of Evan’s letters was a suicide note by Connor. 

Critics did not connect with Dear Evan Hansen overall, with many reviewers pointing to “glaring problems” in Stephen Chobsky’s movie and the musical itself. CinemaBlend’s own Corey Chichizola gave the movie a positive review, saying that the movie actually “improves' on the original musical in his 3.5 out of 5 star review. Although Dear Evan Hansen seems to be a decisive movie among audiences, it did receive an impressive A- Cinemascore. So from a moviegoer’s perspective, it was well worth the watch in contrast. 

Let’s get into the big internet discussions among fans about Dear Evan Hansen. First off, many had a bone to pick about the Dear Evan Hansen movie adaptation. 

A Lot Of People Had Problems With The Musical Adaptation 

Movie musicals are often subjected to more scrutiny than the usual adaptations because Broadway fans really know their stuff and truly love the productions they love. In terms of Dear Evan Hansen, a lot of fans are finding joy in making fun of the movie version, with tweets like this: 

Dear Evan Hansen is not your typical movie musical because it takes place in a very palpable place of the present day rather than being based in a fairytale or olden times. It stars Ben Platt, who made the role of Evan Hansen famous on stage, but is currently a decade older than a high school student (we’ll get to that later). It seems like the movie was not impressing even some musical fans: 

Not every musical is going to hit the same! One Broadway fan went as far as to call the movie worse than 2019’s Cats, which is an absolutely savage comment if you’ve read the peculiar buzz around that movie. 

There were plenty of well-reasoned negative reviews about Dear Evan Hansen to add to the conversation. The movie deals with the subject of teen suicide and mental health, and that makes it an especially complex subject to set to the screen. Many have characterized it as “flawed,” especially in terms of its lead character, Evan Hansen: 

Evan Hansen going along with a lie relating to someone’s suicide was not swallowed easily by a lot of audiences. Here’s another disappointed fan: 

Along with the story itself, Ben Platt as the lead also bothered some people. We’ll head to that conversation next. 

The Reactions Were Harsh About Ben Platt's Age 

Ever since the Dear Evan Hansen movie was announced, and especially when the movie’s first trailer came out, a 28-year-old Ben Platt playing a high school student has become somewhat of a meme for the movie. Seriously, people on the internet can’t get enough of making fun of him: 

That one is a tad extreme, but a lot of it may have to do with some of the hairstyling and wardrobe decisions as well for Ben Platt. Additionally, Platt was paired with younger actors playing his classmates, in turn making him being older more obvious. Some of his co-stars, include 22-year-old Amandla Stenberg and 24-year-old Kaitlyn Dever, are honestly not that much younger, but Platt having played a college freshman in Pitch Perfect almost ten years ago doesn’t help. 

The Steve Buscemi “How do you do, fellow kids?” meme from 30 Rock has also been prevalent when people talk about Ben Platt in Dear Evan Hansen. Additionally, people are having fun making other comparisons at the expense of the Tony-winner. 

You could make the argument that no one knows the character quite like Ben Platt, considering at one point in time he played the character eight times a week. On the other hand, perhaps it was time for the role to be passed on to a younger actor. It’s a contentious topic, but not everyone was turned off by Platt in the role: 

It goes to show that between some heavily negative comments about Dear Evan Hansen, the movie also had plenty of fans too. Let’s close out with those. 

Dear Evan Hansen Struck A Meaningful Chord With Many

Nitpicks aside, Dear Evan Hansen still pleased a lot of people and they took to social media to share their emotional reactions. One fan said it was “everything” he wanted, sharing that the entire theater he went to see it with were in tears thanks to the musical: 

Another fan wanted to particularly shout out to Kaitlyn Dever, who plays Connor’s sister Zoe in the film. She also really loved the new music that was added just for the movie. One of the new songs is called “The Anonymous Ones,” which was written and sung by Amandla Stenberg in the movie: 

Dear Evan Hansen definitely sounds like a tearjerker and it created a profound experience for many people who experienced the movie in its first week. As another fan added: 

There’s certainly a lot of opinions about Dear Evan Hansen and whether you like it or not will defer from person to person. 

2021 is a big year for movie musicals, as a number of beloved stage shows have been adapted for film including In the Heights and the upcoming new take on West Side Story. The latest of these hit theaters last weekend, namely Stephen Chbosky’s Dear Evan Hansen. As you can see in the video above, star Ben Platt recently revealed which cut aspect of the stage musical he missed in the movie.

Adapting stage musicals to fit into a film’s length of time usually results in a number of songs and scenes being cut. Dear Evan Hansen was no exception in this regard, with Stephen Chbosky and company making changes to the story for a unique take on film. I had the privilege of speaking with Ben Platt ahead of the movie’s release, where I asked him which cut aspect of the stage musical he missed the most this time around. But rather than a cut song like “Anybody Have a Map?” it was a piece of dialogue. As he explained,

Talk about a surprising answer. Because while hardcore fans of Dear Evan Hansen no doubt missed cut songs in the movie adaptation, Ben Platt doesn’t seem to share that sentiment. He told me in the video above that he didn’t think the film needed tracks like “Good For You” for this take on the story. Although he did miss having one funny scene opposite Zoe, played in the movie by Kaitlyn Devers.

Ben Platt knows Dear Evan Hansen as a piece intimately well. He created the title role both off and on Broadway, winning a coveted Tony Award for his emotional performance. That’s why his perspective on the material cut for the movie is so intriguing, especially now that Stephen Chbosky’s movie has hit theaters.

Later in our conversation Ben Platt went on to further explain why Dear Evan Hansen’s faux break-up sequence simply wasn’t going to work in the film adaptation. Specifically because it was perhaps a bit too over the top for the movie’s otherwise very realistic tone. As he put it,

As is the case with every movie musical, the purists out there will be judging Dear Evan Hansen based on how closely it follows the source material. Stephen Chbosky’s movie cuts four songs, while adding two new ones. It does appear that audiences are responding well, as the movie’s winning audience score on Rotten Tomatoes is in stark juxtaposition to the critical consensus.

Dear Evan Hansen is in theaters now. Ben Platt will appear on the small screen in The Premise and is currently filming his next film role in The People We Hate at the Wedding. Be sure to check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

Right now we've found ourselves in a period when Hollywood musicals have become cool again. Over the past year, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s two musicals Hamilton and In The Heights have notably been given the shot to move from the stage to screens, alongside other movie musicals like Cinderella and Everybody's Talking About Jamie, and there's more to come. With this weekend's Dear Evan Hansen, the show first hit the stage in 2015 and has already become a worldwide sensation and (now) a major motion picture. But what are some other shows that could easily become films?

For many, the love of musicals doesn't happen on Broadway, it starts with discovering cast recordings or through watching the movie musicals based on the most beloved shows. Movies like Dear Evan Hansen can provide more access to the shows people are raving about over in New York City on big screens and later, in the comfort of our own homes. Following Dear Evan Hansen's release, favorites like Wicked and Mean Girls: The Musical are set to get the movie treatment. There are so many more incredible modern musicals that have graced the stage of Broadway in the past decade that could make for some awesome movies too. Here are my top picks:

The Book of Mormon

Honestly, it's hard to believe this one isn’t a movie yet. The Book Of Mormon first came out in 2011 after the creators of South Park put together a satirical musical about two Latter-day Saints missionaries as they try to preach their faith to a remote Ugandan village.

The original cast included Josh Gad, Andrew Rannells and Brian Tyree Henry prior to their Hollywood fame. In the past decade, The Book of Mormon has become a modern classic on Broadway, perhaps making it the perfect time for a movie to breathe even more life into its legacy.

Hadestown

A musical rooted in Greek myth that’s not Hercules? Yeah, sign me up. Hadestown is a modern adaptation of these myths set to the sounds of New Orleans jazz and American folk music. The musical is about Orpheus and Eurydice along with the tale of King Hades and his wife Persephone that goes down to the depths of the underworld.

While it might be too soon for the musical to make the switch from musical to movie now, it’s an amazing concept and packed with fun music that could be translated to an epic movie when the time is right.

The Band’s Visit

More and more nowadays, we’re seeing musicals being adapted from favorite movies like Beetlejuice, Pretty Woman and Matilda. The 2016 modern musical The Band’s Visit is an interesting one because it’s based on an Israeli film of the same name, sans the musical aspect. The production swept the Tony Awards, taking home the “big six,” including Best Musical. Yet, it has not become a well-known or widespread musical yet.

Tony Shalhoub memorably was part of the original cast. It’s about eight men from the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra who arrive in Israel from Egypt and are taken in for the night by some locals. The music to The Band’s Visit is absolutely beautiful and it has a worthwhile message to spread.

Fun Home

The 2016 Tony for “Best Musical” went to an original show called Fun Home, a coming-of-age musical based on a 2006 memoir of the same name by Alison Bechdel. It’s a story that has particularly touched the LGBTQ+ community since it’s the first Broadway musical to be led by a lesbian protagonist.

As Alison comes to grips with her sexuality, she learns that her father was a closeted gay man who had some troubling secrets. There’s some dark topics explored in Fun Home, but it’s told in an original way that would translate well to a movie.

Come From Away

For almost five years now, Come From Away has blown away audiences flocking to Broadway to see this award-winning musical that is set a week after the 9/11 attacks in New York City. The musical tells the story of the 7,000 people who were stranded in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland after all flights were grounded on the tragic day. The musical is about processing the grief and horror of 9/11, along with being a touching story of togetherness and community.

It could translate well into an artful drama similar to the vibe of Dear Evan Hansen someday. If you'd like to see how it looks on stage, AppleTV+ recently made the play available to stream.

Six

One of the newer Broadway musicals, which actually got its start in the UK, is Six. It’s a modern retelling of the lives of the six wives of Henry VIII, with the twist being that it’s about a group of six women who are performing at a pop concert. During the musical, they each take turns sharing personal experiences with Henry. The singer who shares the worst experience with their common ex will become the lead singer of the group.

