The Inheritance Scribe Matthew López to Write Screenplay About Tennessee Williams

Matthew López, who garnered a 2020 Tony nomination for The Inheritance and whose play The Legend of Georgia McBride is getting the Ryan Murphy/Netflix treatment, has another exciting project lined up. According to Variety, López will write a feature film adaptation of Christopher Castellani's novel Leading Men, which centers on legendary playwright Tennessee Williams and his longtime partner Frank Merlo. The Searchlight Pictures project will be produced by Call Me By Your Name's Luca Guadagnino and Peter Spears.

Williams, who wrote acclaimed works like The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and more, met Merlo in the 1940s. The film, which does not yet have a director, will be set in Italy and New York the 1950s as Williams balances the burden of fame with his personal life.

This will be López's first feature film writing credit. He was a staff writer on HBO's The Newsroom, which had a cast of stage and screen luminaries, including three-time Tony nominee Jeff Daniels and Tony winner John Gallagher Jr.

Casting, a creative team and a production timeline will be announced later.