Ryan Murphy bringing “The Boys in the Band” to Netflix
In the summer of 2018, director Ryan Murphy brought a revival of The Boys in the Band to Broadway. It was the 50th anniversary of Mart Crowley’s play. Scheduled for a limited run, the play featured an all out gay male cast.
Playbill describes the play: “A group of gay men gather in an NYC apartment for a friend’s birthday party. After the drinks are poured and the music turned up, the evening slowly exposes the fault-lines beneath their friendships and the self-inflicted heartache that threatens their solidarity.”
Band appeared on the screen in 1970 in a film directed by William Friedkin.
Murphy is no stranger to casting LGBTQ+ actors in his work. His American Horror Story routinely features out actors, including many in the Broadway cast of Band.
Murphy announced on Instagram that he is assembling the same cast for a Netflix movie of the play. He posted: “Last summer, THE BOYS IN THE BAND were on Broadway, breaking house records at The Booth. THIS summer, The Boys In the Band will be filming a Netflix movie event.
“The incomparable Joe Mantello, who directed the Broadway revival, will direct the film adaptation. The Broadway cast of BOYS was so important to me, and as equally groundbreaking as Mart Crowley's seminal work. Everyone in the cast was out and proud...and feeling so blessed to mark the 50th anniversary of Mart's landmark play.
“The entire Broadway cast will reprise their roles in the film. I can't wait to be on set with Joe and Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, Andrew Rannells, Matt Bomer, Charlie Carver, Robin de Jesus, Tuc Watkins, Michael Benjamin Washington and Brian Hutchison. I will be producing the film with David Stone and Ned Martel. Look for THE BOYS on Netflix in 2020.”
Jim Parsons returns to the Band fresh off long-playing CBS’ blockbuster comedy Big Bang Theory, where he played physicist Sheldon Cooper.
Matt Bomer, who starred in the long running crime drama White Collar, and a season of AHS appeared in several of the last episodes of Will & Grace as a gay TV host. It seems likely he will still be around, since he accepted Will’s proposal of marriage in this year’s final episode.
The Netflix movie of The Boys in the Band is expected to be on the streaming network in 2020.
Copyright The Gayly – April 18, 2019 @ 2:25 p.m. CDT.