Jim Carrey and Jake Gyllenhaal Up to Bat for New Damn Yankees Movie

New Line Cinema is prepping a new movie version of the beloved Broadway musical Damn Yankees, with Jim Carrey and Jake Gyllenhaal as stars. According to Variety, Gyllenhaal will play baseball player Joe Hardy, with Carrey taking on the part of Applegate, the devil.

The film, which will feature a contemporary script by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, will be produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, the team behind the successful movie musicals Chicago and Hairspray and TV adaptations of The Music Man and A Raisin in the Sun.

Damn Yankees has a score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop and is based on Wallop's novel The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant. It tells the story of Joe Boyd, the ultimate baseball fan, who sells his soul to Applegate Carrey, for the chance to become strapping young Joe Hardy Gyllenhaal in an effort to help his team, the Washington Senators, win the pennant race against the Yankees. Applegate is aided by the sexy Lola, who seduces Joe, but ultimately helps him outsmart the Devil and return to his beloved wife. Songs include "Heart" and "Whatever Lola Wants.”

The original Broadway production of Damn Yankees premiered at the 46th Street Theatre in 1955, won eight Tony Awards including Best Musical and ran for 1019 performances. It starred Ray Walston as Applegate, Gwen Verdon as Lola and Stephen Douglass as Joe Hardy. Walston and Verdon, both Tony winners for their performances, reprised their roles in the 1958 film version of Damn Yankees, joined by Tab Hunter as Hardy. The musical was revived in 1994 at the Marquis Theatre with Victor Garber as Applegate, Bebe Neuwirth as Lola and Jarrod Emick as Joe Hardy, with film legend Jerry Lewis also playing the role of Applegate later in the run. Damn Yankees was also seen last summer as part of the City Center Encores! series with Sean Hayes as Applegate, Jane Krakowski as Lola and Cheyenne Jackson as Hardy.

No production timeline, further casting or director has been announced for the project.