Are you ready to "Party, Karamu, Fiesta, forever?" Well, we're going to get our chance with the sweet musical stylings of music legend Lionel Richie because Disney is developing a movie musical set to his extensive catalog.
The film is tentatively called ALL NIGHT LONG, named after one of Richie's many hit songs. Richie sold the pitch to the studio back in January and it's being developed with a theatrical release in the cards. Richie is already a part of Disney family as a judge on the Disney-owned reality singing competition series, American Idol.
Pete Chiarelli, the scribe behind CRAZY RICH ASIANS, is currently writing the script while Richie will produce with his manager, Bruce Eskowitz, as well as Dana Brunetti and Matt Del Piano of Calvary Media. From the sounds of it, this film will not be a musical biopic like BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY or ROCKETMAN because it won't be about Richie's life. It seems like they're going down the same route as the MAMMA MIA! movies that were inspired by the Broadway musical that used the songs of ABBA to drive its story.
Richie is a truly accomplished musical talent. He came into prominence as a member of the group The Commodores and they spawned the massive hit "Brick House", among others. Richie eventually went solo and became an even bigger star, selling over 100 million records worldwide and winning an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song for "Say You, Say Me" from the 1985 film WHITE NIGHTS. Richie is also a Grammy winner, taking home 1985's Song of the Year for "We Are the World", which he co-wrote with Michael Jackson. Richie is also known for other hits such as "Hello", "Dancing on the Ceiling", "Truly", "Endless Love" and "Three Times a Lady." In 2016, Richie was given the highest honor given by the Songwriters Hall of Fame thanks to his contribution to those timeless hits.
This is the kind of project I may not publicly express my enthusiasm about seeing and yet I'd probably be the first one in line to go check it out. Hard to pass up a good Lionel Richie tune! Are YOU interested in a musical centered around Richie's songs?