The Queen’s Gambit musical currently in development

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

The Queen’s Gambit, the Walter Tevis novel recently adapted as the award-winning Netflix miniseries, could be making a move for the Broadway stage.

Reports indicate that Level Forward has the acquired theatrical stage rights to the story, which tells the tale of Beth Harmon, a prodigious introvert that discovers and masters the game of chess in 1960s USA.

“It is a privilege for Level Forward to lead the charge of bringing The Queen’s Gambit to the stage through the beloved and enduring craft of musical theater,” said Level Forward CEO Adrienne Becker and Producer Julia Dunetz in a statement. “Told through a brave and fresh point of view, audiences are already sharing in the friendship and fortitude of the story’s inspiring women who energize and sustain Beth Harmon’s journey and ultimate triumph. The story is a siren call amidst our contemporary struggles for gender and racial equity, and we’re looking forward to moving the project forward.”

While a creative team and casting were not announced, fans of Harmon's emotional journey can rest easy knowing the story is in great hands with Level Forward. To begin, the entertainment company has received a combined 37 Tony Award nominations. They're also behind such stage productions as What The Constitution Means To Me, Oklahoma!, Jagged Little Pill, and Slave Play.

Netflix's The Queen's Gambit is the streamer's most-watched scripted miniseries with over 62 million viewers in its first month. The show was recently awarded two Golden Globe Awards, two Critics' Choice Awards, and is responsible for a restored interest in the game of chess worldwide.

How do you think The Queen's Gambit will come off on the Broadway stage? In what clever way will the inner-workings of Beth's brilliant mind be represented? I can't wait to find out.