I could see this being adapted with six well-known singers taking on each role and perhaps expanding the story into further flashbacks of their relationships with Henry. It’s a fun musical full of drama and show-stopping vocals.

Bandstand

The final pick here is Bandstand. This musical is a period piece taking place right after World War II and starring a character named Donny Novitski, a singer/songwriter, who is among a group of other veterans who return home following their service. They are hoping to get back to life “Just Like It Was Before,” as the opening track introduces. The musical would be a great fit for a live-action film that deals with the post-traumatic stress of being in war and Donny’s survivor’s guilt as he pursues music after his experiences. It has a beautiful soundtrack and a winning storyline that deserves the big-screen treatment.

As Dear Evan Hansen hits theaters this weekend, feel free to daydream about more musical adaptations yourself. Movies of its kind coming up next is Tick, Tick… Boom! on November 12 and West Side Story on December 10.

Major spoilers ahead for Dear Evan Hansen, both the stage and movie versions.

After countless movies were pushed back last year, 2021 has been an exciting time for moviegoers who are thrilled to be returning to theaters. It’s also a year with tons of movie musicals, as we’ve already seen In the Heights, The Prom, and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie arrive. Director Stephen Chbosky’s Dear Evan Hansen is the latest of these movies, with Ben Platt back in his Tony Award winning role alongside some A-listers. But what happens in the movie, and how does it differ from the stage production?

The narrative of Dear Evan Hansen is an emotional one. Ben Platt’s title character goes to his first day of school only to have a scuffle with classmate Connor Murphy (Colton Ryan) after writing a therapist-assigned letter to himself. When Connor commits suicide later that day, his grieving parents (Amy Adams and Danny Pino) mistake it for a suicide note written to his “best friend” Evan. An innocent white lie snowballs, and soon he ingratiates himself with the family, as well as Connor’s sister/ his crush Zoe (Kaitlyn Devers). The lies start piling up, especially when Evan has to explain his absence to his single mother Heidi (Julianne Moore).

Watching the big lie of Dear Evan Hansen spiral out of control is a tense moviegoing experience, and eventually the situation explodes. The truth comes out, resulting in a heartbroken Murphy family. Evan must then atone for his missteps, in a moment that will help to alleviate the tension, while also allowing for an emotional catharsis with the final three songs. So how exactly does the story end?

What Happens At The End Of Dear Evan Hansen?

The drama of Dear Evan Hansen explodes for a few different reasons. Throughout the movie Evan’s friend Alana (Amandla Stenberg) from the Connor Project is trying to fundraise and memorialize the late character with an orchard in his name. When Evan shared Connor’s “suicide note” in order to quell her suspicions about the truth, things go haywire. She shares the note to drum up more donations, but the Murphy Family becomes the target of online harassment.

With Evan Hansen now dating Zoe and the Murphys even offering to pay for his college education, he understandably rushes over. The guilt finally takes him over, and Ben Platt sings his big 11 o’clock number “Words Fail.” In the song Evan admits to everything: he was never friends with Connor, and he’s been lying to Zoe and her family for months. It’s a truly devastating scene, and he’s promptly asked to leave their house.

Evan eventually returns home, and reunites with his mother Heidi. Julianne Moore’s matriarch tells him she loves her son no matter what with the heartbreaking song “So Big/So Small.” Ben Platt’s character admits to his mother that his fall out of the tree was actually a suciide attempt. And to make sure the Murphys are left alone, he posts a public confession and apology online, before going back to his regular, isolated life. Evan once again sits alone at lunch, and finishes up his high school career quietly.

From there the story of Dear Evan Hansen jumps ahead in time, and with Ben Platt and Kaitlyn Devers sharing a scene in the completed Connor Murphy Orchard. He once again apologizes for his lies, and Zoe gives him some peace by revealing that the orchard has become a special place for the family to remember her brother. They part ways for the last time, while Evan writes himself a new letter vowing to be himself moving forward.

How Does Dear Evan Hansen End On Broadway?

The main story beats of Dear Evan Hansen play out around the same way on stage. Alana’s suspicion of Evan eventually reaches a boiling point, and he shares the letter that started the entire show’s plot. She once again uses it to help fundraise, which backfires as people online blame the Murphys for being parents who are more worried about money than their son’s mental health.

Both “Words Fail” and “So Big/So Small” come and go, as Evan tells the truth to both the Murphys and his mother Heidi. But while the Dear Evan Hansen movie gives us plenty of time with Ben Platt’s character after the truth comes out, the stage musical ends a bit more abruptly. While there’s sure to be some purists who prefer the original, the movie arguably gives us more closure.

On stage, Dear Evan Hansen goes straight from “So Big/So Small” to the flash forward coda shared between the title character and Zoe. While we get to see the former couple make amends, the audience doesn’t physically get to see him atoning for his sins. Instead we simply hear about it during this brief chat and put the pieces together.

What’s Dear Evan Hansen’s New Ending Song?

Another big way the ending of Dear Evan Hansen’s movie differs from the stage musical is because there’s a brand new song added. After Ben Platt’s character reveals the truth about his big lie, Evan goes searching for real information about Connor. He reads his favorite books and listens to the late student’s favorite music. Evan eventually finds a video of Connor from when he was in rehab, with actor Colton Ryan debuting a new song by Pasek & Paul in the archive footage.

This new track is titled “A Little Closer” and helps to show who Connor was as a person in life, especially while being honest and in recovery. It’s a beautiful new number, which helps to flesh out a character that we don’t see very much of in the Dear Evan Hansen movie. The way Evan finds the video and forwards it on to the Murphys offers a nice sense of closure, as he finally provides them with a real memory of their son. And since Connor’s stage song “Disappear” was cut from the film adaptation, it gives the character some much-needed screen time.

Dear Evan Hansen is in theaters now, so bring your tissues. Be sure to check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

Spoilers ahead for Dear Evan Hansen!

While 2021 has seen the film industry find a new normal, it’s specifically been a great year for fans of musical theater. A number of beloved stage productions have been adapted for film, the latest being Stephen Chbosky’s Dear Evan Hansen. As you can see in the video above, I had the opportunity to speak with the director-writer ahead of the movie’s release, where we did a deep dive into the process of bringing the story from stage to screen.

Because Dear Evan Hansen is a full two-act musical, a number of songs and other material had to be cut in order to make it into a movie. This is a process we’ve seen recently with other projects like In the Heights and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. Fans of Dear Evan Hansen will notice this change immediately, as the opening number “Does Anybody Have A Map?” was cut.

On the stage “Does Anybody Have a Map?” sets up the two families at the center of Dear Evan Hansen’s story. It’s a duet between the two mothers, played in film by Julianne Moore and Amy Adams. Stephen Chbosky discussed the process of leaving that beloved track and and others on the cutting room floor, saying:

Ben Platt’s first big solo “Waving Through a Window” is arguably the biggest hit song from Dear Evan Hansen, and opening the movie adaptation with the protagonist definitely makes a strong impression. It also lets fans know right away that this version is going to be making changes to the story, with the opening number far from the only one.

But cutting original songs like “Good for You” and “Disappear” allowed for new musical numbers to be added to the film adaptation. Stephen Chbosky spoke to me more about this process, and how acclaimed Greatest Showman songwriters Justin Paul and Benj Pasek were eager to further develop supporting characters. Case in point: Amandla Stenberg’s Alana who debuted a new song “The Anonymous Ones.” As Chbosky put it,

Throughout our chat, Stephen Chbosky mentioned multiple times how he wanted his Dear Evan Hansen movie to serve as a companion piece to the stage musical, while also standing apart as something new. Through this process he could bring something new to the established characters. And Chbosky has already adapted a number of novels into movies, including his own Perks of Being a Wallflower. He explained how this informed his process, saying:

The Dear Evan Hansen movie also takes steps to make the story a more inclusive one. On top of Alana being an expanded character, the Murphy family is now a blended one featuring Cuban American actor Danny Pino as Larry. Evan’s friend Jared, played by Nik Dodani, is also queer in this adaptation. This change happened organically when Stephen Chbosky was working with the Atypical actor. Chbosky enjoyed flipping the typical sex-crazed teenager archtype on its head, and spoke to his colalboration with Dodani, saying:

Aside from the alterations to Dear Evan Hansen’s song list, perhaps the biggest change to the movie adaptation came from the handling of Connor Murphy. The story is largely focused on his grieving family after the character commits suicide, with glimpses of Connor coming in the form of home videos. In the Broadway musical Connor is much more present, serving as a ghostlike figure representing Evan’s conscience. Stephen Chbosky and company ruminated on this possibility for the movie, as he revealed to me:

These are the types of big decisions the director of every movie musical is expected to make. Luckily Stephen Chbosky worked directly with the writers as well as the Tony-winning star Ben Platt. And with his history writing the RENT movie, he had a specific set of skills for this daunting job. He explained how this factored into his time working on Dear Evan Hansen, saying:

Dear Evan Hansen clearly made a ton of changes moving from stage to screen, and it was fascinating to get a glimpse behind the curtain on Stephen Chbosky’s process. Fans will get to judge this new take on the story themselves since it hits theaters exclusively on September 24th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

2021 is the year full of movie musicals, with Stephen Chbosky’s Dear Evan Hansen being the latest to hit theaters. Original star Ben Platt is back as the title character, and he’s joined by a killer supporting cast including the incomparable Julianne Moore. And as you can see in the video above, Moore recently shared with CinemaBlend which of Pasek & Paul’s songs still resonate with her today.

