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Busy Broadway producer Ken Davenport (Oh, Mary!, the upcoming Othello, among many other credits) has another project in the wings: A stage musical adaptation of the Oscar-winning 2008 film Slumdog Millionaire is being developed with the movie’s double-Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman.
“I’m incredibly excited to begin work on Slumdog Millionaire: The Musical,” said Rahman, whose work on the film won Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song (for “Jai Ho”). “This reimagined version will take you on an electrifying journey with new songs and a few unexpected twists.”
The stage musical will feature music from the film, including “Jai Ho,” as well as new songs from Rahman.
Davenport, who won Tony’s for Kinky Boots and Once On This Island, said “My father, Kenny Dipchand Hasija, never talked much about growing up in India, until I took him to see Slumdog Millionaire. Immediately after the credits rolled, the stories, the love, and the pride of where he was from poured out of him. It was one of the closest moments we ever had.
“Right then and there,” he continued, “I vowed to one day find a way to bring our Indian culture to the stage, as a way to honor him, and people of Indian descent all over the world. I just never imagined that I’d be able to do that with that very film, and with A.R. Rahman himself. I’m so grateful that this beloved story has been entrusted to me, with a special thank you to Paul Smith at Celador.”
Other members of the creative team and additional details about Slumdog Millionaire will be announced in the coming months. Production timeline details and casting were not announced today.
The film Slumdog Millionaire was hailed as an exhilarating modern-day fairytale following two brothers as they struggle to survive on the streets of Mumbai. As one brother is seduced into a life of crime, the other defies all odds and embarks on a once in a lifetime opportunity that captures the heart of a nation.
Released in 2008, the acclaimed film won eight Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Score for Rahman, Best Song for “Jai Ho” written by Rahman with lyrics by Gulzar, and direction by Danny Boyle, among others.
The film is inspired by the award-winning 2005 Indian novel Q&A written by Vikas Swarup, with a screenplay by Simon Beaufoy, directed by Boyle, and score by Rahman. The film was produced by Celador Films in association with Film 4.
After the film opened in late 2008, it was embraced by critics and audience word of mouth led Slumdog to become a surprise hit: produced for just $15 million, it went on to gross over $378 million internationally.
The film spawned a hit soundtrack produced by Rahman which won two Grammy Awards and sold over 2 million copies worldwide. The English-language single “Jai Ho (You Are My Destiny)” sung by Rahman and The Pussycat Dolls featuring Nicole Scherzinger (now tearing up Broadway in Sunset Blvd.) was a Top 20 Billboard hit in the U.S. and was a Top 10 hit in over 20 countries.
Slumdog Millionaire: The Musical will be produced by Davenport in association with Celador International.