Broadway’s “Merrily We Roll Along,” Starring Daniel Radcliffe, to Be Released in Theaters
Harry Potter’s Daniel Radcliffe is returning to the big screen, this time through a powerful performance captured from the stage. Merrily We Roll Along – which he starred in alongside Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez and which ran at the Hudson Theatre in New York from October 2023 through July 2024 – is set for theatrical release.
Sony Pictures Classics has acquired the rights to the filmed version of the musical, which earned critical acclaim, taking home four Tony awards including Daniel Radcliffe’s Tony for his portrayal of Charley Kringas.
Lindsay Mendez, Jonathan Groff, and Daniel Radcliffe in “Merrily We Roll Along” (Credit: Matthew Murphy)
The film is produced by Sonia Friedman, David Babani, Patrick Catullo, F. Richard Pappas, Jon Kamen, and Dave Sirulnick. Friedman discussed how the filmed version of Merrily will allow many more people to be able to witness the magical of the production.
Sony Pictures Classics is the perfect home for our film. From the very beginning, they felt what we felt – that ‘Merrily We Roll Along’ is, at its core, a universal story about friendship: how it changes, how it lasts, and how it shapes who we become. This isn’t just a stage production captured on film – it’s something more intimate. The camera lets us see every flicker of feeling, every quiet shift, in a way that brings audiences closer than ever.
The original production closed abruptly after only 16 performances following its release in 1981. The Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s musical was directed by Maria Friedman and received critical acclaim due to its focus on and portrayal of the three main characters.
The musical tells the story of three friends, Franklin (Groff), Charley (Radcliffe), and Mary (Mendez), but it moves in reverse chronological order, with audiences starting with the characters as disillusioned adults and then taken back in time, ending with their hopeful beginnings as college students dreaming of changing the world.
Apparently, a feature film adaptation is also in the works, set to star Paul Mescal (Gladiator II), Ben Platt (Pitch Perfect), and Beanie Feldstein (Drive-Away Dolls), and will be directed by Richard Linklater and shot over the course of 20 years. Linklater famously shot the award-winning film Boyhood over 12 years.
A date is yet to be announced for Merrily We Roll Along’s theatrical release – we’ll keep you updated with further announcements.