Justin Paul and Benj Pasek are songwriters known for their acclaimed work on projects like La La Land and The Greatest Showman. But Dear Evan Hansen was their first Broadway musical, and there are a ton of killer songs in the soundtrack. I had the privilege of speaking with Julianne Moore ahead of the movie’s release, where I asked about her favorite tracks. Unsurprisingly her big solo “So Big/So Small” made the list, as she shared:

Julianne Moore’s big vocal solo doesn’t come until late into the runtime of Dear Evan Hansen, but it certainly doesn’t disappoint. Her character Heidi makes an emotional appeal to Ben Platt’s, and it’s a real tear-jerker. Moore understandably has quite the connection with that number after preparing and filming the movie musical.

The Dear Evan Hansen movie was filmed at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, so the cast was isolated in a bubble when not filming. This experience likely gave Julianne Moore extra time to prep and stress about her big song “So Big/So Small.” And for that reason it’s the biggest earworm that’s stuck with her.

Of course, Julianne Moore didn’t only list her big 11 o’clock number as her only favorite from Dear Evan Hansen. She revealed that the music is something shared with her family, and cited Ben Platt’s sweet love song “If I Could Tell Her” as another favorite. She went on to tell me,

Dear Evan Hansen is definitely one of those shows that leaves audiences humming tunes as they leave the theater. And as Julianne Moore has shared the music with her family, it’s a movie that has the potential to inspire important conversations between the generations. Besides, who doesn’t want to see Moore and Amy Adams belting out some showtunes?

Dear Evan Hansen will hit theaters on September 24th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

The movie industry is finally getting back to normal, with a number of highly anticipated projects finally hitting theaters. This year has already seen a number of musical adaptations on the big screen, the most recent being Stephen Chbosky’s Dear Evan Hansen. And actress Amandla Stenberg recently opened up about bringing a new song to the movie version.

When traveling from stage to screen, most movie musicals end up making a number of changes. Dear Evan Hansen is no exception, with certain songs cut while others are premiering for the first time. The Hate U Give’s Amandla Stenberg is playing the character Alana Beck, and sings the new track “The Anonymous Ones.” As you can see in the above video, I had the privilege of speaking with Beck about her role in Dear Evan Hansen ahead of its release. She opened up about the process of crafting Alana’s song, saying:

Talk about pressure. On top of performing a new song in Dear Evan Hansen, Amandla Stenberg also helped Pasek & Paul write “The Anonymous Ones.” Luckily she felt supported by the pair of Oscar-winning songwriters. And fans only have to wait a few more days to see and hear the new track in all of its glory. And with a resume including The Greatest Showman and La La Land, Pasek & Paul have already gotten quite the reputation.

Those hardcore musical fans can actually stream “The Anonymous Ones” now, as the folks behind Dear Evan Hansen have released a handful of tracks from the movie’s soundtrack. In our same conversation, Amandla Stenberg specifically mentioned the Dear Evan Hansen fans out there. She explained the pressure that comes with breaking new ground for Alana, saying:

The Dear Evan Hansen movie expanding the role of Alana is just one way that Stephen Chbosky’s film adaptation will manage to stand apart from the stage production. Any new songs would be eligible for film awards, so tracks like “The Anonymous Ones” are doubly important. Only time will tell how audiences respond to the movie musical.

Dear Evan Hansen will arrive in theaters on September 24th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

With audiences returning to theaters, there’s a variety of new releases arriving over the next few months. This includes a number of movie musicals like Stephen Chbosky’s Dear Evan Hansen. Ben Platt is back in his Tony-winning role, and there’s a stellar support cast attached including the incomparable Julianne Moore. And she recently explained why the story of Dear Evan Hansen continues to resonate so well with audiences.

Dear Evan Hansen became a massive hit as soon as it premiered on Broadway, in no small part due to Ben Platt’s tour-de-force performance. Now an even wider audience will get to see the emotional story thanks to the movie adaptation, and they should probably bring their tissues. As you can see in the video above, I had the privilege of speaking with both Julianne Moore and director Stephen Chbosky, where they explained why they think Dear Evan Hansen is able to inspire such an emotional response. As Moore put it,

She’s got a point. Adolescent years are hard for most of us, especially those moments of uncertainty when in high school. And with Dear Evan Hansen focusing on that feeling of isolation and other-ness, it’s easy to relate to the musical’s story. Add in some killer songs by The Greatest Showman’s Pasek & Paul and you’ve got the recipe for success.

In Dear Evan Hansen, Julianne Moore plays the title character’s mother Heidi. She shares all of her scenes with Ben Platt in the process, as they bring that home to life on the big screen. Later in our conversation, Moore explained how Platt’s award-winning performance helps to bring in the audience, saying:

Ben Platt’s run in the Broadway production of Dear Evan Hansen one was a legendary one, as he managed to belt and weep through the character’s epic songs. Now the role will be recorded for prosperity in the movie adaptation, with a supporting cast that includes the likes of Julianne Moore, Amy Adams, and Kaitlyn Devers.

The universal nature of Dear Evan Hansen’s story was also addressed by Stephen Chbosky in the same video. He specifically cited how countless young people out there are deadline with mental health issues. And given his history with Perks of Being a Wallflower, Chbosky knows how to tell authentic teenage stories.

Dear Evan Hansen will hit theaters on September 24th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

2021 has been an exciting one for movie musicals, with stage projects like In the Heights and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie being adapted for the big screen. This trend continues with Stephen Chbosky’s Dear Evan Hansen, which featured Ben Platt back in his Tony Award-winning title character. And Platt recently explained the ‘scary’ process of returning to this emotional role.

Ben Platt originated the role of Evan Hansen on Broadway and the musical’s pre-Broadway run. But despite this intimate knowledge of the material, Dear Evan Hansen still deals with some emotionally grueling material. Ahead of its release, I had the privilege of speaking with Platt about the process of returning to the difficult emotions of the piece. As you can see in the video above, he spoke about the challenges of this, calling it:

Well, there you have it. While there were some very understandable nerves that came with Ben Platt working on the Dear Evan Hansen movie, it seems that the actor/recording artist funneled that pressure into motivation. And just like that, he was able to slip back into that iconic role, and belt out Pasek & Paul’s iconic songs while feeling all of Evan’s emotions.

When Ben Platt was starring in Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway, the show quickly became one of the hottest tickets in town. But the majority of folks around the world weren’t able to see the stage version, especially Platt’s run as the title character. Platt used that as motivation to once again transform into Evan for the movie, despite the pressure that came with reprising the Award winning role.

Later in our chat, Ben Platt went on to explain how filming Dear Evan Hansen eventually got easier as it went on. This makes sense as on top of the pressure of playing the extremely emotional role, the movie was also filming mid-pandemic. Platt went on to tell me,

Luckily for Ben Platt, he was able to immerse himself back in the role of Evan Hansen, while Stephen Chbosky and company built the character’s world around him. Rather than a small ensemble and limited set pieces, the film adaptation makes the environment feel much more real. Add in killer cast members like Julianne Moore and Amy Adams, and Dear Evan Hansen certainly has a ton of talent behind it.

Dear Evan Hansen will hit theaters on September 24th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

Film adaptations of musicals have certainly taken off in the past few years, such as Hamilton last year and In The Heights this summer. Now we’re going to see a movie adaption of the smash hit musical Dear Evan Hansen, which won several Tony Awards and will continue its Broadway run after it resumes production after the Covid-19 delay. Evan Hansen, a high school student with Social Anxiety Disorder, has a therapeutic self-intended letter stolen by a classmate named Connor Murphy, who later dies by suicide. Connor's family mistakes the letter as a letter sent to Evan by Connor. Evan then inserts himself into the boy's past, leading to a series of lies and confrontational events.

Ben Platt portrayed the original Evan Hansen in the show’s Broadway run, and he reprises his role for the movie musical (a decision that led to some controversy). The movie musical was directed by Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) and also features Amy Adams, Kaitlyn Dever, Julianne Moore, Amandla Stenberg, Nik Dodani, Danny Pino, and Colton Ryan. Dear Evan Hansen will premiere in theaters on September 24, but critics have started to share their official reviews, so let's check them out.

Let’s start with the home team. CinemaBlend’s Corey Chichizola enjoyed Dear Evan Hansen, especially Ben Platt’s return to the titular role. Platt won a Tony Award for originating Evan Hansen on Broadway, and Chichizola argued that the actor killed it this time around, too. He also noted that this film iteration allows for viewers to see even more details in the actor’s face, which helps to immerse us in his journey. He also really enjoyed the performances from the supporting cast members, though he noted that some of them were underused, which is a result of the musical having to be condensed into a shorter runtime. Overall, here’s what he said:

Steve Pond from The Wrap also commended Platt’s star quality as Evan Hansen, but he also praised the other characters like Stenberg, Dever, Adams, and Moore. While Pond noted that the narrative is a little too messy at times and that it could have gone with a more nuanced approach to addressing mental health issues, he argued that you will still enjoy the movie musical overall, saying:

Michael Rechtshaffen from The Hollywood Reporter had a somewhat mixed opinion of the drama. He really enjoyed the acting from the main characters (definitely sensing a pattern in these reviews) and the beautiful moments of human connection the film offers. But he argued that those intimate moments too often bump up against distancing cutaways and music video cliches that take away from the impact. Rechtshaffen thought director Chbosky leaned too much into the drama formula aspect, saying:

IndieWire’s Tina Hassannia did not have a very positive review of Dear Evan Hansen. She criticized Chbosky’s direction, such as making Platt’s larger-than-life characterization of Evan Hansen too pronounced, as that affectation works well on stage, but looks too “creepy” on screen. Hassania also noted that the mix of dialogue and song was too choppy. She argued that unfortunately, the music is what will make the drama lose the audience, saying:

Valerie Complex from Deadline also had many criticisms of the movie musical, though she did praise the singing, particularly from Amandla Stenberg. But Complex considered Dear Evan Hansen “terrible,” criticizing the storytelling and the shallow statements on community and class structure. She also argued that it was a problematic choice to force the audience to feel sympathy for a compulsive liar whose mental illness is exploited. Overall, Complex noted:

Well, those were pretty mixed reviews. You'll be able to check out the teen drama soon, as Dear Evan Hansen debuts in theaters only on September 24th. Until then, plan your next movie-going experience with our 2021 new movie release guide.

