FilmmakerRichard Linklater, whose ambitious 2014 filmBoyhoodspanned the course of 12 years and was nominated for six Oscars, is directing a new multi-year movie that will starBen PlattandBeanie Feldstein, multiple sources tell Collider.
Linklater’s longtime collaboratorGinger Sledgeis producing the ambitious project, and sources say thatJason Blumand his Blumhouse banner are also involved. The film is an adaptation ofStephen Sondheim’s acclaimed musicalMerrily We Roll Along, which itself was based on the 1934 play of the same name byGeorge S. KaufmanandMoss Hart. The play takes place over the course of 20 years, and sources say that Linklater plans to stay true to that timeline. Representatives for Linklater, Platt, Feldstein and Blumhouse did not respond to requests for comment.
Merrily We Roll Alongfollows Franklin Shepard, a talented Broadway composer who abandons his theater career in New York and all his friends to produce movies in Los Angeles. Like the play, the musical begins at the height of his Hollywood fame and moves backwards in time, showing snapshots of the most important moments in Frank’s life that shaped the man he is today. Feldstein will play Frank’s best friend, theater critic Mary Flynn. Sources say the film is being shot in reverse chronological order, as the play and musical end when the characters are in their mid-20s and just embarking on their entertainment careers.
Platt is the star of the hit Broadway musicalDear Evan HansenandRyan Murphy’s upcoming Netflix seriesThe Politician. He co-starred in the first twoPitch Perfectmovies, and he and Feldstein previously shared the screen inWhitney Cummings' indie comedyThe Female Brain.
Feldstein has enjoyed a steady rise on the big screen over the last several years. She started out as a scene-stealer inNeighbors 2: Sorority Risingbefore landing a breakout role inLady BirdasSaoirse Ronan’s best friend. Her force-of-nature turn inOlivia Wilde’s critically acclaimed comedyBooksmart, however, has taken her career to the next level, which has apparently led to this ambitious Linklater film.
Up next for Feldstein is the indie comedyHow to Build a Girl, which pairs her withEmma ThompsonandChris O’Dowd, as well as A24’sThe Humans, from power producerScott Rudin. Feldstein will star alongsideAmy Schumer,Steven YeunandRichard Jenkins. And as a fan of FX’sWhat We Do in the Shadows, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Feldstein also appears on that show, which as you might expect, is really funny.
Linklater personally earned three Oscar nominations for writing, directing and producingBoyhood, and he earned two more Oscar noms for co-writing entries in theBeforetrilogy withJulie DelpyandKim Krizan.His next film, an adaptation of the bestselling novelWhere’d You Go, Bernadette, hits theaters on Aug. 16, and starsCate Blanchett,Kristen Wiig,Judy Greer,Billy CrudupandLaurence Fishburne.
Linklater is represented by CAA and Cinetic Media, while Platt is repped by CAA, One Entertainment and attorney Michael A. Auerbach. Feldstein is repped by WME, Brillstein Entertainment Partners and attorney Daniel Passman.
