Bill Condon to Direct ‘Guys and Dolls’ Movie Adaptation
Bill Condon, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind “Chicago,” “Dreamgirls” and Disney’s remake of “Beauty and the Beast,” is taking on another famed movie musical.
Condon has signed on to direct “Guys and Dolls,” an adaptation of Frank Loesser’s Broadway smash. TriStar Pictures, which operates under Sony, acquired rights in 2019 to Damon Runyon’s original short stories about gamblers and gangsters in the New York underworld, as well as the rights to the Broadway musical and Samuel Goldwyn’s 1995 film adaptation.
More from Variety
'The Good Liar' Director Bill Condon Praises 'Legends' Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen
Bill Condon Developing 'A Christmas Carol' Musical for Disney
“Guys and Dolls” opened on Broadway in 1950, where it ran for 1,200 performances over three years. It scored five Tony Awards, including the prize for best musical, and has been revived several times since, including a 1992 version with Nathan Lane and Faith Prince. Five years after premiering on the Great White Way, “Guys and Dolls” was made into a successful film starring Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra and Vivian Blaine.
John Goldwyn and Marc Toberoff will serve as producers on “Guys and Dolls.” Nicole Brown and Shary Shirazi are overseeing for the studio.
When it comes to movie musicals, Condon has an enviable track record. His live-action retelling of “Beauty and the Beast,” starring Emma Watson as Belle, was a massive box office success, earning $1.2 billion globally to become the highest-grossing live-action movie musical. He also directed Jennifer Hudson and Beyoncé in the Oscar-winning “Dreamgirls,” which collected $155 million at the worldwide box office, and he co-wrote the Hugh Jackman-led sleeper hit “The Greatest Showman.” Outside of the song and dance space, Condon’s credits include “Gods and Monsters” and both parts of the blockbusters “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn.” Condon is repped by WME and Anonymous Content.
Deadline Hollywood first reported the news of Condon’s hiring.
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.