Stephen Merchant‘s 2019 film “Fighting With My Family,” starring Florence Pugh and Dwayne Johnson, is being adapted into a stage musical.
Producers include Merchant, Johnson and Dany Garcia for their Seven Bucks Productions, Tilted Musicals, Kevin Misher and Birmingham Hippodrome. Olivier Award-winning playwright Jon Brittain (“Rotterdam,” “Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder!”) is penning the book and lyrics, with Miranda Cooper (who has written songs for Girls Aloud, Sugababes, Pet Shop Boys and more) and Nick Coler providing the soundtrack.
Written and directed by Merchant, “Fighting With My Family” premiered in 2019 at the Sundance Film Festival and starred Pugh in the extraordinary true story of WWE superstar Paige. Vince Vaughn played her trainer, while Johnson appeared as himself and produced the film with Garcia.
Like the movie, the “Fighting With My Family” musical will follow Saraya Knight (aka Paige), “a goth outsider who is raised in a chaotic but loving British wrestling dynasty,” according to its synopsis. “When a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity takes her from Norwich to America’s glitzy WWE, she must confront who she really is without her family in her corner.”
“When we were making the film, I always thought of it like a musical: a young woman from the ‘chorus line’ fighting to get her big break, surrounded by theatrical, larger-than-life characters and huge sweeping emotions,” Merchant said in a statement. “I approached each wrestling match like it was a different dance number, building to a big show-stopping finale. Seeing the film reimagined for the stage feels like the natural next step. The team have captured the humor, grit and heart of the story in a way that feels both faithful to the film and completely fresh.”
Added Johnson: “’Fighting With My Family’ feels exceptionally well suited for the stage. It’s packed with personal emotion expressed through the dynamic world of wrestling, which has always been about storytelling and connecting with a live audience. Working with Stephen Merchant on the film was a truly special experience, and his brilliant work deserves this new act. As it comes to life musically, I have no doubt it will be an absolute blast for theatergoers.”
“Fighting With My Family” will mark the first musical developed by the newly formed Tilted Musicals, a production company led by Cooper and U.K. producer-director Sam Hodges. Closed workshops are set to start this year before a public presentation in 2027.
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From Variety US