Ben Elton Named Book Writer of Phantom Sequel

Ben Elton has been named as the book writer of the forthcoming sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, marking his first collaboration with composer/impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber since the football-themed musical, The Beautiful Game.

Elton joins already-announced lyricist Glenn Slater Sister Act, director Jack O'Brien Hairspray, and designer Bob Crowley Aida, Tarzan in the venture, which is expected to offer a teaser of its wares at Lloyd Webber's forthcoming Sydmonton Festival this summer prior to a workshop in the fall.

Elton is the author of such West End plays as Silly Cow, Popcorn and Gasping and is represented by the ongoing Queen-inspired musical hit We Will Rock You. His involvement in the Phantom sequel, which continues to lack an agreed-upon title, follows early talk about the involvement of novelist Fredrick Forsyth, who has since moved on.

The show perpetuates the billion-dollar phenomenon The Phantom of the Opera, which remains one of the most successful cultural artifacts in any genre, reportedly bypassing in total revenue the film Titanic. The Broadway production reigns as the longest-running musical on the Great White Way, with more than 8,300 performances and counting. Word is that the new musical is set in New York City at the turn of the 20th century, though further details remain sketchy.