Merrily We Roll Along (film)

Merrily We Roll Along is an upcoming American musical film written and directed by Richard Linklater based on the 1981 stage musical of the same name by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth, which is in turn adapted from the 1934 play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. Jason Blum serves as a producer under his Blumhouse Productions banner.

Premise
Talented Broadway composer Franklin Shepard abandons his friends and career to become a Hollywood producer, told over the course of 20 years in reverse chronological order.

Cast

 * Paul Mescal as Franklin Shepard
 * Ben Platt as Charley Kringas
 * Beanie Feldstein as Mary Flynn

Additionally, Mallory Bechtel had been cast in an undisclosed role.

Production
On August 29, 2019, Blumhouse Productions acquired the rights to make a Merrily We Roll Along film, with Richard Linklater directing the film and producing along with Ginger Sledge, Jason Blum, and Jonathan Marc Sherman. Ben Platt, Beanie Feldstein and Blake Jenner were cast to star in the film. Production on the film was announced to commence every couple of years to reflect the characters age over 20 years, similar to how Boyhood (also written and directed by Linklater) was shot over 12 years. The film is based on the latest version of Furth's book, which was adapted by Linklater into the film's screenplay.

Jenner exited the film in late 2019 (following the filming of the "Our Time" sequence) following allegations of domestic abuse made by his ex-wife Melissa Benoist. Paul Mescal took over the role of Franklin Shepard proceeding forward, and the sequence was reshot. Principal photography and the casting of supporting roles were suspended from August 2023 to November 8, 2023 due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes and have now resumed since the strikes have ended. In February 2024, Mallory Bechtel was cast in an undisclosed role.