Jake Gyllenhaal is giving us a film adaption of Tony award-winning musical Fun Home.
Initially, Fun Home was a best-selling graphic novel by artist Alison Bechdel (the same Alison Bechdel who coined the Bechdel test). The autobiographical story followed Bechdel through several stages of her life. As a child living in a funeral home, as a teenager discovering her sexuality, and as a full-fledged adult emphasizing with her late father (who was also gay).
Eventually, the story was so celebrated that it was adapted into a musical by Lisa Kron and Jenine Tesori. That musical eventually went to Broadway and became the Tony Winner for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Leading Actor in a Musical, and Best Direction of a Musical. And now, that musical is setting a path for the big screen.
According to Broadway Direct, Gyllenhaal will star in the film version of Fun Home. Gyllenhaal will play Bruce Bechdel, Alison’s father. In addition, Gyllenhaal will produce the movie through his production company Nine Stories Productions. Plus, Tony-winning director Sam Gold will return to the story as the film’s director.
This won’t be the first time that Jake Gyllenhaal has acted in a musical. In fact, he has stage show credits to his name. Gyllenhaal performed in a concert version of Little Shop of Horrors in 2015 at New York’s City Center. In addition, he performed on Broadway in Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Sunday in the Park with George. As for his producing credits, Gyllenhaal helped to produce Broadway’s recent Slave Play and is producing the upcoming Caroline, or Change.
Sources: Broadway Direct
