During the Zurich Film Festival, director Richard Linklater accepted a career achievement award and discussed his long-term musical project Merrily We Roll Along, which adapts Stephen Sondheim’s 1981 stage production. The film will follow a similar production model to his acclaimed 2014 film Boyhood, with principal actors Paul Mescal, Ben Platt, and Beanie Feldstein aging naturally throughout the extended shooting schedule.
When asked about the project’s status during a public conversation with festival CEO Christian Jungen, Linklater noted that the production presents different challenges compared to Boyhood due to the high-profile nature of the source material. He explained that the shoot is structured in nine sections distributed across two decades, with filming of the fourth section set to commence in the coming months. The director acknowledged that this approach will require him to address questions about the project’s progress throughout its entire production timeline, contrasting with the anonymity surrounding Boyhood’s earlier development.
Addressing potential concerns about the extended production schedule, Linklater expressed confidence in the collaborative approach and referenced the successful completion of Boyhood as evidence the concept works. He emphasized that the narrative structure of Merrily We Roll Along necessitates this gradual, real-time filming method. The director also noted his existing work on the film’s musical score and described the adaptation process as engaging, highlighting his prior experience with music-focused filmmaking while taking on his first full musical feature.
The Merrily We Roll Along adaptation is based on the 1934 play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, centering on a Broadway composer whose career trajectory moves from Hollywood success backward through time to reveal formative moments in his life and friendships. During the same festival appearance, Linklater also discussed his acclaimed Before trilogy with actors Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, and reflected broadly on the collaborative film culture that has defined his career since founding the Austin Film Society in 1985.
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