“Come From Away” will shoot a filmed version of the live Broadway show this spring.
Produced and financed by Entertainment One, the shoot will take place in May at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre and feature cast members from the Broadway production. Christopher Ashley, director of the Broadway production, will direct and RadicalMedia, which filmed “Hamilton” and David Byrne’s “American Utopia,” will shoot the film.
More than 222 people, which includes cast and crew members as well as film production crews, will be employed as part of the filming. Alchemy Production Group will work on stage production and general management. The film is set to be released in September 2021. A distribution platform has not yet been announced.
The filmed version of the show comes as “Come From Away” and all Broadway productions have been dark since March, 12, 2020. This is the second Broadway musical to shoot a filmed version of the show during the pandemic, following the filming of “Diana” in fall 2020. Ashley also served as director on that film.
Entertainment One, a subsidiary of toy and entertainment company Hasbro, acquired the rights to “Come From Away” in 2017, according to the press release. The acquisition was originally announced as a featured film adaptation of the musical to be produced and financed by the Mark Gordon Company and distributed by Entertainment One.
“’Come From Away’ is a triumphant story about the power of humanity in the face of incredible darkness,” said Nick Meyer, president of film at Entertainment One. “Now more than ever, we are eager to be able to create meaningful and uplifting content and are excited to partner with this outstanding creative team to share the story with audiences everywhere.”
Correction: A spokesperson for Entertainment One told Broadway News on Tuesday that the live capture would replace plans for a feature film. On Wednesday, the spokesperson said there is “not a firm answer on that.” The article has been updated.
