The 'Desperate Housewives' creator is developing a modern-day retelling of Gaston Leroux's classic gothic novel.
- Oct 24, 2014
AceShowbiz - "Phantom of the Opera" is heading to television. "Desperate Housewives" creator Marc Cherry is developing a TV drama based on Gaston Leroux's French gothic novel, which was turned into a stage musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber in 1986.
This new take on the classic novel is described as a drama with musical elements, more like "Nashville" rather than "Glee". It is set in the sexy and cutthroat world of the modern-day music business.
Cherry and Samantha Wind, through their Cherry/Wind Productions banner, will executive produce the project which is in the works at ABC. The network has ordered the pilot script. Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner are on board as writers and executive producers.
"The Phantom of the Opera" stage musical earned Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical in 1986 and multiple Tony Awards, including for Best Musical and Best Original Score, in 1988.
It was adapted into a 2004 movie starring Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum. It received mixed reviews although audience enjoyed it. The Joel Schumacher-directed movie raked in $154.4 million worldwide.
