The queen’s gambit, the novel by Walter Tevis recently adapted as the hit Netflix miniseries, could be headed to Broadway as a musical.
Entertainment company Level Forward has acquired the theatrical rights to the story of orphan-turned-chess prodigy Beth Harmon, and plans to develop the property into a musical.
“It is a privilege for Level Forward to lead the load of bringing The queen’s gambit to the stage through the beloved and enduring crafts of musical theater, ”Adrienne Becker, CEO of Level Forward, and producer Julia Dunetz said in a statement. “Told through a courageous and fresh perspective, audiences already share the friendship and courage of the inspiring women in history who energize and support Beth Harmon’s journey and ultimate triumph. The story is a siren call amid our contemporary struggles for gender and race, and we look forward to moving the project forward.
Details on a creative team and cast have not been announced.
Level Forward productions received a total of 37 Tony Award nominations. Notable stage work includes What the Constitution Means to Me, Oklahoma !, Little Serrated Pill and Slave game.
Published in 1983, The queen’s gambit depicts Beth’s journey from Kentucky to Paris to Moscow and beyond, chronicling the wonder’s struggle to overcome “a broken past and the demons of addiction, opposed to the practices and prejudices of a man-centered world “.
The Netflix adaptation, starring Anya Taylor-Joy, received two Golden Globe Awards, two Critics’ Choice Awards, and became Netflix’s most-watched scripted miniseries with over 62 million viewers in its first month. .
The stage deal was negotiated on behalf of the Tevis Family Trust by Susan Schulman of the Susan Schulman Literary Agency, New York and Rachel Gould on behalf of Level Forward.
