Broadway Musical JEKYLL & HYDE to Receive Film Adaptation

It's just been announced that two-time Academy Award® winner Leslie Bricusse and Emmy, Grammy and Tony nominated composer Frank Wildhorn's Broadway musical Jekyll and Hyde is being reimagined for the big screen by Academy Award winner Alexander Dinelaris (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), The Revenant). Dinelaris has penned the script and will produce under his New York based development company, Lexicon. Jekyll & Hyde marks the first production under the Lexicon banner, which was created alongside partner Rob Quadrino as a home for exceptional writers, which supports, mentors and protects their stories, from conception through production in film, TV or stage.

Lexicon has inked a first-look deal with Richard Saperstein's Bluestone Entertainment. This first project under the deal which will see Bluestone's Saperstein producing Jekyll and Hyde alongside Lexicon's Dinelaris and Quadrino, and Fezziwig Studios' Dan Angel, Brian Gott, and Marc Iannarino. Phil Kim and David Segel will serve as executive producers.

Jekyll and Hyde debuted on Broadway in 1997 and spent the next 20 years playing across four continents, in 28 countries, and grossing close to a billion dollars. The acclaimed musical follows the journey of Dr. Jekyll as he wrestles with his alter ego, Mr. Hyde, in an epic battle between good and evil.

Dinelaris said, "Bringing the gritty potential of Leslie and Frank's stirring gothic musical to the big screen made Jekyll & Hyde the perfect project to launch Lexicon, which is focused on character driven, muscular storytelling."

In a joint statement, Bricusse and Wildhorn commented: "After 30 years of our stage productions playing successfully in almost every major country in the world, we are absolutely thrilled to see our musical version of Jekyll and Hyde becoming a major motion picture."

Dinelaris and Wildhorn will also be hosting an exclusive evening launching the stage-to-screen adaptation of Jekyll & Hyde on March 21st in New York, featuring performances by Broadway performers including Deborah Cox, Laura Osnes, Matthew James Thomas and Bonnie Milligan.

Dinelaris previously won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and the Golden Globe for Best Screenplay,Motion Picture for his film Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) starring Michael Keaton. He also co-produced the three-time Academy Award winning film The Revenant starring Leonardo DiCaprio and wrote the Tony nominated hit Broadway musical On Your Feet! based on the life and music of Emilio and Gloria Estefan.

Photo Credit: Chris Bennion