The Queen's Gambit could be on its way to Broadway.
Walter Tevis' 1983 novel turned Netflix series is getting a stage musical adaptation from entertainment company Level Forward, as reported by Deadine. “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. “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.”
Developed by Scott Frank and Allan Scott, The Queen's Gambit TV series stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth Harmon, a brilliant chess player who struggles to overcome “a broken past and the demons of addiction" while battling her way to the top of the "male-centered world" of competitive chess in the 1950s and '60s. The show was a big hit for Netflix, earning positive reviews and drawing more than 62 million viewers, making it the streaming giant's most-watched limited series ever. In addition, it recently won the Golden Globe for Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, along with a second Globe for Taylor-Joy's performance.
Despite the show's success, there are currently no official plans to continue The Queen's Gambit for a second season. When asked, Taylor-Joy confirmed "there was no discussion" about Season 2 during production but avoided ruling out the possibility down the line. She even pitched her own idea for what the second season would cover, saying "It would be very interesting to see how Beth would be as a mother, now that she’s sober and more cognizant of the demons that pull her down."
Later this year, Taylor-Joy will star in Edgar Wright's Last Night in Soho, a horror/thriller delayed from its original 2020 release date by the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. She is also attached to play a younger Furiosa in George Miller's upcoming Mad Max: Fury Road prequel of the same name.
The Queen's Gambit stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Isla Johnson, Bill Camp, Moses Ingram, Christiane Seidel, Rebecca Root, Chloe Pirrie, Akemnji Ndifornyn, Marielle Heller, Harry Melling, Patrick Kennedy, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Marcin Dorocinski. The series is now streaming on Netflix.
Source: Deadline