Thomas Kail to Direct FIDDLER ON THE ROOF Film Adaptation with Steven Levenson Writing the Script

Thomas Kail is set to direct a film adaptation of Fiddler On The Roof for MGM, according to Deadline! Steven Levenson will write the script for the Tony Award winning musical that opened on Broadway in 1964. Kail will produce with Dan Jinks and Aaron Harnick.

The musical was originally directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins and it features music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and book by Joseph Stein. Fiddler On The Roof won nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book and Best Score of a Musical, Best Director and Best Choreographer.

Kail spoke about the news saying, "It has been a life-long dream of mine to direct Fiddler, though I always imagined I would do it on stage. I am over-joyed to have the opportunity to make a new film version of my favorite show with Mike DeLuca at MGM, where so many transcendent musical movies have been made. I'm proud to partner with Dan Jinks, Aaron Harnick and my great pal, Steven Levenson, to honor this work that has profoundly inspired me and millions of others."

Levenson said, "Fiddler On The Roof was the first piece of theater I saw, at the age of five. Today, more than fifty years after it changed the face of Broadway forever, the story of Tevye and his beloved village of Anatevka feels more timely than ever. I am beyond grateful to Mike DeLuca and MGM, Dan Jinks, and Aaron Harnick for the opportunity to tell this unforgettable story of resilience and hope in the face of hopelessness, and I am delighted to be collaborating again with the inimitable Tommy Kail."

MGM Film Group Chairman Michael De Luca added, "MGM's nearly centuries-long legacy of great film musicals continues with the great Tommy Kail's new feature adaptation of one of Broadway's most enduring classics. Along with the formidable team of Dan, Aaron, and Steven, we are thrilled they have come aboard to steward one of the great musicals to the big screen. Added MGM Film Group President Pam Abdy: "All of us at MGM look forward to sharing this timeless cultural milestone with moviegoing audiences of every generation."

Kail is best known for directing the off-Broadway and Broadway collaborations with Lin-Manuel Miranda of In the Heights and Hamilton, Kail won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for Hamilton and he directed and produced the live capture film of Hamilton that will be released on Disney Plus this July. Kail also developed and produced FOSSE/VERDON on FX with Steven Levenson He also won Emmys for directing and producing Grease Live! for FOX.

Levenson won the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for Dear Evan Hansen and he won a Writers Guild Award and was Emmy nominated for writing and producing Fosse/Versdon. Levenson also wrote and produced MASTERS OF SEX for Showtime and wrote the script for Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tick, Tick... BOOM! film. He's adapting also adapting Dear Evan Hansen for director Stephen Chbosky.

Read the original story on Deadline.