The movie musical adaptation of the Tony-winning Spamalot is moving to Paramount Pictures from Fox. In addition to the shift, producers hope to find a cast and start production by the end of the year.
Deadline reports the acquisition took place after Fox was folded into Disney and the project fell out of priority.
As previously announced, Casey Nicholaw, who choreographed the original production, will direct. As with the musical, Eric Idle has penned the screenplay with songs written by Idle and John DuPrez. Serving as producers are Idle and Dan Jinks with Jon Gonda, Meg Lewis, and Mike Ireland as executive producers for Paramount.
Inspired by the 1975 cult favorite Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Spamalot is the irreverent retelling of the Arthurian legend, featuring the Knights of the Round Table, a diva Lady of the Lake, and a God-given quest. The original Broadway production earned the Tony for Best Musical, plus additional wins for the late director Mike Nichols and Sara Ramirez for her performance as the Lady of the Lake.
Featured in the score are tunes originally heard in the Monty Python catalog, including “Knights of the Round Table” and “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.”
