Follies on film

Follies, the musical by stephen sondheim and James Goldman about Broadway showgirls and their beaux — and what became of them 30 years later — is being turned into a big-screen film. Dominic Cooke, who directed a sensational version at the National Theatre, has started to adapt the show. But Rosie Alison, who’s producing with David Heyman (at Heyday Films) and Rose Garnett (head of BBC Films), stressed the movie’s not based on the NT production. ‘We’re going to translate it for the cinema,’ she said, noting that she and her colleagues hope Cooke can start filming in 2021. There are several plum roles and Ms Alison said they will be looking for ‘special talents’ from the U.s. and UK. i mentioned that Meryl streep once expressed interest in being in a Follies film. Alison said she hadn’t heard that but made it clear that they would be going after top actors. ‘We want all the stars to align to make this a memorable film,’ she said.