The award-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen is coming to the big screen via Universal Pictures. Variety reports that Wonder director Stephen Chbosky will serve as the director while Steve Levenson, who wrote the book for the stage musical, will pen the script.
There’s also reports that Booksmart’s Kaitlyn Dever is in talks for a starring role in the film. She will reportedly join Ben Platt, who originated the role on Broadway, as he is said to also be in talks with the studio.
The story of Dear Evan Hansen follows Evan, a high schooler with social anxiety. He unintentionally gets caught up in a lie after the family of a classmate who committed suicide mistakes one of Hansen’s letters for their son’s suicide note. If cast in the film, Dever will play the classmate’s sister, Zoe, who begins dating Hansen after he begins a relationship with the classmate’s family.
Marc Platt and Adam Siegel will produce the film adaptation. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, lyricists known for La La Land and The Greatest Showman, will serve as executive producers. Pasek and Paul wrote the music for the original show, but there’s no word if they will be adding new songs for the theatrical version.
The musical was nominated for nine Tony Awards and scored five, including best musical, best actor, best featured actress, and best score.
