# Merrily We Roll Along anticipation thread - in theaters in 2040 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 30, 2019, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrily-we-roll-along-anticipation-thread-in-theaters-in-2040/839470 "2019-08-30T11:42:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2019, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrily-we-roll-along-anticipation-thread-in-theaters-in-2040/839470/1 "2019-08-30T11:42:17Z")
[Richard Linklater](https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0000500/?ref_=m_nv_sr_1) will adapt Stephen Sondheim’s musical, Merrily We Roll Along. The movie, as with the play, takes place over the course of 20 years. Richard Linklater plans to film this in real time, so it’ll be a while before Fandango has tickets. > **[Richard Linklater to Spend Next 20 Years Filming a Merrily We Roll Along...](https://slate.com/culture/2019/08/richard-linklater-merrily-we-roll-along-beanie-feldstein-ben-platt-20-years.html)** > > Beanie Feldstein and Ben Platt apparently aren't afraid of commitment (or Stephen Sondheim's famous musical flop). > **[Richard Linklater Musical to Be Filmed Over 20-Year Span](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/richard-linklater-film-merrily-we-roll-along-be-shot-20-years-1235414/)** > > Beanie Feldstein and Ben Platt will star in an adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim musical ‘Merrily We Roll Along,’ which will be filmed by director Richard Linklater over a 20-year span… > **[Richard Linklater to Make His Next Film Over the Course of Next 20 Years](https://thecinemaholic.com/richard-linklater-merrily-we-roll-along/)** > > Richard Linklater is set to outdo himself by filming ‘Merrily We Roll Along’, the musical, over the course of next 20 years. The movie follows the lives and careers of three aspiring creative talent. Their story spans over two decades and is told in... I thought Boyhood, which took a comparatively snappy 12 years to film, was a poorly structured indulgent mess. I love Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette but I didn’t believe either was well-used in Boyhood. The titular boy couldn’t act. I simply did not care what was happening. But I’m really excited about this! Linklater has made some wonderful quirky films: [Before Sunrise](https://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/27/movies/film-review-strangers-on-a-train-and-soul-mates-for-a-night.html), [Slacker](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/slacker/), [Dazed and Confused](https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0106677/?ref_=m_nm_knf_dr_t22). Even [Bernie](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/bernie-2012) and [School of Rock](https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/02/AR2005060201201.html) are fun and never has more been done with Jack Black’s talent. Boyhood was an original story, so any casting or location changes could have easily been written into the script as needed. Merrily, on the other hand will need to lock down an entire cast for 20 years and live with the consequences. I don’t even know how you insure such a monstrosity. Moreover, I know the plot of Merrily will work - this is just a delightfully organic way to execute it. The film will star [Ben Platt](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Platt_(actor)), [Beanie Feldstein](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beanie_Feldstein) and [Blake Jenner](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blake_Jenner). ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2019, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrily-we-roll-along-anticipation-thread-in-theaters-in-2040/839470/2 "2019-08-30T13:44:23Z")
I’ll be long dead when it’s finally released. For me, it’ll be “Merrily We Roll Over in Our Graves.” ---
**Author:** ![Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2019, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrily-we-roll-along-anticipation-thread-in-theaters-in-2040/839470/3 "2019-08-30T14:06:02Z")
I think I should make it but life doesn’t offer guarantees. Linklater will be roughly 80 by then. I hope he has a contingency plan at least. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2019, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrily-we-roll-along-anticipation-thread-in-theaters-in-2040/839470/4 "2019-08-30T14:21:56Z")
Are there even going to be theaters in 2040? ---
**Author:** ![pmwgreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@pmwgreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pmwgreen)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2019, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrily-we-roll-along-anticipation-thread-in-theaters-in-2040/839470/5 "2019-08-30T18:46:55Z")
One more question, is he drunk? According to [IBDB](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/merrily-we-roll-along-4144), it had 44 previews and 14 performances. And the music? It sounds dated now. I suspect it sounded dated in 1981. It’s going to sound pretty damn moldy in 2040. Is he going for irony? He should do “Lost Horizon”. That was a foot-tapping classic. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2019, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merrily-we-roll-along-anticipation-thread-in-theaters-in-2040/839470/6 "2019-08-30T19:29:15Z")
It’ll be released opposite the 15th Spider-Man reboot.