Jack Black Sets Sights on BERNIE Broadway Musical

According to The Wrap, Jack Black, star of such films as 'School of Rock' and 'The Holiday' has revealed that he would like to see his upcoming comedy BERNIE brought to the Great White Way. Commenting on his co-star Shirley MacLaine at a special screening of the film last night, the actor shared, “She liked my chopssss. Shirley has an idea that we could turn this into a real dark musical for Broadway." Improvising a sample tune for the show he crooned, “And she’s driving me insaaaaane!”

Black conceded that bringing BERNIE to Broadway would probably be a long and involved process. “The problem is, with the good Broadway musicals, it takes like five years of workshopping and writing, and who’s got that kind of time? I’d like to do it like next week, if possible! 2017?”

While the comedian's musical theater resume is limited to “a little ‘Pippin’ in high school” he has no trouble setting his sights on the Broadway stage. “Did you see ‘Book of Mormon’?" he asked the crowd at the Landmark Theater. "I’d love to do a really funny musical -- a rock opera if possible. Did you see ‘Pink Floyd The Wall’ --not the movie, but when Roger Waters did it live? I think that’s what I’d like to do. If I ever was able to write my magnum opus, it’d be a funny version of ‘Pink Floyd The Wall.’”

BERNIE, from 'School of Rock's Richard Linklater, is set to be released in theaters on April 27th.  Matthew McConaughey will join Black and MacLaine in the cast. Castle Rock and Mandalay Pictures are producing.

The comedy is based on a 1998 Texas Monthly article by Skip Hollandsworth, "Midnight in the Garden of East Texas," about Bernie Tiede and the Texas town of Carthage. The small-town undertaker Tiede (Black), had confessed in 1997 to murdering his companion, Marjorie Nugent, "the richest lady in town" (MacLaine).

More Articles by This Author...