The all-singing, all-dancing Lin-Manuel Miranda is gearing up to take Netflix subscribers back to 1990 for his directorial debut! It's been announced that Miranda will helm TICK, TICK … BOOM! for Imagine Entertainment, a project that has Andrew Garfield in talks to star.
Billed as a film adaptation of the autobiographical musical by Jonathan Larson, the late playwright behind the timeless stage sensation Rent, TICK, TICK … BOOM! takes place in 1990, and tells the story of Jon, an aspiring theater composer who is waiting tables in New York City while writing Superbia, which he hopes will be the next great American musical and become his big break. Jon is also feeling pressure from his girlfriend, Susan, who is tired of continuing to put her life on hold for his career aspirations.
Meanwhile, Jon's best friend and roommate, Michael, has given up on his creative aspirations for a high-paying advertising job on Madison Avenue and is about to move out. As he approaches his 30th birthday, Jon is overcome with anxiety, wondering if his dream is worth the cost.
Tony Award-winning playwright and TV writer Steven Levenson will adapt the story for Miranda's version, which is set to be produced by Miranda, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Imagine's Julie Oh.
For the moment, Garfield has yet to strike a deal to star in the Netflix adaptation, though Miranda and his crew are hopeful that the BREATHE and SILENCE actor will join the effort.
Currently, Miranda is set to play Piragua Guy in director Jon M. Chu's musical drama IN THE HEIGHTS. With a screenplay penned by Marc Klein, the feature version of the crowd-pleasing Broadway musical tells the tale in which a bodega owner has mixed feelings about closing his store and retiring to the Dominican Republic after inheriting his grandmother's fortune. Filming for IN THE HEIGHTS is going down right now with the film expected for a June 26, 2020 release.