Hide the Sledgehammer! Bruce Willis & Laurie Metcalf Begin Broadway Previews in Stephen King's Misery

Bruce Willis will begin previews on October 22 opposite his number one fan, three-time Emmy winner and two-time Tony nominee Laurie Metcalf, in the stage adaptation of Stephen King’s Misery. The production is scheduled to play a 16-week limited engagement at the Broadhurst Theatre and will officially open on November 15.

Directed by Will Frears, the play is penned by two-time Oscar winner William Goldman. Misery follows successful romance novelist Paul Sheldon (Willis), who is rescued from a car crash by his “Number One Fan,” Annie Wilkes (Metcalf), and wakes up captive in her secluded home. While Paul is convalescing, Annie reads the manuscript to his newest novel and becomes enraged when she discovers the author has killed off her favorite character, Misery Chastain. Annie forces Paul to write a new “Misery” novel, and he quickly realizes Annie has no intention of letting him go anywhere. The irate Annie has Paul writing as if his life depends on it, and if he does not make her deadline, it will.

Goldman also adapted the best-selling 1987 book for film. The 1990 movie starred James Caan as Sheldon and Kathy Bates in an Oscar-winning performance as Wilkes. The Frears-helmed stage adaptation received its world premiere at Pennsylvania’s Bucks County Playhouse in November 2012, starring Daniel Gerroll and Tony nominee Johanna Day.