Apple Original Films has boarded the previously announced filmed capture of Come From Away. As reported in February, members of the Broadway company (an exact cast to be confirmed) will reunite at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre in May to film the musical.
A premiere date and additional release details will be announced later. At the time of the initial announcement, producers Entertainment One said they intended for it to be released in September, which would mark the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks that serve as a catalyst for the musical about finding community amid tragedy.
Christopher Ashley will direct the filmed version, reprising his Tony-winning work. He was slated to helm a feature film adaptation for the Mark Gordon Company and Entertainment One, as first reported back in 2017, though those plans have since evolved with the absence of live performance.
Come From Away, written by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, tells the true story of 7,000 stranded air passengers during the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks, and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them. The ensemble cast take on a variety of roles, from passengers to locals to airline personnel.
The production features choreography by Kelly Devine and music supervision by Ian Eisendrath. The creative team also includes RadicalMedia, which will film the production, having previously worked on the captures of Hamilton for Disney+ and David Byrne’s American Utopia for HBO.
Sankoff and Hein serve as executive producers alongside Jon Kamen, Dave Sirulnick, and Meredith Bennett from RadicalMedia. Additional producers include Jennifer Todd, Bill Condon, Junkyard Dog Productions, and Mark Gordon, with Brittany Hapner as a co-producer.
Come From Away joined the new musical Diana in announcing a bow on the screen as theatre remained shuttered in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The latter will premiere on Netflix October 1, with plans to resume in-person performances in December.
The Olivier-winning West End production of Come From Away will return to London’s Phoenix Theatre beginning July 22. An Australian staging played Melbourne earlier this year, and a Swedish-language version opened in September 2020. No word yet on a reopening timeline for the Broadway production.