AceShowbiz - Lin-Manuel Miranda is preparing to return behind the camera with a new film project following his successful directorial debut. The celebrated Broadway creator, known for writing and starring in the stage hits Hamilton and In the Heights, made his feature directorial debut with 2021’s Tick, Tick... Boom!. This film, adapted from Jonathan Larson’s semi-autobiographical musical and starring Andrew Garfield, earned critical acclaim with a Certified Fresh score of 87% on Rotten Tomatoes and received two Oscar nominations for Best Editing and Best Actor.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lin-Manuel Miranda is set to direct the movie adaptation of the 2019 musical Octet, created by Dave Malloy. This upcoming film will mark Miranda’s sophomore directorial effort. The musical, performed entirely a cappella, explores themes of internet addiction through the story of a support group meeting in a church basement.

Dave Malloy, who composed the original score, will write the screenplay for the film and also serve as an executive producer alongside Diana DiMenna and 5000 Broadway Productions' Johnny Holland and Owen Panettieri. Additional producers include Luis A. Miranda, Jr., 5000 Broadway Productions' Julie Oh, and John Skidmore of Best Kept Secret Productions.

Lin-Manuel Miranda expressed his enthusiasm for the project, stating, "I haven't stopped thinking about Octet since I saw Annie Tippe’s premiere production in November of 2019. Dave Malloy’s score is versatile, brilliant and grows more relevant with each passing year. It won’t leave me alone, so here we are."

Dave Malloy also shared his excitement about the collaboration, saying, "I am over the moon that Lin-Manuel is turning Octet into a movie! I was utterly gobsmacked by his work on tick, tick...Boom!, and feel so honored to have such a beacon of the musical theater world bring this piece into a new life. As a brilliant storyteller, fellow internet junkie, and dear friend, I know he's going to make something amazing. And our cast is completely ridiculous."

While no official casting announcements have been made yet, Malloy’s comments suggest that several key cast members are already attached to the project. It is possible that some original Off-Broadway cast members may return, including Margo Seibert (known for Elementary) and Kuhoo Verma (star of Plan B and Murder Mystery 2). Later productions featured actors such as Damien Atkins (The Vampire Lestat) and Ben Carlson (On the Basis of Sex), who could also potentially be involved.

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s choice to direct Octet continues a trend in his filmmaking career of supporting other Broadway creators’ works rather than adapting his own stage productions. Though he made a cameo in the 2021 film adaptation of In the Heights, directed by Jon M. Chu, he did not reprise his role as the lead character Usnavi De La Vega.

This new project highlights Miranda’s commitment to uplifting musicals by other creators through his directorial efforts. His previous film, Tick, Tick... Boom!, showcased his ability to bring stage musicals to the screen with critical success, backed by a star-studded cast including Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp, Vanessa Hudgens, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Judith Light, Bradley Whitford, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Adam Pascal, Bebe Neuwirth, Joel Grey, Phylicia Rashad, Renée Elise Goldsberry, and Bernadette Peters.

Given Miranda’s extensive connections with top performers in both theater and film, the cast assembled for Octet may significantly contribute to the film’s success. Fans and critics alike will be watching closely to see if this follow-up to Tick, Tick... Boom! achieves similar acclaim and awards recognition.

As of now, production details such as release dates and full casting remain under wraps, but the anticipation for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s next directorial project is building among the musical theater and film communities alike.