2021 has become the year of the movie musicals, with a variety of beloved stage productions being adapted for the screen. Dear Evan Hansen is the latest of these projects, helmed by Perks of Being A Wallflower’s Stephen Chbosky. Tony Award winning star Ben Platt is back as the title character, and truly manages to shine in this emotionally exhausting drama.

Dear Evan Hansen became a hit Broadway musical when it debuted back in 2016. Ben Platt had already been in movies like Pitch Perfect, but his ability to weep and sing through such an emotional story was a star-making moment that led to way more TV and film roles. Luckily for those of us who were unable to see his run in New York, that performance has now been immortalized through this film adaptation.

The story of Dear Evan Hansen is a dark one, with mental health and sucide at the center of the narrative. The isolated Evan has a chance encounter with Conner Murphy (Colton Ryan) shortly before his suicide, and a misunderstanding endears him to a mourning family. This includes his crush Zoe (Kaitlyn Dever) and her parents (Amy Adams and Danny Pino). It’s a story about connection, lies, and mourning that makes for an emotional moviegoing experience. Luckily filmmaker Stephen Chbosky is experienced with telling authentic teenage stories.

This difficult material is buoyed by the music of Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, who became household names thanks to their work on The Greatest Showman and La La Land. Every musical number helps to raise the stakes, especially when Ben Platt is given the time to embody Evan Hansen’s social anxiety and longing for acceptance. Acceptance is ultimately a theme of the movie, although we’ll have to sit with Evan’s lies and the discomfort that causes throughout most of the movie’s runtime.

Ben Platt Gives The Same Heart And Commitment That Won Him A Tony For Dear Evan Hansen

As previously mentioned, Ben Platt won a Tony Award for originating the title role of Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway. His return to the role years later was the cause of some backlash by naysayers, although the film performance doesn’t falter. Platt sounds killer singing those beloved songs, and also gets more stillness and time with the character this time around.

Dear Evan Hansen opens with the show’s biggest anthem, “Waving Through the Window,” which allows the audience to see his invisible Evan feels. This is invaluable to the audience’s experience of the story, which is one where Ben Platt’s character lies time and time again to a mourning family. His own anxiety and isolation makes the situation easier to digest, but the part of Evan needs to be played perfectly in order for the audience to be on his side.

Despite the various cards that may be stacked against him, Ben Platt's triumphant return as Evan is an emotional tour-de-force that deserves to be seen on the big screen. Fans will be able to see every micro expression in the actor’s face, which helps us to be immersed in the title character’s journey. And while the material of Dear Evan Hansen is super heavy, Platt time time again dodges opportunities for melodrama.

Supporting Cast Members Like Julianne Moore Are Underused

Of course, Ben Platt isn’t the only familiar name bringing the story of Dear Evan Hansen to life in Stephen Chbosky’s film adaptation. Platt is the only original actor in the cast, allowing for icons like Julianne Moore and Amy Adams to play the roles of Heidi Hansen and Cynthia Murphy. The movie also got a ton of attention for casting Last Man Standing’s Kaitlyn Dever as Evan’s love interest Zoe. In the end, the movie is a deeply emotional experience filled with stunning performances, although some cast members like Moore do end up being underused.

As is the case with every film adaptation of a Broadway musical, certain songs from Dear Evan Hansen were cut in order to condense the narrative into its 137-minute runtime. While this helps to streamline the story, it also leaves supporting characters like Evan’s mother Heidi without as much screen time. Julianne Moore sings and acts the hell out of the ballad “So Close, So Small”, but unfortunately her other two big songs were cut out of the film adaptation. But unsurprisingly Moore is able to make the most out of every scene and brings a quiet sincerity to the film.

Amy Adams’ role is also smaller as a result of these cuts, although Enchanted fans will be thrilled to hear her singing alongside Kaitlyn Dever and Danny Pino in “Requiem.” But given the pedigree attached to Dear Evan Hansen’s cast, the film does ultimately leave one wanting more from those talented names. For her part Dever gives a solid performance as Zoe, and is able to duet with the likes of Ben Platt.

The Dear Evan Hansen Movie Improves On The Original With Inclusion And Closure

While there are notable cuts in Dear Evan Hansen, there are ways that the movie adaptation improves on the narrative. For one, more inclusion and diversity is brought to the starring cast of actors. Evan’s friend Jared (Nik Dodani) is queer in this adaptation, while the Murphys are a mixed family featuring Cuban American actor Danny Pino as Larry. Additionally, the role of supporting character Alana is expanded, with actress Amandla Beck getting a new song in the process.

But perhaps the best change in Dear Evan Hansen comes from the movie’s ending. While the show’s conclusion is a bit vague, audiences will be given appropriate closure by the time the credits roll. That being said, it’s an emotionally grueling process to get through to the end, so pack your tissues.

Dear Evan Hansen is a solid movie musical with some gorgeous performances. While the story might have suffered a bit in its journey to the screen, it’s ultimately a moving piece that asks some tough, contemporary questions. Now we’ll just have to see if “You Will Be Found” heading back to theaters to see it all shake out on the big screen.

2021 is a big year for movie musicals. Following the release of In the Heights, there’s a number of highly anticipated blockbuster musicals coming to the big screen. This includes Stephen Chbosky’s Dear Evan Hansen, which will feature Ben Platt reprising his Tony Award winning role as the title character. And Platt recently explained why he feels so passionately about playing his signature role for the film adaptation.

Ben Platt’s Broadway run in Dear Evan Hansen was universally acclaimed, as he sang and cried his way through the play’s contents for eight shows a week. It seemed like a no-brainer for Platt to play Evan in the movie, but he got some backlash regarding his age after the first trailer arrived online. The star of The Politician has addressed why he’s the right person to play the protagonist, saying:

It’s hard to argue with that logic. Ben Platt worked with Benj Pasek and Justin Paul in crafting the title role of Dear Evan Hansen. And after those years of work, ultimately resulting in a Best Actor Tony Award, it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing the role on the big screen. And now more people will be able to see his iconic performance as it’s immortalized.

Ben Platt’s comments to The Independent helps to show where the actor/ recording artist’s head is at regarding Dear Evan Hansen. Platt is working with a killer cast for the film adaptation, and is the only actor reprising their role from the original Broadway cast. And on top of his years playing Evan, he also has the advantage of the role being written around his particular vocal range and sensibility.

Broadway fans were excited to see that Dear Evan Hansen was getting a film adaptation, with A-list talent like Julianne Moore and Amy Adams attached. But when the trailer first arrived, Ben Platt was the subject of some backlash over his age, and became fodder for countless memes. But considering Platt is still just 27 years-old, he’s hardly the oldest actor to portray a high schooler. Plus he’s only three years older than co-star Kaitlyn Dever.

As a fan of the musical myself, I’m particularly interested to see how Dear Evan Hansen will adapt for the film, and what changes are made in order to facilitate that transition. Projects like In the Heights had to cut out a number of songs to make it appropriate length for a film, and Ben Platt’s upcoming movie will likely do the same. We’ll just have to wait and see which hit Pasek & Paul songs end up on the cutting room floor.

Dear Evan Hansen is currently expected to arrive in theaters on September 24th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

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In 2012, Pitch Perfect stole our hearts and made competitive college singing groups semi-cool. It then went on to have two sequels: Pitch Perfect 2 and Pitch Perfect 3. The Pitch Perfect franchise made Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, and others big household names. This aca-fun film still has a dedicated fan base willing and ready to pull out a cup when necessary.

It’s been several years since the last Pitch Perfect film graced the theaters, and the cast has worked in other projects, everything from scripted television to reality TV show judging and releasing full albums. Let’s explore what Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, and the rest of the Pitch Perfect cast has been up to since the last film, and their upcoming projects.

Anna Kendrick (Beca)

Anna Kendrick played Beca in all three Pitch Perfect films. She’s a bit of a rebel at first and doesn’t take the Barden Bellas that seriously, but she bonds with the women and finds her voice within the group. In May 2021, Kendrick joined the cast of Rodney & Sheryl, a movie about a woman who appeared on a TV dating show and chose a serial killer as her date. In August 2019, Anna Kendrick joined the cast of the crime thriller Unsound. Unsound tells the story of a state trooper who faces the challenge of irreversible hearing loss while investigating the prison escape of a gang member.

In 2021, Kendrick will make an appearance in season 2 of Love Life. She was the lead of season 1 of this HBO Max series. Also in 2021, Kendrick was part of the cast of Netflix’s Stowaway. In 2020, she returned to the world of Trolls for Trolls World Tour, and Kendrick had a lead role in the Quibi series Dummy.

Rebel Wilson (Fat Amy)

In Pitch Perfect, Rebel Wilson played Fat Amy, a young woman not afraid to be her unapologetic self, which usually led to comedic gold. As of June 2021, Wilson is currently filming Senior Year, a movie about a cheerleader who wakes from a coma 20-years later and goes back to high school to regain her queen-bee status. Rebel Wilson plays the lead character. She also stars in the upcoming film The Almond and the Seahorse. It’s a drama based on the stage play of the same name, and follows people who are suffering from traumatic brain injuries and their families.

2019 was a busy year for Wilson, as she starred in Isn’t It Romantic.The film reunited her with Pitch Perfect co-star Adam DeVine. She also starred opposite Anne Hathaway in The Hustle and had a role in the infamous Cats. Also in 2019, Wilson had a supporting role in the Oscar-winning film Jojo Rabbit.

