Here's a quick roundup of stories you may have missed today.
Quentin Tarantino Eyeing Hateful Eight Stage Adaptation
Once upon a time (back in 1998), Quentin Tarantino appeared on Broadway in a revival of Frederick Knott’s Wait Until Dark, and it appears the theatrical bug has never left him. “I want to write and direct theater,” the two-time Oscar winner told The Hollywood Reporter. “The next thing I'd like to do is a theatrical adaptation of Hateful Eight, because I like the idea of other actors having a chance to play my characters.” The upcoming movie, starring Channing Tatum and Samuel L. Jackson, follows bounty hunters in post-Civil War Wyoming and will open wide on January 1, 2016.
Nick Jonas Aiming to Pen His Own B'way Return
Nick Jonas has the Great White Way in his sights once more! Last seen on the Main Stem in How to Succeed…, he revealed to Italian Vogue: "I’d like to go back to Broadway, but with something written by me. That’s what I really miss." We will keep you posted!
Benedict Cumberbatch's Hamlet Breaks More Records
Yet another milestone for Benedict Cumberbatch's stint on the boards at London's Barbican. The Stage reports that NT Live screenings at movie theaters of the Olivier winner and Sherlock star's portrayal of the titular role in Hamlet, brought in almost nearly £3 million at the U.K. box office alone (around $4.5 million), the most successful ever. Looks like audiences agreed with our big thumbs up to the Lyndsey Turner-helmed production. What a piece of work is Benedict, indeed...
Lloyd Webber Looks to Bring N.Y.C. Setup to London
It seems that Andrew Lloyd Webber's experience of workshopping his Broadway success story School of Rock—The Musical, at New York's Gramercy Theatre has inspired him to replicate the concept in London. According to the Daily Mail, the legendary composer's Really Useful Group is in talks to buy the St. James Theatre. "It would be great to have a space to try out shows in London," said Lloyd Webber, who also admitted: "I had slightly forgotten what it was like to have a hit in New York, I must say." Led by Alex Brightman and Sierra Boggess, School of Rock officially began pledging allegiance to the band at the Main Stem's Winter Garden Theatre on December 6.
Jessica Brown Findlay Tapped for Almeida
Downton Abbey’s Jessica Brown Findlay is heading to London’s Almeida Theatre! She is set to play Sonya alongside Paul Rhys as Vanya, Vanessa Kirby as Elena, Richard Lumsden as Telegin, Hilton McRae as Serebryakov, Tobias Menzies as Astrov and Ann Queensberry as Nanny in the previously announced production of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya. The new version, created by and directed by Robert Icke, will play a limited engagement February 5, 2016 through March 26, with opening night scheduled for February 12.
New Schedule for Hunchback
Date switcheroo for the cast recording of Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The album will now drop on January 22, 2016; it had previously been set for release on November 20. In the meantime, check out the video of what went on inside the recording studio below!