The long-gestating comedy musical taps the 'John Carter' scribe to write the script and eyes the 'Mission Impossible' actor to play a lead role.
- Jul 28, 2015
AceShowbiz - Disney's long-in-development comedy movie "Bob: The Musical" seems to take a big step as it moves forward with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon attached to write the script, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Michel Hazanavicius, who helmed the Oscar-winning 2011 film "The Artist", is tapped as director while Tom Cruise is circling a lead role.
Cruise will play a character who is horrified to find that his life is turned into a musical after he suffers a head injury. Following the tragedy, he can hear the songs of everyone's heart.
Additionally, Bret McKenzie, one half of the Grammy Award-winning musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords, has been tapped to compose the songs for the musical comedy. McKenzie won an Oscar for best original song with "Man or Muppet", one of the soundtracks of "The Muppets".
Having been in development since 2004, "Bob: The Musical" has had some scribes working on the early script. They were Mike Bender ("Not Another Teen Movie"), John August ("Frankenweenie") and Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel ("City Slickers").
Chabon has previously colaborated with Disney on several projects. Now, he is busy working on the still-in-development remake of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and "Magic Kingdom". He has also worked on 2004's "Spider-Man 2"and 2012's "John Carter".
Produced by Chris Bender, J.C. Spink, Jake Weiner, Beau Flynn and Tripp Vinson, "Bob: The Musical" is expected to arrive in the U.S. in 2016.
