Level Forward, the production company that backed “Slave Play” and “Jagged Little Pill,” has acquired the theatrical stage rights to Walter Tevis’ novel “The Queen’s Gambit.”
The company plans to develop the novel, which was recently adapted into a popular Netflix series, into a musical. A timeline or creative team for the adaptation has not yet been announced.
“The Queens’ Gambit” follows an orphan named Beth Harmon and her rise as a chess whiz, against the backdrop of a male-dominated field and her own struggles with addiction.
Founded in 2018, Level Forward is a mission-driven company with a goal of establishing greater equity and opportunity in the film and theater industries. Its team members include Abigail Disney, co-founder of the company, as well as Broadway producer Eva Price.
“The story is a siren call amidst our contemporary struggles for gender and racial equity, and we’re looking forward to moving the project forward,” said Level Forward CEO Adrienne Becker and Producer Julia Dunetz.
