Stephen Chbosky To Direct Film Adaptation Of Broadway Hit, 'Dear Evan Hansen'

Image from Empire

By Darian Scalamoni

            With musicals or music-based dramas being the rave of the last couple of years (La La Land, Bohemian Rhapsody, A Star is Born), it seems that bringing more Broadway musicals to screen is a good money play. Universal is trying to throw their hat in the ring as they’ve acquired the movie rights to adapt the Tony Award-winning musical, Dear Evan Hansen, according to The Playlist.

            The report also states that Stephen Chbosky, the director of such films as Wonder and The Perks of Being a Wallflower will direct the feature. Dear Evan Hansen follows a young teenager with social anxiety that devises a plan to become closer to the family of one of his classmates who recently committed suicide. The musical stars Ben Platt, who has appeared on screen in Pitch Perfect and Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk but as of now, it’s unclear if he’ll reprise his role in the movie version. Platt earned a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his role on stage.

            As far as the music goes, the writers of the original collection of songs will be involved with the film along with Benj Pasek and Justin Paul who wrote songs for La La Land and The Greatest Showman. There is no release date set as of yet, but the anticipation is that Universal wants this film out in theaters as soon as possible.

            This Broadway musical sounds like the perfect one to adapt for the screen and with the main star being an actor who won an award for his performance in the lead role, I hope he reprises his role. Chbosky also did a terrific job with both of the previous movies he directed, so I think he’s got the perfect mind to adapt Dear Evan Hansen for all audiences.