Richard Linklater returns to collaborate with the fetish actor Ethan Hawke to tell the story of the composer duo Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, famous authors of musicals in the 1930s and 1940s.
After the Venetian preview, his irresistible black comedy Hit Man – Accidental Killer is preparing to arrive in Italian cinemas starting from June 27th, but the activity of Richard Linklater it doesn’t stop. the indie director is already focused on the new project, the musical biopic Blue Moonwhich will once again involve his fetish actor Ethan Hawke.
As anticipated Deadline the film, which borrows its title from the famous ballad written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart in 1934, follows Hart’s attempt to save face as he celebrates his former partner Rodgers’ huge success on the night of his musical’s Broadway debut Oklahoma!.
The screenplay by Blue Moon it is signed by Robert Kaplow, co-writer of Linklater’s 2008 film Me and Orson Welles; the director will produce the project, which could be his next film, with his manager John Sloss.
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Who were Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart
A legendary American composer duo known for their contributions to musical theatre, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart collaborated between 1919 and the early 1940s, with Rodgers as composer and Hart as lyricist. During the time spent together, they created 28 musicals among which To Connecticut Yankee, Babes in Arms And Pal Joeyand they wrote more than 500 songs.
The collaboration between Rodgers and Hart ended mainly because of the Hart’s struggle with alcoholism and mental health problems, which made it difficult for him to work. In 1943, Rodgers began a new collaboration with Oscar Hammerstein II to work on Oklahoma!, which was considered revolutionary for its seamless integration of music, lyrics and dance into the narrative, setting a new standard for musical theatre. The success of the show made Rodgers and Hammerstein one of the most successful duets in the history of musical theater, leading to the creation of other iconic works such as Carousel, South Pacific, The king and I And The Sound of Music. It was inevitable that Richard Linklater, a passionate and refined connoisseur of music, would not become passionate about this story little known to most.
