Remember like a decade ago when Richard Linklater released Boyhood, an epic coming-of-age story that he had spent the previous 12 years filming? Well, at some point within the next 20 years, the director of classics like Dazed and Confused and the Midnight trilogy will come out with another decades-spanning drama, this time with the titled Merrily We Roll Along.
If this is the first you’re hearing about Linklater’s adaptation of a popular Broadway musical, worry not, because we have some details about the movie, what it’s about, and when we may finally get to see it (spoiler, it’s a long, long time from now). This is one we’ll be following, as will our kids and possibly grandchildren in the months, years, and even decades to come…
Merrily We Roll Along Tells The Story Of A Broadway Composer Who Abandons That World To Be A Hollywood Producer
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. The story started as. Broadway musical by late composer Stephen Sondheim.
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 decorated Boyhood.
We Probably Won't See Merrily We Roll Along Until 2040 At The Earliest
Typically we hear about movies a year, two years, or at tops, five years before they make their way onto the big screen, but that’s not the case for Merrily We Roll Along. As mentioned above, Richard Linklater’s movie was first announced back in 2019, and at the time, the director of movies like Slacker, Last Flag Flying, and Where'd You Go, Bernadette told the New York Times that he didn’t enter the “multiyear experience lightly,” and that he couldn’t think of a better way to spent the next 20 years of his life and career.
So, when exactly will Merrily We Roll Along open in theaters? Well, it’s hard to say right now, but if production takes 20 years to complete, we won’t see the movie until 2040 at the earliest. Though 2039 would technically be 20 years after the start of filming, post-production is going to add some time.
Merrily We Roll Along’s 20-Year Production Kicked Off In Summer 2019
Though we won’t 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.
Additional scenes are slated to be filmed at some point in late 2023, as actor Ben Platt revealed to Grammy.com ahead of the 2022 Grammy Awards. The Dear Evan Hansen star stated at the time that he was to go back and film another chunk of the movie “Holidays 2023,” which is right around the corner. That is, if the SAG-AFTRA strike has concluded or some agreement is worked out between the producers and SAG.
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 productions around the world over the course of the past 40 years, was based on George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart’s 1934 Broadway play of the same name, according to Playbill. A Broadway revival starring Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff, and Lindsay Mendez will run through March 2024 after a successful Off Broadway and West End production.
Paul Mescal, Ben Platt And Beanie Feldstein Lead The Film's 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, Ben Platt, and Beanie Feldstein will take on the roles of Frank Shepard, Charley Kringas, and Mary Flynn, respectively. The involvement of the latter two, as well as Blake Jenner, was first announced back in August 2019, but Above the Line reported in January 2023 that Mescal had taken over for Jenner after the Everybody Wants Some!! star departed from the decades-long project. Variety later reported that Mescal, who will appear in movies like Foe and All of Strangers later in 2023, as well as Ridley Scott’s Gladiator 2 in 2024, had already filmed a segment in the movie.
Production Was Impacted By The 2023 WGA And SAG Strikes
Though the WGA Strike seems to be coming to an end with Deadline reporting a tentative deal being struck between the two sides in September 2023, the SAG-AFTRA stoppage is still in effect at the time of this writing. That being said, movie and TV productions throughout Hollywood and around the world are still being affected by the ordeal, including Merrily We Go Along.
During a press conference at the Venice Film Festival in early September 2023, Richard Linklater (via ScreenDaily) who called himself a “proud union member” of a couple different guilds, said he wasn’t doing anything during the strike and that he would resume shooting “pretty soon if we can,” when asked about the status of his unprecedented project. How long until the cameras start rolling is anyone’s guess at this point.
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 rundown of the biggest upcoming 2024 movies.
