La La Land set for the stage after waltzing to Bafta success

La La Land winners tune up for West End
The Weekender

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The team behind La La Land say they are in talks to transform the hit film into a stage show — and would “love” to bring it to the West End.

Speaking after the musical won five awards at last night’s Baftas, including best film, best director for Damien Chazelle and best actress for Emma Stone, producer Jordan Horowitz said a theatrical version would include several changes, including new songs.

He told the Standard the songs were “indelible” but added: “I don’t necessarily know what the stage musical looks like. I think we’ll write more songs and there will be work to do... we’ll have to figure out what about the story we want to keep.”

Horowitz, who said he would “love” to see the show on a London stage, hopes its success will lead to more Hollywood musicals, because they are “joyful and speak to the exuberance of the human spirit”.

BAFTA 2017 winners

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La La Land composer Justin Hurwitz, who won the Bafta for original music, said he had “many, many ideas” for songs that did not make the cinema, including an unused title track.

He said: “It was going to be in the middle of the movie but we nixed that. Then it was going to be over the end credits and we nixed that at the last minute.”

The cast and crew continued the celebrations after the awards, at the Albert Hall, and a dinner at the Grosvenor House hotel in Park Lane. But Stone, who had a cold, said: “I’m on medication... I have to head to bed.”

Best supporting actress Viola Davis, best actor Casey Affleck and rising star winner Tom Holland were among those with more staying power at Harvey Weinstein’s after-party in Holborn.

Director Ken Loach criticised the Government’s “brutal” benefits system after his I, Daniel Blake won outstanding British film. But Tory MP Tim Loughton branded the speech “the usual predictable drivel”.

See the full list of winners here.

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