They've gotten the green light. Kimberly Belflower's hit play John Proctor is the Villain is about to get the big screen treatment. The Hollywood Reporter has announced that writer-producer Tina Fey (Mean Girls) and producer Marc Platt (Purpose) has signed on to produce a John Proctor is the Villain film, for Universal.
Sadie Sink, who was instrumental in the play getting to Broadway (and who starred in it and received a 2025 Tony nomination), will executive produce. Sink recently departed the production, which is still running at the Booth Theatre through August 31—she was succeeded by Chiara Aurelia.
Belflower, who made her Broadway debut with John Proctor, will pen the film script. The play is set in a Georgia high school, where a group of teenagers are studying The Crucible. When a #MeToo scandal breaks out at their school, it forces the girls in the classroom to reevaluate what they've been taught, and leads to some feminist awakenings.
The play has been a surprise hit on Broadway. Performances began March 20 and opened April 14, and it has since been extended twice. The play was nominated for seven 2025 Tony Awards, including Best Play, Direction of a Play, Lighting Design of a Play, Sound Design of a Play, and three performance categories, including Leading Actress in a Play for Sink, Featured Actor in a Play for Gabriel Ebert, and Featured Actress in a Play for Fina Strazza.
The cast also includes Nihar Duvvuri (Romeo + Juliet) as Mason Adams, Tony winner and 2025 Tony nominee Ebert (Matilda) as Carter Smith, Molly Griggs (Hello, Dolly!) as Bailey Gallagher, Maggie Kuntz (The Outsiders) as Ivy Watkins, Hagan Oliveras (Our Town) as Lee Turner, Morgan Scott (Jaja’s African Hair Braiding) as Nell Shaw, 2025 Tony nominee Strazza (Matilda) as Beth Powell, and Amalia Yoo (No Hard Feelings) as Raelynn Nix.
The production understudies are Noah Pacht, Fiona Robberson, Shian Tomlinson, Garrett Young, and Victoria Vourkoutiotis.
READ: How To Get $29 Tickets to John Proctor is the Villain
The work was commissioned by The Farm Theater in 2017. Following workshops at Farm Theater and Ojai Playwrights Conference, the play premiered at Centre College in 2018, and has since been produced at Furman University, Rollins College, Washington D.C.'s Studio Theatre, and Boston's Huntington.
Taymor's creative team includes scenic designer AMP featuring Teresa Williams, costume designer Sarah Laux, lighting designer Natasha Katz, sound designer Palmer Hefferan, projection designer Hannah Wasileski, movement director Tilly Evans-Krueger, hair, wig and make-up designer J. Jared Janas, and intimacy coordinator Ann James. Gigi Buffington serves as voice and dialect coach. Casting is by Taylor Williams.
Sue Wagner, John Johnson, John Mara Jr., Runyonland, and Eric Falkenstein are producing the Broadway bow.
Visit JohnProctoristheVillainPlay.com.
Amalia Yoo and Chiara Aurelia in John Proctor is the Villain
Chiara Aurelia and Amalia Yoo in John Proctor is the Villain
Chiara Aurelia and Amalia Yoo in John Proctor is the Villain
Chiara Aurelia in John Proctor is the Villain
Chiara Aurelia in John Proctor is the Villain
Fina Strazza, Gabriel Ebert and Chiara Aurelia in John Proctor is the Villain
