Sony to Do a Big Screen Adaptation of ‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical’
Sony Pictures announced it is making a movie adaptation of the Broadway musical, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and that the project will be produced by Playtone, the production company of Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman, along with Paul Blake, who is also the lead producer on the Broadway stage show.
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, tells the story of the early life and career of Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Carole King, using songs that she wrote, including those she did in collaboration with others like Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Phil Spector, among others. The original production of Beautiful made its world premiere at the Curran Theatre in on October 2013, with direction by Marc Bruni and choreography by Josh Prince, and starring Jessie Mueller as Carole King. It debuted in Broadway at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre on January 12, 2014. Ith has already been nominated for seven Tony Awards, winning two, including one for Jessie Mueller's performance as King. The stage musical comes with an accompanying book written by Douglas McGrath, who has also been attached to pen the screenplay for the Sony film adaptation project.
Sony's president of production Michael de Luca in a press statement [via The Hollywood Reporter] said: "Theatrical audiences both on Broadway and in the West End have responded to Beautiful, not only to relive Carole King's timeless classics, but to experience the ways they illustrate her triumphant and joyful life story. We're thrilled to be bringing this inspiring and powerful musical to movie audiences everywhere."
Among King's timeless classics are So Far Away, Chains, It Might as Well Rain Until September, Take Good Care of My Baby, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, Will You Love Me Tomorrow, I Feel The Earth Move, You've Got A Friend, Where You Lead (I Will Follow), and of course Beautiful. Neil Sedaka made Oh! Carol when he was dating King in high school in 1959. Later, King's ex-husband Gerry Goffin wrote a response Oh! Neil which King recorded and released.
The 1996 sleeper box office movie hit Grace of My Heart by Allison Anders was very loosely based on King's life. In the film, an aspiring singer sacrifices her own singing career to write hit songs that launch the careers of other singers.