In the fall of next year, the first, fully authorized production of Harper Lee‘s To Kill a Mockingbird will open on Broadway. Legendary film and theatrical producer Scott Rudin (The Book of Mormon, Passion, Fences) has secured the rights to the 1960 novel and Broadway revival master Bartlett Sher (South Pacific, Fiddler on the Roof) will direct the new version. And while the idea of seeing Atticus Finch and Boo Radley on a New York stage is exciting, the fact that Aaron Sorkin is writing the play’s script is the most interesting bit of news about this upcoming production.
Sorkin—who, most recently, won the Golden Globe award for his Steve Jobs screenplay—got his start as a playwright (A Few Good Men, Making Movies), but is now best known for his rapid-paced, walk-and-talk dialogue as well as his headstrong male leads plastered all over film and television. The Academy Award–winner’s inclusion isn’t out of left field, though; Sorkin is reconnecting with Rudin on this project, who he worked with before on The Social Network and Steve Jobs.
Beyond the fact that this is the second (slightly controversial) project from Harper Lee in recent years, Rudin recently divulged that the Mockingbird play will feature completely new dialogue and scenes that were “only alluded to in the original novel,” which might make To Kill a Mockingbird fans nervous. There’s no specific time table or casting set for the production yet, but the team plans on having it up and ready for the 2017–2018 season.
(via Los Angeles Times)
