Richard Linklater Says Sondheim Was 'Extremely Generous' on MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Film

In a new interview with AV Club, director Richard Linklater touched on his forthcoming film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along and his relationship with the late composer as he began work on the film.

Linklater says "Sondheim was extremely generous. He read the idea and let us begin."

The movie, based on the musical that is currently on Broadway, follows three friends throughout their lives and careers. It is being shot every couple of years over the course of 20 years. The film adaptation was initially announced in 2019, two years before Sondheim's passing.

"I got a couple years there with Steve and got to know him a little bit. I was very grateful," Linklater said.

He recalled Sondheim as "so vibrant, razor-sharp. The wittiest, sharpest person you’d ever encounter. He claims that 'Opening Doors' is his one autobiographical song, so it’s clearly based on a young him and that generation. But it’s not specifically about him. We all have a little bit of distance."

Read the full interview HERE.

Merrily We Roll Along stars Beanie Feldstein and Ben Platt as Mary Flynn and Charley Kringas, respectively. Paul Mescal replaced Blake Jenner in the film, resulting in a reshooting of the final number "Our Time."

Merrily We Roll Along is the musical adaptation of George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart's play of the same name. The show centers around a trio of friends: Franklin Shepard, Charley Kringas, and Mary Flynn. The show begins in 1976 with Frank, who, having once been a talented composer of Broadway musicals, has now abandoned his friends and his songwriting career to become a producer of Hollywood movies.

The show's narrative then shows the events of the trio's lives in reverse chronological order, ending in 1957. The musical has a score by Stephen Sondheim and a book by George Furth, and the original production was directed by Harold Prince.

The current Broadway production stars Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe, and Lindsey Mendez, who were all nominated for Tony Awards for their performances. The production was nominated for 7 Tonys overall. It is playing at the Hudson Theatre through July 7, 2024.

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