1 Attachment(s)
Queen's Gambit Broadway Musical In Development
The Queen’s Gambit, the smash-hit Netflix miniseries about fictional chess prodigy Beth Harmon, is being adapted as a stage musical. The show was one of the summer's most popular streaming series, featuring a tight cast led by Anya Taylor-Joy and including Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Harry Melling. The Queen’s Gambit was created by Scott Frank and Allan Scott and was based on the 1983 novel of the same name by author Walter Tevis.
Stories making the leap from the screen to the stage isn’t an uncommon phenomenon. In fact, Broadway’s recent history is primarily comprised of adaptations from other media – mostly books and film. Contemporary musicals like King Kong, Tootsie, Pretty Woman, Moulin Rouge, and Beetlejuice all took inspiration from different movies to varying success levels. Though Broadway has been closed for close to a year due to the covid-19 pandemic, theaters will hopefully reopen in various capacities as vaccinations continue.
Per Deadline, Level Forward has acquired the stage rights for The Queen’s Gambit and plans to adapt the story as a stage musical with Broadway ambitions. Previous Level Forward productions like Slave Play, Jagged Little Pill, and What The Constitution Means To Me have earned a total of 37 Tony Awards nominations. No production or creative team announcements have been made so far, and it will likely be some time before any casting takes place. Read the statement from Level Forward CEO Adrienne Becker and Producer Julia Dunetz below.
Quote:
“It is a privilege for Level Forward to lead the charge of bringing The Queen’s Gambit to the stage through the beloved and enduring craft of musical theater. Told through a brave and fresh point of view, audiences are already sharing in the friendship and fortitude of the story’s inspiring women who energize and sustain Beth Harmon’s journey and ultimate triumph. The story is a siren call amidst our contemporary struggles for gender and racial equity, and we’re looking forward to moving the project forward.”
Attachment 47461
Given The Queen’s Gambit’s emotionally-driven story, a relatively small cast of core characters, and a rich historical backdrop, it could be an excellent choice for the unique opportunities of the stage. The Netflix series was immensely popular because of Beth Harmon’s complex and riveting character arc. Hopefully, that nuance and power can translate to whoever ends up trying to fill Anya Taylor-Joy’s shoes. As live theater still largely remains closed for public health concerns, it’s somewhat encouraging at least to see glimpses of the new projects coming in the future.
The Queen’s Gambit won’t be the first major stage musical to pull from the Cold War era of Soviet chess dominance. The musical Chess, which premiered on Broadway in 1988, focuses on a Bobby Fischer-Esque American prodigy and his duels with the Russian grandmaster. Beth Harmon was also largely inspired by Fischer. It should be interesting to see how her story evolves on its way to the stage as The Queen’s Gambit’s musical adaptation develops.