Brittany Snow (Chloe)

Brittany Snow played the simple but sweet Chloe in all three Pitch Perfect films. She was one of the original Bellas who worked to recruit Beca and the others. Brittany Snow will appear alongside Jenna Ortega, Kid Cudi, and Mia Goth in the upcoming A24 horror-thriller X. Details about the film are mainly being kept a secret, but the Hollywood Reporter mentioned the plot surrounding the making of an adult film. Brittany Snow is set to star opposite Luke Bracey in the upcoming film Big Nickel.

In 2017, Snow signed on for the film Stripped with Charlie Cox. As of June 2021, the film, according to IMDB, is still in the pre-production stage. From 2019 to 2020, Snow was one of the co-leads of the short-lived series Almost Family. It followed women who discover that they are sisters because their father was a sperm donor to many children. Also in 2020, Snow co-starred in the romantic comedy, Hooking Up, with Sam Richardson.

Anna Camp (Aubrey)

Anna Camp played Aubrey, the disgraced leader of the Bellas who must recruit new women in order to try to regain the group’s former glory. In June 2021, Camp starred in a short film called Graceland that debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival. It followed a Southern mother who must learn to understand her daughter after she claims to be the reincarnated spirit of the king of rock and roll. Camp will star in the upcoming Western Murder At Emigrant Gulch.

In 2020, Anna Camp appeared in two popular Netflix films: The Lovebirds and Desperados. From 2019 to 2020, she had the lead role of Ginny in the short-lived NBC show Perfect Harmony. She also appeared in episodes of Unwanted and Creepshow.

Skylar Astin (Jesse)

Skylar Astin played Jesse in the first two Pitch Perfect movies. He’s part of the all-male rival acapella group The Treblemakers. He was also Beca’s main love interest in the first two films. Astin played lead character Max on the recently canceled Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist from 2020 to 2021. He also lends his voice to TrollsTopia as Branch.

In 2020, Astin appeared in the films Ghosts of War and Secret Society of Second-Born Royals. From 2018 to 2019, he took over the role of Greg Serrano (who was previously played by Santino Fontana) on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. In 2019, Astin played the Baker in the Hollywood Bowl production of Into the Woods.

Adam DeVine (Bumper)

Bumper was one of the leading members of The Treblemakers. He eventually softened up his antics a bit in Pitch Perfect 2, and fell for Amy. Adam DeVine lends his voice to the Green Eggs and Ham series as Sam-I-Am. He also voices Poltergeist Pat in Vampirina. Adam DeVine is also one of the lead characters of The Righteous Gemstones. Season 2 is expected to premiere sometime in 2021.

In 2020, Adam Devine appeared in the Disney Original movie Magic Camp. As of 2021, he’s set to appear in the animated film Extinct. DeVine has also appeared in the movies Jexi, Isn’t It Romantic, Game Over, Man!, The Package, When We First Met, and the series Modern Family.

Ester Dean (Cynthia Rose)

Ester Dean played tough and talented Cynthia Rose in the Pitch Perfect franchise. Dean joined her Pitch Perfect co-star Anna Kendrick in Trolls World Tour. She voiced Legsly. Since 2019, Ester Dean has held judging duties on the reality singing series Songland. As of June 2021, it has yet to be canceled or renewed for a third season.

Dean will be a judge on the upcoming reality series Clash of the Cover Bands. She was a respected songwriter and producer before starring in Pitch Perfect, since the films, she has written songs like “Thinkin Bout You” for Ciara and “Solo Quiero” for Leona Lewis, Cali Y El Dandee, and Juan Magan.

Hana Mae Lee (Lily)

Hana Mae Lee’s character Lily was best known for her whispering and the creepy comments she made while whispering. Lily became one of the scene stealers of the Pitch Perfect films. Lee will appear in the upcoming horror film Abruptio. The cast of Abruptio includes James Marsters, Jordan Peele, Robert Englund, and Sid Haig. The film has been in production since 2015 but is rumored to be released in 2021. Lee will also appear in the upcoming film, Habits, starring Paris Jackson and Bella Thorne.

In 2017, Lee played Sonya in The Babysitter. She reprised her role in the 2020 sequel, The Babysitter: Killer Queen. Hana Mae Lee has also appeared in the series Those Who Can’t, Patriot, and Perpetual Grace, LTD.

Ben Platt (Benji)

Ben Platt played Benji in the first two Pitch Perfect movies. He was Jesse’s roommate, a bit of a magic nerd, and also an aspiring member of The Treblemakers (at least in the first film). Ben Platt will play Evan Hansen in the upcoming Dear Evan Hansen movie. The film is based on the Broadway musical of the same name, where Platt starred in the first production of the show. It’s set to debut in theaters on September 24, 2021. It’s one of the highly anticipated 2021 movies. Platt will star opposite Lola Kirke and Yvette Nicole Brown in Broken Diamond.

In a little less than 20 years from now, Platt will appear alongside real-life best friend Beanie Feldstein and Blake Jenner in Merrily We Roll Along. As of March 2021, he was in talks to star opposite Allison Janney and Annie Murphy in the film adaptation of The People We Hate At Weddings.

Platt is the lead character on Ryan Murphy’s dramedy The Politician. As of June 2021, The Politician has yet to be renewed or canceled. In 2020, Platt appeared on the reality series Songland and voiced a character on The Simpsons. Also in 2019, Platt released his first studio album, Sing to Me Instead.

Hailee Steinfeld (Emily)

Hailee Steinfeld first entered the world of Pitch Perfect in Pitch Perfect 2. She was a freshman recruit and a legacy Bella. As of 2021, Steinfeld plays Emily Dickinson in the Apple TV+ original series Dickinson. In late 2021, she will make her debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Kate Bishop in Hawkeye. In 2022, Steinfeld will reprise her voice role as Gwen Stacy in the sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

In 2020, Steinfeld released an EP called Half Written Story. It contains five tracks, including “Wrong Direction,” and “I Love You’s.” In 2019, she appeared in the latest Charlie’s Angels movie and Between Two Ferns: The Movie.

Elizabeth Banks (Gail)

Elizabeth Banks played Gail in the Pitch Perfect movies. Gail is one of the announcers for the acapella competitions. Banks also directed Pitch Perfect 2. In 2019, she once again sat in the director's chair for Charlie’s Angels. She is also planning to direct the Red Queen series for Peacock, and she will have a major supporting role in the show if it’s picked up. Banks will star alongside Sigourney Weaver and Kate Mara in the upcoming drama Call Jane.

In 2019, Banks appeared in the horror film Brightburn. In 2020, she played Jill Ruckelshaus in Mrs. America. As of June 2021, Banks also hosts the game show Press Your Luck on ABC.

The first Pitch Perfect film is currently available to stream on HBO Max. Stream it here.

Broadway, as of late, has been making a heavy transition into the world of the movies, and has been gaining more traction than ever. With smash-hits like the stage-recorded Hamilton, to the upcoming film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In The Heights, it’s a great time to see a musical in movie theaters. Yet another new musical is being brought to cinema screens soon for people to enjoy, and that’s the Dear Evan Hansen movie.

The Tony-award-winning musical has plenty of big screen appeal, mainly focusing around an anxious, isolated high schooler who is looking for some understanding and belonging in the chaos of the world, especially with the cruelty of the social-media age. With amazing songs, a great cast, including Ben Platt, and so much more, here is what we know about the upcoming adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen.

Dear Evan Hansen’s Release Date Is Set For September 2021

Since the trailer only came out in May 2021 for Dear Evan Hansen, a few fans may have expected the new movie to release at some point in 2022. But, we are happy to say that Dear Evan Hansen will be a part of the 2021 movies this year, premiering on September 24, 2021. We won’t have to wait long for this awesome musical to come to our screens soon.

Ben Platt Will Be Reprising His Starring Role For The Movie

I’m sure that plenty of you have already heard of the name Ben Platt when talking about movies or TV. For me, I first saw him in Pitch Perfect, or, you might have seen him in the Netflix series, The Politician. However, what really brought Ben Platt to fame was portraying the titular character in Dear Evan Hansen for the original Broadway cast, for which he won a Tony award, becoming the youngest actor to ever win Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical.

However, fans have taken issue with Platt's age. The actor is 27 – turning 28 on the day of the film’s release, so him playing a high schooler feels a little bit strange to many of them. However, the director of the upcoming film, Stephen Chbosky, defended his decision to have Platt play the role in an interview with Vanity Fair.

Since Platt did win the Tony for this portrayal, I’m looking forward to seeing him perform it one last time on the big screen.

The Dear Evan Hansen Cast Has Plenty Of Other Great Stars As Well

Besides the return of Ben Platt, the cast of Dear Evan Hansen has so many other stars attached to it who will surely make this one of the best films of the year.

Six-time Academy-Award nominee Amy Adams is in the film, as well as Oscar-winner Julianne Moore, so it’s clear that we already have some amazing talent here. Adding onto that, Kaitlyn Dever of Booksmart fame, Amandla Stenberg from The Hate U Give, DeMarius Copes from Broadway’s Mean Girls, and so many more have jumped into this adaption, creating a cast that already has me eager for this film to release. With an ensemble like this, how can you not be excited?

Stephen Chbosky Will Be Directing Dear Evan Hansen

If you wanted a coming-of-age drama to be done well, look no further than Stephen Chbosky, at least in my opinion. For those who don’t know, Chbosky is the bestselling author of the classic coming-of-age novel, The Perks of Being A Wallflower, and also directed the feature film based on it with Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Ezra Miller.

Chbosky has also written a couple of screenplays in the past, like the 2005 film adaptation of Rent as well as co-writing Disney’s live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast. He also recently directed the drama Wonder, starring Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, and Jacob Tremblay. There's no denying that he’s had plenty of practice in the film industry, and I can’t wait to see what he brings to this version of Dear Evan Hansen, with the resume of projects he has behind him.

