‘Dear Evan Hansen’ Movie in the Works at Universal

Dear Evan Hansen — the Tony-winning musical that took Broadway by storm last season — is on its way to the big screen. 

Universal has acquired film rights to the musical, and Stephen Chbosky, helmer of the family film Wonder, is in early negotiations to direct. 

Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the duo behind the music for Fox’s The Greatest Showman and who won an Oscar for their song “City of Stars” from La La Land, wrote the music and lyrics.

Dear Evan Hansen tackles adolescent mental illness, following a high schooler plagued with social anxiety who uses his classmate’s suicide for his own emotional gain. Stars Ben Platt and Rachel Bay Jones earned Tony Awards for their performances. Steven Levenson, the original author of Dear Evan Hansen, will adapt the story for the screen.

The Broadway production opened at the Music Box Theatre in December 2016 and has been playing to capacity houses ever since, grossing $159.5 million to date. A national touring production that recently played Los Angeles has also been doing sellout business.

Marc Platt and Adam Siegel are producing the film adaptation through Marc Platt Productions, while Pasek, Levenson and Paul will executive produce.

Chbosky is repped by WME and Hansen Jacobson. Pasek and Paul are repped by CAA, Kraft-Engel Management and Schreck Rose.

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