Some movies more than others are a natural fit for the Broadway stage. Writer/director Damien Chazelle’s La La Land is a strong example of a picture that seems born ready for such a transfer, with the powers that be at Lionsgate previously expressing excitement to do just that. After a little over six years, that possibility is getting closer, thanks to that Hollywood-inspired musical going from a current entertainment for those with a Netflix subscription to a full-fledged Broadway. But could Emma Stone reprise her role in the stage transfer?
Freshly announced through reporting by Deadline, La La Land’s stage musical incarnation has some old faces teaming up with new talent to make the jump. Composer Justin Hurwitz, as well as the film’s songwriting team of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, will be on hand to help handle the musical side of things.
Meanwhile, director Bartlett Sher and writers Ayad Akhtar and Matthew Decker are the newcomers who’ll help stage and craft Sebastian and Mia’s bittersweet love affair in this new incarnation. This isn't to be confused with the concert version of La La Land, which has been running roughly as long as the movie has been released into the wild. Instead, this is an all singing/dancing spectacle that'd bring the world of the movies into the realm of stagecraft.
Which leads to the potential of bringing Emma Stone back into the La La Land role she originated in the 2016 motion picture. It’s a project that’s still a vital part of her filmography, with Stone winning Best Actress at the 2017 Academy Awards as a result. With the original film’s producer Marc Platt also taking an active role in bringing Damian Chazelle’s vision to life once again, the connections would seem to run deep.
The greatest credit to Emma Stone's potential La La Land return is the fact that she made a pretty big splash when previously taking to the stage. Playing Sally Bowles in the 2014 Broadway production of Cabaret, Stone wowed crowds with her musical prowess in a role that has had its fair share of notable castings.
Applying those skills to one of the best Emma Stone performances on the books is something that absolutely fits. It’d also be an amazing draw for the opening run of La La Land’s upcoming Broadway musical. To have one of the original actors reprising their lead role is something that sounds like a sure-fire way of packing in seats for quite some time.
This idea has come up previously as Amanda Seyfried suggested a potential Mean Girls reunion through musical performances that would bring back the original cast. Maybe if La La Land sticks the landing with Emma Stone’s return, similar possibilities could be opened up for other stage productions based on hit movies.
We'll just have to wait and see how this new musical progresses, as at the moment we don't have any dates as to when we should workshops or out of town tryouts to take place. Not to mention, there's not even a rough idea of which Broadway season this show may be setting its sights on. That probably won't stop La La Land fans from eagerly awaiting its arrival, as they tend to be some of the sweetest, and most devoted, fools to dream.
If you want to relive La La Land, complete with Emma Stone's performance, you can catch the film at its current streaming home on Netflix. Also, don't forget to check out the 2023 new movie releases, as your next favorite movie is just waiting to be discovered.