Dear Evan Hansen Will Have An “Extended Third Act”

In the same Vanity Fair article mentioned before, Ben Platt said how the film adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen expands on the original story and dives deeper into the character than ever before:

When it comes to film, there’s always the opportunity to expand on a character and really grow them into a new version of themselves, I believe that with the same team as the musical and a great director behind it, Dear Evan Hansen will open a new chapter on the story of Evan as a whole.

There Will Be Two New Songs In Dear Evan Hansen

What’s even better about this new adaptation is that the original team behind the award-winning musical, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, returned to not only do the music in Dear Evan Hansen, but also wrote two new songs. The songwriting duo has gone on to produce music for some of the biggest musicals in Hollywood today, like the award-winning La La Land and the showstopping The Greatest Showman, but now they've returned to their roots with Dear Evan Hansen.

Adding two new songs to the already stellar soundtrack (including hits such as “You Will Be Found,” “Waving Through a Window,” “For Forever,” and “Words Fail”) is what makes this even more exciting.

Ben Platt told Vanity Fair that fans of the original Broadway musical should expect changes like this.

I’m always down for some new music in any musical, and if the same team is behind it, I’m pretty sure it’ll be awesome. Even so, only time will tell.

Check Out The Dear Evan Hansen Trailer Here

If you haven’t seen the trailer yet for the new Dear Evan Hansen film, check it out here.

What are you excited for the most about this upcoming film adaptation? Do you think Ben Platt will pull off playing a high schooler for the last time? I already want September to come as soon as possible.

2021 is going to be a big year for movie musicals. There are a number of highly anticipated film adaptations of popular shows coming out, including In the Heights, West Side Story, and Dear Evan Hansen. The latter project will see Ben Platt reprise his Tony Award winning role as the title character, and he recently responded to jabs about his age after his Dear Evan Hansen trailer opposite Kaitlyn Dever arrived online.

Dear Evan Hansen opened on Broadway back in 2016, and helped propel Ben Platt to stardom. Platt won a Tony for playing Evan, managing to do the impossible by singing through his tears and sounding killer in the process. But when the trailer for the Dear Evan Hansen movie arrived, folks on social media took jabs at how “old” the 27 year-old actor looks in his signature role. When sharing a story from Vanity Fair about the upcoming movie musical, Platt responded to the backlash in a now-deleted tweet. It read:

Touche. It seems that the trailer for Dear Evan Hansen has resulted in a mixed bag of responses for Ben Platt. While there are plenty who can’t wait to see the emotional musical adapted for film, he clearly saw the memes and jokes about his age. Being a celebrity is certainly a double-edged sword.

Ben Platt’s response to the Dear Evan Hansen jabs was eventually deleted from the actor-singer’s Twitter, but we can surmise how he may be feeling since the trailer broke the internet. Reprising his role is a huge opportunity for Platt, and will allow his Tony winning performance to be immortalized on film. But it seems that the first glimpse into the movie has resulted in some hate coming his way.

In his deleted response, Ben Platt referenced one of the most beloved movie musicals of all time: Grease. That movie notably starred a cast of fully grown adults, who looked nothing like the young teens they were trying to portray. Adult actors have been playing teenagers for forever (yes, that’s a Dear Evan Hansen reference), so Platt’s upcoming movie isn’t unique in that regard.

You can check out the trailer for Dear Evan Hansen below, complete with Ben Platt’s signature vocals and brand spankin’ new wig.

Director Stephen Chbosky assembled a killer cast to fill out the world of Dear Evan Hansen, giving Ben Platt the opportunity to work with some A-list talent. As previously mentioned Last Man Standing’s Kaitlyn Dever will be playing his love interest Zoe, while we’ll also see performances from greats like Julianne Moore and Amy Adams.

Dear Evan Hansen’s trailer also went viral because so many were shocked to learn about its very serious content. The movie follows a teenager crippled by social anxiety, who accidentally gets involved in a grieving family following his classmate Connor’s suicide. One big lie snowballs, and the story is an emotional one with very high, human stakes.

Dear Evan Hansen is currently set to arrive in theaters on September 24th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

Movie musicals are a tried and true genre, which have the potential to be both critically and financially successful. Contemporary Broadway musicals like In The Heights and The Prom were recently given a film adaptation, and that trend continues with Stephen Chbosky’s Dear Evan Hansen. The movie features a killer cast including original star Ben Platt, Julianne Moore, Kaitlyn Dever, and Amy Adams. And the first trailer showed Dear Evan Hansen is going to be a serious tear-jerker.

Dear Evan Hansen is a hit Broadway show from the musical minds of Pasek & Paul, who are known for their work on The Greatest Showman. It’s an emotional story that tackles issues like depression and suicide, and the first trailer showed those high stakes, plus some signature musical moments.

The trailer for Dear Evan Hansen is set to the backdrop of the Act I closing song "You Will Be Found." As the lyrics tell the movie's story about isolation and hope, the characters of the movie musical come together. Ben Platt's title character is a lonely high school student crippled by anxiety, who happens to have an encounter with classmate Conner Murphy (Colton Ryan) shortly before his suicide. Misunderstanding and tragedy set off a series of events that make for Dear Evan Hansen's many twists and turns.

Director Stephen Chbosky assembled a killer cast to bring Dear Evan Hansen to life on the big screen, and join original actor and Tony Winner Ben Platt. Julianne Moore plays his mother Heidi, a single mother trying to keep her head above water and monitor her son's mental health issues. The mixup with Conor puts Evan in direct communication with his grieving parents (Amy Adams and Danny Pino), and sister Zoe (Kaitlyn Dever).

As the trailer shows, Evan ends up lying to Conner's family, in hopes of giving them some sense of closure in the midst of a horrible tragedy. Eventually that lie snowballs, as a movement forms about Connor's suicide and Evan's message of hope. As you can imagine, there are plenty of tears along the way. Oh and lots of songs too, with Ben Platt's signature voice shining throughout the first Dear Evan Hansen trailer.

Obviously from the subject matter alone, Dear Evan Hansen is a far cry from what audiences saw with Pasek & Paul's The Greatest Showman back in 2017. But Dear Evan Hansen is a huge hit on Broadway, so there's definitely a very invested audience ready to see the film adaptation. It's currently unclear how much the story will be altered for the movie, but the important beats of the musical seemingly play out throughout the course of this first trailer. We'll just have to see which musical numbers end up cut, and which ones get their life in movie form.

Ben Platt's voice was the only one heard singing throughout the trailer, but Dear Evan Hansen should give musical moments to the ensemble cast, especially Kaitlyn Dever and Julianne Moore. Dever's Zoe is the female protagonist, who gets some lovely vocal features throughout the course of the show. As for Moore's character Heidi Hansen, she's very much an emotional core of the story. And smart money says she'll be able to shed some signature tears throughout the course of the movie's mysterious runtime.

Dear Evan Hansen is currently set to arrive in theaters on September 24th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

The ongoing global health crisis brought the entertainment world to a screeching halt last spring. Various TV and film projects have since resumed filming, albeit with new health and safety protocols. Tony Award winning Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen is getting a film adaptation, with an all-star cast assembled to begin production. Booksmart and Last Man Standing's Kaitlyn Dever will be playing Zoe Murphy in the highly anticipated project, and recently shared what it's like working on the project in the midst of the pandemic.

The Dear Evan Hansen movie is being directed by Stephen Chbosky, who assembled a stellar cast to bring Pasek and Paul's stage musical to life on film. In addition to names like Juliana Moore, Kaitlyn Dever will be playing the title character's love interest in the upcoming movie musical. She recently spoke to that experience with all the new health protocols, saying:

Well, there you have it. It looks like Kaitlyn Dever and the cast of Dear Evan Hansen are on a strict lockdown as filming begins in both Los Angeles and Atlanta. Dever admits to isolating herself to keep the cast and crew safe, while everyone involved also rehearses with masks and undergoes regular COVID testing. That's moviemaking in the current climate, folks.

Kaitlyn Dever's comments to Variety help peel back the process on Dear Evan Hansen's movie adaptation. Filming in the midst of a pandemic is a tricky thing, which requires the cast and crew to alter the way they approach their jobs. This is simply the new normal, and it's exciting to see the TV and film industries getting back on the horse.

Later in her same interview, Kaitlyn Dever went on to explain why she's so happy about her Dear Evan Hansen role. Because despite having to work differently than any of her previous film sets, Dever will get to bring the beloved Broadway musical to film for the very first time. As the Unbelievable star went on to explain,

She's got a point. The cast and crew of Dear Evan Hansen have likely all been isolated for the past months, unable to work in the process. So returning to a set, even with new health precautions, is likely very energizing. Kaitlyn Dever certainly seems to think so, and it'll be interesting to see how this extra level of passion for the job translates when the movie finally hits theaters.

The Dear Evan Hansen movie will star The Politician actor Ben Platt in his Tony Award winning role as the title character. He's the only actor to be brought in from the original Broadway cast, with established film actors helping to flesh out the cast. In addition to Kaitlyn Dever Julianne Moore will be playing Evan's mother Heidi Hansen. Amy Adams will also return to the movie musical as Zoe's mother Cynthia Murphy.

CinemaBlend will keep you updated on all things Dear Evan Hansen as details become public. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next movie experience.

On the positive side of 2020’s shenanigans, we’ve been treated to loads of awesome reunions over Zoom throughout the year. Between the Parks and Recreation crew producing a brand new episode virtually and Josh Gad bringing a ton of famous casts back together, including The Goonies kids, there's been no shortage of memorable moments. Now, the nostalgia train has made a stop at Nancy Meyers’ Father of the Bride, which teamed with Netflix on Friday to broadcast a part 3(ish) to fans for a good cause.

