One of the most surreal experiences I had this summer was waiting for lottery rush tickets for The Book of Mormon outside the Eugene O’Neill Theatre. I legitimately believed I had a shot at being able to purchase one of the small number of lottery seats until the line outside the theater grew to what I estimate to be nearly two hundred people, each with the same hope I had. I wasn’t lucky that night — I took a train to Brooklyn and drank some beers instead — but as a huge South Park fan seeing The Book of Mormon remains on my “Must Do” list.
So it’s great news that if I never get to see the Broadway version of The Book of Mormon it’s not a big deal since Entertainment Weekly is reporting that The Book of Mormon and South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are planning to make a film version of the massively successful play. Of course, don’t hold your breath – a film adaptation done within a year or two would obviously cut into the profits of not only the Broadway show but the touring show once a production hits the road (which it will in August 2012). Keep in mind that the musical film adaptation of the Broadway musical The Producers — probably the most popular Broadway show prior to The Book of Mormon — came out four years after that show’s 2001 debut, so if Parker and Stone follow that model we won’t see a Book of Mormon movie until 2015. Parker confirms that’s the case, explaining “Hopefully it will have a big run and a big tour and then we can do the movie in several years.”
What The Book of Mormon has working for it is the movie experience that Parker and Stone already have along with their frequent movie producer, Scott Rudin, who also worked on The Book of Mormon. Stone adds, “The great thing is, a lot of Broadway teams would have to go team up with a Hollywood producer and bring on a Hollywood director, but Trey’s a director and Scott’s a great producer. We’ve all made movies. So it’s kind of cool, it can stay in the same family.” That actually is an advantage that most musical adaptations haven’t had, since most recent Broadway-to-film adaptations tend to compare unfavorably to the original stage production.
So I guess we have the first film announcement of… 2015? 2016? Either way, I’m sure I speak for a lot of folks when I wish Parker and Stone continued massive success with The Book of Mormon.
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