Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman's 1971 musical Follies will be adapted for the big screen, with director Dominic Cooke at the helm. Cooke received an Olivier Award nomination and won the Critic's Circle Theatre Award for directing a 2017 revival of the piece at London's National Theatre.
“Over the years, there have been many attempts to bring Follies to the screen, but not until Dominic Cooke’s brilliant production at the National Theatre of Great Britain did it seem like it could be a real movie. I’m more than delighted, I’m thrilled, that it’s finally going to happen,” said Sondheim.
The movie is a co-production between Harry Potter film franchise–producer Heyday Films and BBC Films after the two studioes secured film rights for the musical.
Set within a decaying theatre, Follies centers on a reunion of former follies girls who reunite to relive their past, and rehash old wounds and regrets. Sondheim's score, largely made up of pastiche numbers paying homage to the great pop composers of the early 20th century, includes such tunes as "I'm Still Here," "Broadway Baby," and "Losing My Mind."
Cooke's production at the National, the first fully staged major London production of Follies to present the original, one-act Broadway version of the show, won two 2018 Olivier Awards: Best Revival and Best Costumes (Vicki Mortimer).
READ: How NT Live Delivered a Follies Unlike Any Other We’ve Seen Before
