John Legend is about to give Phantom of the Opera a modern twist. The “All of Me” singer has teamed with partner Mike Jackson and producer Harvey Mason Jr. to take the famous tale out of France and set it in New Orleans, Louisiana.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the movie’s working title is Phantom and the trio will produce the film for Universal Studios.
John and Mike have tapped their fellow partner at their Get Lifted Film Company, Ty Stiklorius, to executive produce.
The script was written by John Fusco, whose previous works include Crossroads, Hidalgo and The Highwaymen. The screenwriter says he wanted to set the classic 1910 Gaston Leroux novel — not the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical — in modern day New Orleans.
“I have long wanted to explore The Phantom of the Opera in a contemporary and new way and in a French Quarter setting,” he told THR. “New Orleans is not only known as America’s most haunted city, but the music, Creole culture, voodoo mystique and the pageantry of Mardi Gras, inspire a natural adaptation of the original Paris setting.”
A release date has not yet been announced. The movie will join Universal’s revival of its collection of black and white monster movies, such as The Mummy and The Wolf Man. Universal previously adapted the novel in 1925 as a black and white silent horror film, which went on to become a box office success at the time.
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Related Posts
Meghan Trainor says younger son almost made her change her mind about having more kids
May 6, 2024
Chris Haston / Warner Bros. Meghan Trainor is a mom of two who has told everyone who will listen…
‘Fallout’ threepeats for TV; ‘Anyone But You’ debuts at #1 for movies on weekly streaming list
May 6, 2024
Prime Video/Bethesda Game StudiosPrime Video's video game adaptation Fallout stayed atop Reelgood…
Tom Brady takes his lumps during Netflix’s ‘Greatest Roast of All Time’
May 6, 2024
NetflixA host of celebrities came to take their shots at Superbowl champ Tom Brady on Sunday…
ICYMI: Watch Dua Lipa’s surprise May 5 show in New York’s Times Square now
May 6, 2024
Gotham/WireImageOn the afternoon of May 5, Dua Lipa sent word to fans on her mailing list that she…
Taylor Swift’s still #1 as Charlie Puth seemingly takes her shout-out as “sign” to release new music
May 6, 2024
Beth GarrabrantAfter a massive debut, Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department spends a second…
Orlando Bloom reunited with former ‘The Lord of the Rings’ cast members
May 6, 2024
L-R Wood, Monaghan, Bloom, and Boyd in 2001 - Patrick Riviere/Getty ImagesThe Fellowship was…
In Brief: ‘Titanic’ and ‘Lord of the Rings’ star Bernard Hill dead, and more
May 6, 2024
Actor Bernard Hill, who had roles in The Lord of the Rings movies and Titanic, died Sunday, his…
‘The Fall Guy’ tops domestic box office with lackluster $28.5 million debut
The Latest,Entertainment,What to Watch
May 6, 2024
Universal PicturesThe Fall Guy topped the North American box office with an estimated $28.5 million…