What's the next move for The Queen's Gambit? A musical.
On Monday, March 8, Level Forward announced that they've acquired the rights to turn Walter Tevis' 1983 novel, The Queen's Gambit, into a musical. This news comes after Netflix's successful TV adaptation of the novel.
For those unfamiliar with the story, The Queen's Gambit follows Beth Harmon (played by Anya Taylor-Joy in the Netflix version) as she transforms from stoic orphan to cutthroat chess player. Along the way, Beth struggles with addiction and dark memories from her childhood.
We can't say we're surprised that The Queen's Gambit is heading to the stage as the miniseries has captivated viewers. Not only did Netflix's take on The Queen's Gambit hit 62 million viewers in its first four weeks, it was also well received by critics. In fact, on Sunday, March 8, the Netflix miniseries won Best Limited Series and Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television for Taylor-Joy at the 26th annual Critics Choice Awards.
The Queen's Gambit also recently won two Golden Globes, including Best Limited Series or TV Movie and Best Actress in a Limited Series, Miniseries or TV Movie for Taylor-Joy.
On adapting the story for the stage, Level Forward CEO Adrienne Becker and producer Julia Dunetz said in a statement, "It is a privilege for Level Forward to lead the charge of bringing The Queen's Gambit to the stage through the beloved and enduring craft of musical theater. Told through a brave and fresh point of view, audiences are already sharing in the friendship and fortitude of the story's inspiring women who energize and sustain Beth Harmon's journey and ultimate triumph. The story is a siren call amidst our contemporary struggles for gender and racial equity, and we're looking forward to moving the project forward."
In addition to Taylor-Joy, the Netflix miniseries stars Bill Camp, Marielle Heller, Harry Melling, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Moses Ingram and more. Both Taylor-Joy and Camp are up for awards at the 2021 Screen Actors Guild Awards.
For the full list of nominees, click here.
You can stream The Queen's Gambit on Netflix.