Father of the Bride is one of those endearing comfort movies that just puts a smile on many of our faces when we think about it. Sometimes cheesy? Yes, but escaping to that world is a good headspace to be. Netflix replicated the effect of these movies with a cute 25-minute reunion featuring the entire Banks family from the original movies: Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, George Newburn. And of course, Martin Short’s Franck made an appearance, too! Check it out for yourself below:

Anyone else misty-eyed? That was adorable. The reunion, which was written and directed by Nancy Meyers, aired on Netflix’s YouTube channel to benefit World Central Kitchen, an organization providing meals to families during the COVID-19 pandemic. During Father of the Bride Part 3(ish), the Banks family got back together for a family Zoom chat. It led to a surprise in true Banks’ fashion and enlisted some perfect special guests to add to the family.

Black Widow’s Florence Pugh played the daughter of Steve Martin and Diane Keaton’s character. As fans will remember, Keaton’s Nina Banks gave birth at the same time as her daughter, Annie, in the 1995 sequel. Annie’s son was played by Dear Evan Hansen’s Ben Platt, who brought his Tony-winning voice to close out the Zoom wedding by singing The Way You Look Tonight.

The storyline revolved around the youngest Banks sibling, Matty -- played by Kieran Culkin -- who reveals to his family that he’d like to surprise his fiancé Rachel (X-Men’s Alexandra Shipp) with a Zoom wedding and forgo their plans for a big wedding in Tuscany for now. (And sidenote: after seeing Culkin in Succession, it was so strange seeing him play a nice guy.) Steve Martin’s George is obviously shocked and a little disapproving but, once the rest of his family gets on board, he decides to roll with it.

The best bit of casting done for the Father of the Bride Zoom wedding has to be Robert De Niro appearing as Rachel’s father. De Niro and Martin hinted at some awkward antics between them within a few minutes and, now, I’m wishing we could see this rival in-law relationship play out on the big screen. Of course, De Niro has done something of this sort in Meet the Parents, but adding him with Steve Martin in the mix? Perfect.

The Father of the Bride Zoom did get a little too into the COVID antics for my liking – I just imagine they live in a parallel world where pandemics can’t touch them, OK? But hey, it makes sense, they were brought together to help with COVID relief. Another sweet part of the reunion was George Banks' voiceover, which played over his son's marriage which was spliced with scenes from the original movies.

Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more movie and TV news.

Next to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton, one of Broadway’s recent hits has been Dear Evan Hansen, a musical about a teen with social anxiety who writes a personal letter that gets into the wrong hands. Since it debuted in 2016, the coming-of-age story has become a hot ticket, and Universal is currently developing it into a film written by the original writer Steven Levenson and directed by Perks of Being A Wallflower’s Stephen Chbosky.

The Dear Evan Hansen cast has been really shaping up. Check out what we know so far about who will star in the musical film:

Ben Platt

The lead of the film, playing Evan Hansen himself, will be Ben Platt, who played the role in the original Broadway cast and won a Tony for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical. Now at the age of 26, Platt has admitted he’s starting getting a little old to play a high school student, but it will be something special to see the actor behind the original cast recording to star in the film. Platt started out in movies in 2012’s Pitch Perfect and has since established himself as a recording artist and star of Netflix’s The Politician.

Amy Adams

A particularly exciting addition to the Dear Evan Hansen cast announced per Variety is Amy Adams. The Oscar-nominated actress will return to a musical role for the first time since 2011’s The Muppets and previously starred in Disney’s Enchanted as Giselle. Adams will play Cynthia Murphy, the wealthy mother of Evan Hansen’s crush Zoe as well as Connor, who has a key role in the storyline.

Kaitlyn Dever

Playing the daughter of Amy Adams’ character and Evan Hanson’s crush, Zoe, is Kaitlyn Dever, a 23-year-old actress who is coming off a massive year as the star of Olivia Wilde’s Booksmart and the Netflix hit Unbelievable. The actress is also well known for growing up on Last Man Standing as Tim Allen’s daughter, Eve. Evan’s relationship with Zoe is certainly a highlight to the musical, and we can’t wait to see Dever take on the role.

Colton Ryan

Playing the son of Amy Adam’s Cynthia and sister to Kaitlyn Dever’s Zoe is Colton Ryan, who also has roots in the Broadway musical. Colton Ryan was an understudy for the roles of Evan Hansen, Jared Kleinman and his role in the movie, Connor Murphy. Ryan has appeared in Homeland, 2019 comedy Adam and the AppleTV+ show Little Voice.

Amandla Stenberg

Amandla Stenberg has also recently joined the Dear Evan Hansen cast as Alana Beck, a shallow classmate Evan Hansen comes into contact with. She will reportedly have an expanded role in the movie that was not present in the Broadway musical. Stenberg got her start in The Hunger Games as Rue before growing up and starring in book adaptations for Everything, Everything, The Darkest Minds and The Hate U Give. The 21-year-old also starred in Netflix’s The Eddy earlier this year.

Danny Pino

Portraying the husband of Amy Adams’ character, Larry Murphy, will be actor Danny Pino. In another change from the Broadway play, Pino will be playing Zoe and Connor’s stepfather instead of biological father. The actor is best known for playing Scotty Valens on Cold Case, Nick Amaro on Law and Order: SVU from 2011 to 2015, Universal’s Gone series and Mayans M.C.

Nik Dodani

Evan’s closest friend in the play is Jared Kleinman, who will be played by Nik Dodani. The actor is best known for his role in Netflix’s comedies Atypical and Trinkets. He was also in a number of 2018 episodes of Murphy Brown and the 2019 thriller Escape Room. He got his start as a stand-up comedian and has performed his set on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

Julianne Moore

Julianne Moore filled the last principal role in Broadway’s Dear Evan Hansen, when it was reported the Oscar-winner would be playing the role of Evan’s mother, Heidi Hansen. The part originated by Rachel Bay Jones in the original 2016 run earned her a Tony win for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical, along with the musical nabbing Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score and Ben Platt’s win. Moore is the Still Alice and Far From Heaven award-winning actress, who will soon star with Amy Adams in Woman in the Window as well.

Isaac Powell

In the midst of the filming of Dear Evan Hansen, the movie has added a Broadway breakout star Isaac Powell to play the role of a high school jock named Rhys. The casting announcement will mark the actor’s first movie following his critically acclaimed work in the 2020 Broadway revival of West Side Story and previously being a part of the 2017 Broadway revival and Grammy-winning cast album of Once On This Island.

It’s an exciting cast being assembled for the upcoming musical. Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more updates on Dear Evan Hansen.

Movie musicals are a tried and true genre in filmmaking, which often results in critical attention. Countless Broadway shows have been adapted for the big screen over the years, including Chicago, Les Miserables, and the upcoming In the Heights movie. But one contemporary musical that fans are hoping to see on the big screen: Dear Evan Hansen. The show earned The Politician actor Ben Platt a Tony Award for Best Actor, but he recently admitted that the original Broadway cast might be getting too old for their roles.

Dear Evan Hansen is focused on the high school aged title character, who unknowingly gets himself involved in a lie regarding his classmate who killed himself. It's a deeply emotional story, but one that focuses on a number of high school students and their parents. Ben Platt is currently 26 years old, and recently admitted that the cast's age could prevent them from appearing in a movie adaptation. When addressing a Dear Evan Hansen movie, Platt got honest, saying:

Well, that was honest. It looks like the powers that be need to make Dear Evan Hansen into a musical sooner rather than later. At least if they're hoping to bring on original cast members like Ben Platt, Laura Dreyfuss, and Mike Faist. Because in his words, they're getting a bit "long in the tooth" to be playing high school students on the big screen.

It's not unusual for stage productions to cast adults as high school students, allowing for an adult with an open schedule to take on roles in projects like Mean Girls, The Prom, or Be More Chill. The cast of Dear Evan Hansen was no exception in this regard, with the actors playing teenagers in their mid to late twenties. But film is a different beast, especially in regards to suspension of disbelief.

Unfortunately, the film industry has come to a screeching halt, with films sets and movie theaters shut down amid global health concerns. As such, there doesn't seem to be any development for a Dear Evan Hansen movie to become a reality. And the clock is ticking, as the original cast continues to age with time. In fact, both Ben Platt and Laura Dreyfuss can be seen in Netflix's The Politician, with Season 2 taking them out of high school and into a real election.

CinemaBlend will keep you updated on all things Dear Evan Hansen as more details become public. Be sure to check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Ever since she left Last Man Standing, comedic actress Kaitlyn Dever has been in high demand. The actress starred in Netflix’s Unbelievable and we recently learned she’s putting together a brand new series called Monsterland. However, the latest report has her headlining an even bigger project – at least for the musical theater crowd. Kaitlyn Dever is currently in talks to star in Dear Evan Hansen. She’s not the only one either.

While Dear Evan Hansen’s official casting isn’t confirmed as of yet, the big screen adaptation could star both Kaitlyn Dever and Ben Platt. Platt actually starred in the stage version of the hit production and would be reprising his role as the titular Evan Hansen. If Dever were to sign on, the guess is that she would play Zoe Murphy.

Dear Evan Hansen is set in a high school in which the main character ends up connected to a character, Connor, who later commits suicide. Hansen is awkward and anxious, with few friends, and ends up fabricating a relationship with the deceased Connor in order to fit into his family, which includes his sister Zoe. The Broadway musical was a big smash success a few years ago and took home several Tony Awards.

The big screen version is expected to be directed by Stephen Chbosky and Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who created the musical, would be involved with music and lyrics. Steve Levenson, who was also involved in the musical, will write the script, per Deadline.

As for Kaitlyn Dever, the actress has been slowly shedding her teen persona on TV and film in recent years. In Booksmart her character heads off to college and in Last Man Standing she graduated from the Baxter home into the Air Force Academy. She’s 23 in real life, so it makes sense she wouldn’t be playing a high school aged student as often anymore.

