EBONY MCQUEEN Musical Film in the Works From Dave Stewart; Sharon D. Clarke to Star

Dave Stewart's musical journey will be coming to the screen.

Stewart, known for his work in the rock band Eurythmics, is penning the lyrics for new songs for a feature musical based on the early part of his life, according to Deadline.

The project, titled Ebony McQueen after his 2022 album, will feature music by composer A. R. Rahman alongside Stewart's lyrics, and will be directed by Shekhar Kapur.

The screenplay has also been written by Stewart, Lorne Campbell (former National Theatre of Wales artistic director), Selma Dimitrijević, and Peter Souter.

Set in Stewart’s hometown of Sunderland, UK, the musical film will feature British, South Asian, and American talent in period Northeast England. The film will be shot on location in Sunderland, which has recently been given the greenlight to build one of the biggest film studios in Europe.

Casting has already begun, with Tony Award nominee Sharon D. Clarke playing the title character. She is described as a "blues voodoo queen fantasy figure" who, in the film, encourages Stewart to pursue his career in music. Previously, the actress worked Stewart in Ghost: The Musical (who co-wrote the show), playing Oda Mae Brown. Breakout musical talent, Tom A. Smith is also set to appear.

Drawing inspiration from Stewart’s early life, the EBONY MCQUEEN musical feature is a semi-autobiographical journey into the Northeast of England as the cultural revolution of the late 60’s meets the social and economic challenges of the early 1970s. The film’s main character, Charlie McGarvey, dreams of being a pro footballer, but his hopes are shattered after a devastating injury. He soon discovers the transformative magic of creating music, which leads him on a journey that awakens the ability to fully pursue what he loves, despite the world falling apart around him. Additional casting is underway and the film is set to commence production in early 2025.

About Dave Stewart

With a career spanning four decades and over 100M album sales worldwide, award-winning singer, songwriter, musician, producer and Eurythmics co-founder Dave Stewart is among the most respected and accomplished talents in popular music history. Stewart co-wrote and produced each Eurythmics album in his world-famous duo with Annie Lennox.

Beyond his creative work as a musician, Stewart is a renowned film and TV producer (including NBC's hit songwriting competition series, Songland), author, photographer, public speaker, and entrepreneur. In 2010, Stewart established Dave Stewart Entertainment (DSE), a "media company for the new world" (The Los Angeles Times), linking creative ideas to a host of projects in music, film, television, books, theatre, and new media. As the creator of content for DSE, Stewart has married his passion for music, film, and television by creating a number of high-profile projects.

His musical theater projects include Barbarella, Ghost The Musical (which was nominated for 3 Tony Awards), and The Time Traveller's Wife. 

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos