U.S. Musical Adaptation of TRAIN MAN in the Works with Adam Shankman to Direct

It was announced today at Mipcom that a musical adaptation of "Train Man" is in the works in the U.S., according to Deadline. The hit Japanese series will be made into a musical for American audiences by "Everybody Loves Raymond" creator Phil Rosenthal and writer-executive producer Tucker Cawley. Adam Shankman (Hairspray) is set to direct and executive produce.

The project is headed by Vertigo Entertainment, Amuse Group US and Global Road Television, which will serve as the studio and international distributor. This adaptation is the first American remake by Fuji Television.

Known as "Densha Otoko" in Japan, "Train Man" inspired by the internationally renowned franchise of the same name, tells the profoundly relatable story of a shy, nerdy young man who, with encouragement from members of his online comic book chat group, attempts to overcome his reclusiveness and insecurity in order to start a relationship with a young woman.

Based on a true story, the tale of life altering love began in 2004 as a series of almost 30,000 posts on a Japanese bulletin board with each chapter detailing a separate mission that Train Man needed to complete in order to further his romance.

Shankman said, "I couldn't be more excited to be working with this fantastic team. Phil and Tucker have created some of the most hilarious and heartfelt work on television, and I cannot wait to work together on this project that so speaks to our collective hopes, dreams, successes and failures. The concept of 'Train Man,' his public and private faces, his fears and foibles, is so ripe for serialization and musicalization. This unique and massively popular world is fertile ground for original storytelling."

Read the original article on Deadline.