Meanwhile, Ben Platt is now 26 and sort of aging out of high school roles as well, so we’ll have to wait and see if this casting happens exactly as it seems to be lining up at this point.

If it does move forward, Dear Evan Hansen would be the next in a wave of musicals heading to the big screen. There’s the Disney+ Hamilton taping – which is more of a live theatrical event. Then In The Heights is also being made into a movie and recently had to postpone its release due to global events.

As for Kaitlyn Dever, the actress still strives to pop up in Last Man Standing when she can and did appear in a few 2020 episodes of the longtime comedy. Meanwhile, she has the aforementioned Platform and Monsterland coming up and she also recently signed on with the guys who did The Peanut Butter Falcon, Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz, to star in The Wildest Animals in Griffith Park. That would be another half-hour sitcom about secretly living in LA’s famous park.

Spoilers ahead for Ben Platt's big episode of Songland Season 2 on NBC.

The second round of Songland has guaranteed that prirmetime isn't out of music-based competition TV despite The Voice, American Idol, and even The Bachelor: Listen To Your Heart already wrapping for the season. That said, Songland is a different kind of competition show, with performances happening without throngs of screaming fans, new winners being announced on a weekly basis, and the prize going to a writer rather than a performer. Songland arguably delivers the least glitz, glamor, and spectacle of any competition show, but it just officially became my favorite with Ben Platt's episode.

Ben Platt, who is only an Oscar away from becoming an EGOT-winner at the age of 26, dropped by Songland because he's looking for more of a pop feel for his next album. Already friends with Ester Dean from Pitch Perfect, Platt put his faith in the Songland team to find the writer who could create the perfect song for his new album. In the process, Songland did what Songland does best, and it was great. Admittedly, the fact that the Ben Platt episode won me over might be connected to my love of musicals and his turn as the lead of Dear Evan Hansen and songs from The Politician Season 1.

That said, I think the element from the Ben Platt episode that decided me on loving Songland was simply that Ben Platt is a huge fan of Songland. He was thrilled to be part of the show, and even confessed that he'd been listening to Songland songs on his drive to the set. His excitement was contagious, and watching Songland when the celebrity looking for a hit is a fan gave me a new perspective. And what Songland does so well is tell uplifting stories without getting sickly sweet or self-indulgent.

The writers who appear on Songland are clearly talented and capable professionals who put their hearts into their songs, not chosen for drama or spectacle or playing to a crowd. They're excited to have the chance to help a star find their next hit, and they're generally happy to receive and learn from constructive criticism. And the criticism is never mean-spirited, but intended to help the writers fine-tune their work for the industry. There are laughs, but the contestants aren't the punchlines. There is no Simon Cowell on Songland.

I also can't help but emotionally connect with the show when everybody is so sincere about what they're doing. The judges take notes, and everything is a collaboration. Honestly, I think everybody in the Ben Platt episode teared up at least once because of how much of a punch the songs packed, not because of melodrama or sabotage.

Is Songland the most thrilling competition TV show on the small screen? Definitely not, and The Voice fans' reactions to the Songland collaboration prove that it's not the show for everybody. But Songland makes me smile and gives me a look at the process behind how some of the biggest names in the music biz make their music. There's no stress in Songland, and even those whose songs aren't picked leave better off than they arrived.

The next episode of Songland Season 2 should be one to watch thanks to none other than R&B icon and Grammy-winner Usher dropping by for what could be his next hit. Tune in to NBC on Monday, June 15 at 10 p.m. ET for the next episode of Songland. For more viewing options, check out our 2020 summer premiere schedule.

The Politician Season 1 followed Payton Hobart’s high school campaign to become student body president. It was the first big step towards realizing his dream to one day become the president of the United States. The Season 1 finale ended with a time jump that saw Ben Platt’s Payton as a college student in New York City. The Politician will pick up with the time jump introduced in Season 1 and Platt revealed the Netflix series is set to get even raunchier in Season 2.

The Ryan Murphy-created series received a generally positive response in Season 1 and it sounds like Season 2 is ready to take things to the next level. Payton has left high school behind and has his eyes on a state senate incumbent position. The race will get heated and intense between Payton and Who’s the Boss? vet Judith Light’s Dede Standish, who’s up for re-election and thought it would be a breeze until Payton attempts to unseat her. Speaking with Variety (via Variety Live! on Instagram), Ben Platt revealed exactly what viewers should expect in The Politician Season 2. Here’s what he said:

The “raunchiness” probably stemmed from the fact that Payton and his friends were a few years older than they were in Season 1. Time jumps are tricky to accomplish on any show, but it sounds like The Politician’s decision to focus on a college-aged Payton will make for a more mature exploration of the character in Season 2. And now that Payton and co. are outside the confines of high school and involved in real-world politics, it should make things a lot more interesting.

Season 1 of The Politician premiered on Netflix last September. The series had a quick turnaround because it had already been given a second season order right out of the gate. And so, production on Season 2 began last November. Judith Light and Bette Midler joined the dark comedy series in Season 2 and will star alongside Ben Platt, Zoey Deutch, Lucy Boynton, and Gwyneth Paltrow.

The Politician Season 1 is currently available to stream on Netflix. Season 2 is scheduled to premiere on June 19. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates on the show. For more on what to watch in the coming months, be sure to check out our 2020 summer TV premiere guide.

Richard Linklater famously shot his 2014 film Boyhood, which was nominated for six Oscars, over the course of 12 years. The director’s latest film, Where’d You Go, Bernadette, is now playing in theaters but he’s already working on his next project. Taking a page from his Boyhood playbook, Richard Linklater has another highly ambitious, years-spanning movie on the way.

Collider has learned that Richard Linklater is directing a new multi-year movie that will be an adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s musical Merrily We Roll Along. As if Boyhood wasn’t ambitious enough, this film will be shot over a whopping 20 years. The film will star Pitch Perfect’s Ben Platt, Booksmart’s Beanie Feldstein, and American Animals’ Blake Jenner. Richard Linklater will produce the film alongside his longtime producer Ginger Sledge, as well as Jonathan Marc Sherman and Blumhouse’s Jason Blum.

Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along, which ran on Broadway for 44 previews and 16 performances in 1981, is itself based on a 1934 play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. The play and musical both take place over the course of 20 years and chronicle the lives of three best friends in showbusiness.

At the center of the story is a Broadway composer named Franklin Shepard, who abandons his career in New York, as well as all of his friends, in order to go produce movies in Hollywood. The musical begins with Frank having achieved Hollywood success and fame and the story then moves backwards in time, highlighting important moments in his life that led him to that point.

According to The New York Times, Richard Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some! collaborator Blake Jenner will play Franklin Shepard and Beanie Feldstein will play his best friend, theater critic Mary Flynn, with Ben Platt taking on the role of Charley Kringas, Frank’s lyricist.

Richard Linklater felt that the only way to do the story of Merrily We Roll Along justice was to shoot it over a time period that is true to the story itself. So Merrily We Roll Along will shoot periodically over 20 years to allow the cast to age. The film is being shot in reverse, as the end of the story, at least in the musical, finds the characters in their mid-20s. The first segment of the film has already been shot. So if the movie maintains the musical’s structure, the end of the film is already in the can.

This is an incredibly ambitious project for Richard Linklater and it dwarfs the 12-year Boyhood in terms of pure duration, eclipsing it by eight years. It’s pretty cool that there are filmmakers like Linklater trying stuff like this, especially in an time when technology would theoretically allow for him to just hire older actors and de-age them.

I would tell you the release date for Merrily We Roll Along, but there obviously isn’t one and well, we’ve got a ways to go before you have to worry about it. Merrily We Roll Along should hit theaters sometime in the 2040s I figure, planet pending of course.

If you don’t want to wait two decades to see your next movie, check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of what’s headed to theaters this year.

Post by Elizabeth Banks.

What better way to celebrate Independence Day and simultaneously remember that there's a Pitch Perfect sequel in the works than to watch two Pitch Perfect 2 stars sing a few lines from "America the Beautiful" a cappella-style? Pitch Perfect 2 director Elizabeth Banks was kind enough to drop the above video on her Facebook page today to wish us a happy (early) 4th of July from the set of the Pitch Perfect followup.

The video (via EW) features Pitch Perfect stars Skylar Astin and Ben Platt, who play college roomies Jesse and Benji in Pitch Perfect.

Those who remember the first film well enough know that Skylar Astin's character Jesse was welcomed with open (more or less) arms by the all-male college a cappella group The Treblemakers, while Benji was left off the roster after tryouts, leaving us to imagine him spending the duration of the semester doing magic tricks in his room. That was -- spoiler alert -- until Jesse brought him in to fill the vacancy left by Adam DeVine's character Bumper. Benji had his moment to shine during the Treblemaker's finale-medley...

What will Benji and Jesse be up to in the sequel? Does Benji still have the magic in him? More importantly, are things still happening for Jesse and Anna Kendrick's Beca? These are just some of the answers Pitch Perfect fans are eager to know as the film approaches. At this point, while we know that Universal plans on getting Pitch Perfect 2 into theaters next May, and much of the cast of the original film is confirmed to return, we're still waiting for updates on the plot of the film. As present, the only thing we've heard about the premise is that Beca (Kendrick) and Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) are in their senior year at Barden University, the college setting of the first film. This patriotic video is a fun way to remind us that the film is coming and more great a cappella music!

Directed by Elizabeth Banks, who's also producing, Pitch Perfect 2 will feature returners Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Ester Dean, Anna Camp, Alexis Knapp, Hana Mae Lee, Skylar Astin, Ben Platt and Adam DeVine. Also among the cast of the sequel are Katey Sagal and Hailee Steinfeld.