Christopher Ashley, who won a Tony Award for directing Come From Away, the critically acclaimed Broadway musical about travelers who find themselves stranded together in a small Newfoundland town during 9/11, will direct the film version of the property, according to Deadline.
As previously reported, the award-winning musical will be adapted as a feature film by the Mark Gordon Company. Husband-and-wife writing team of Irene Sankoff and David Hein, who were nominated for a Tony for Best Book of a Musical, will author the screenplay.
Directed by Ashley, with musical staging by two-time Tony Award nominee Kelly Devine and music supervision by Ian Eisendrath, Come From Away began performances on Broadway February 18, 2017, and officially opened to critical acclaim March 12 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.
READ: COME FROM AWAY AIMS TO HEAL HEARTS AND MINDS
MGC will finance the film and Entertainment One (eOne) will handle worldwide distribution on Come From Away.
Ashley, artistic director of the La Jolla Playhouse, was also Tony nominated for his direction of The Rocky Horror Show and Memphis. He is also the director of the Broadway-bound Escape to Margaritaville.
“Irene, David and Christopher created an experience that celebrates the triumph of humankind’s solidarity and compassion in the face of adversity – an experience that is equally breathtaking, inspiring and cathartic. We are proud to create a feature film adaptation to share with audiences around the world,” said Mark Gordon in an earlier statement.
“When we wrote Come From Away we wanted to honor what happened in Gander on the days following 9/11, and our greatest hope was that someday our musical would be performed in schools to share this remarkable true story,” added creators Sankoff and Hein. “The last year has felt like an amazing dream, with the show traveling across North America (including a stop in Gander) and continuing to play to standing-room-only audiences on Broadway. A film adaptation on gives us the chance to share this celebration of the best of humanity with audiences everywhere. We are happily overwhelmed that people want to see stories about people caring for others with incredible generosity and compassion.”
