A musical based on Thelma & Louise, the Oscar-winning 1991 film starring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, is in preparation, it has emerged.
The film’s writer, Callie Khouri, told the Hollywood Reporter at a 30th anniversary screening that the project was in its “very early stages”. “We’ve got a book and we’ve got music but because of the pandemic, we haven’t all been together in a very, very long time. So, it’s still in its nascent stages, but it’s very promising.”
Khouri, who won an Oscar for best original screenplay for the film, added that the musical will be “a completely different animal” from the film, which was directed by Ridley Scott, and that she had previously been reluctant to rework the movie. “There have been queries over the years, but I didn’t really want to see it. I just felt like [the film-makers] nailed it.”
The film tells the story of two women who ditch their frustrating lives to go on a road trip which then turns desperate after Louise (Sarandon) kills a man who attempts to rape Thelma (Davis). It was a commercial success on its release and was nominated for six Oscars (with Khouri the only winner). In the years since, its feminist credentials have ensured it remains a cultural touchstone.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, performer-playwright Halley Feiffer is writing the script for the musical, and singer-songwriter Neko Case will provide original songs, with Trip Cullman (a regular collaborator with Feiffer) due to direct.
