At some point in the distant future, Richard Linklater will add to his impressive body of work with Merrily We Roll Along, an ambitious project that’ll make Boyhood, his ambitious 2014 Texas-set epic filmed over the course of 12 years, look like a standard production. The decades-spanning adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical of the same name, which will be filmed over two decades, sounds like it could be one of the most unique cinematic experiences in some time, and we all have reason to be excited.
If this is the first you’re hearing about this highly anticipated adaptation, worry not, because we’re about to break down everything we know about the project so far. And while we don’t yet know the Merrily We Roll Along release date or even a window for its debut, we do know who’ll be leading the massive project, what it’s about, and how we may get to see the most recent Broadway revival of the timeless and cherished stage production.
What Is The Merrily We Roll Along Release Date?
Unless someone built a time machine, went far into the future, found a copy of Merrily We Roll Along, and brought it back to right now, there’s no way we’re going to see the upcoming Richard Linklater project on the 2024 movie schedule. As of the time of this writing, no one involved with the ambitious musical has said when it will come out, and there’s a good chance no one knows because it’s going to be in production for at least another decade-and-a-half.
What Is Merrily We Roll Along About?
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.
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 Oscar-worthy Boyhood.
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 stage productions around the world over the past 40 years, was based on George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart’s 1934 Broadway play of the same name, according to Playbill. The show was brought back for a Broadway revival in 2023 and went on to win multiple Tony Awards the following year, including Best Revival of a Musical, Best Actor in a Musical (Jonathan Groff), Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Daniel Radcliffe), and Best Orchestrations.
The Merrily We Roll Along 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 as Franklin Shepard
In January 2023, Variety reported that Paul Mescal would be taking on the lead role of Franklin Shepard after the Aftersun and All of Us Strangers actor replaced Blake Jenner, who was previously cast to play the Broadway composer. Though Merrily We Roll Along is many years away, we’ll soon see Mescal in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II and Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet book adaptation.
Ben Platt as Charley Kringas
According to the same report, Ben Platt will be taking on the role of Charley Kringas, Franklin Shepard’s creative partner and lyricist. Platt, no stranger to Broadway productions and film adaptations of famous plays, has appeared in everything from Dear Evan Hansen (both the stage and film versions), The People We Hate at the Wedding, and Theater Camp to name a few.
Beanie Feldstein as Mary Flynn
Beanie Feldstein, best known for movies like Lady Bird and Booksmart, will be taking on the role of Mary Flynn, Franklin and Charley’s longtime friend and theater critic Feldstein previously worked on Broadway productions like Hello, Dolly! and Funny Girl.
Mallory Bechtel
In February 2024, Deadline reported that Mallory Bechtel had joined the Merrily We Roll Along cast, though her role has not yet been revealed. Bechtel made her Broadway debut in 2018 after landing the role of Zoe Murphy in Dear Evan Hansen. She has since gone on to appear in everything from Hereditary to Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin.
Merrily We Roll Along’s Production Kicked Off In Summer 2019
Though we won’t likely 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.
Like countless other movie and TV projects, Merrily We Roll Along was impacted by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in mid-to-late 2023. Shortly before the strikes ended, Richard Linklater spoke at the Venice Film Festival premiere (via ScreenDaily) of Hit Man where he said he and his team would start up “pretty soon, if we can” after the work stoppage came to an end. However, it’s not known if production resumed by the end of the year.
The Tony Award-Winning Merrily We Roll Along Revival Was Filmed In Summer 2024
Though it’s going to be at least another decade-and-a-half before we get to see Richard Linklater’s film adaptation of Merrily We Roll Along, we may get to see a version of the Broadway musical without having to travel to New York City much, much sooner.
In June 2024, Deadline reported that the Tony Award-Winning Merrily We Roll Along was being filmed by RadicalMedia, the company that produced the Hamilton movie for Disney+ back in 2020. At the time, a production insider told the outlet that the production was being filmed for “posterity,” which is something the source said “doesn’t happen very often.” It’s hard to say if it will be released in theaters or end up on one of the best streaming services, but we should know well before 2039.
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 our rundown of the biggest upcoming 2025 movies.
