VIDEO: Steven Levenson Talks TICK, TICK...BOOM! Movie on Backstage with Richard Ridge

After over three decades since its inception and two since its premiere off-Broadway, tick, tick...BOOM! has finally found its way to the big screen. The autobiographical musical by Jonathan Larson arrives in movie theaters today, November 12, ahead of its release next week on Netflix. One of the the artists who made it happen was screenwriter (and Tony winner) Steven Levenson.

"The thing that I love more than anything about tick, tick...BOOM! is that most stories of artists are stories of triumphs. There are obstacles along the way, but in the end, an incredible achievement is reached.," explained Levenson in a recent interview with BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge. "tick, tick...BOOM! is the story of a failure; a story of a heartbreak. Superbia, is a musical that Jonathan [Larson] worked on for eight years that ultimately went nowhere. To me, that's the truest story you can tell about an artist. If you read any biography of an artist, what I'm struck by is all of the projects that never happened."

In tick, tick... BOOM!, Andrew Garfield plays Jon, a young theater composer who's waiting tables at a New York City diner in 1990 while writing what he hopes will be the next great American musical. Days before he's due to showcase his work in a make-or-break performance, Jon is feeling the pressure from everywhere: from his girlfriend Susan (Alexandra Shipp), who dreams of an artistic life beyond New York City; from his friend Michael (Robin de Jesús), who has moved on from his dream to a life of financial security; amidst an artistic community being ravaged by the AIDS epidemic. With the clock ticking, Jon is at a crossroads and faces the question everyone must reckon with: What are we meant to do with the time we have?

"I hope that audiences feel what I feel in watching the film and hearing the story- inspired to make something of their own; to create something of their own; to follow their dreams. As cheesy as it sounds! It's a cliche for a reason."

Watch as Levenson chats more about developing the musical for the screen in the full interview below!