Film News

Disney Plus Developing Once On This Island Musical Film Written by Jocelyn Bioh

The musical is penned by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty.

A scene from the 2017 revival of Once On This Island.
A scene from the 2017 revival of Once On This Island.
(© Joan Marcus)

Disney Plus is developing a film version of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty's musical Once On This Island, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The award-winning musical will be adapted for the screen by School Girls playwright Jocelyn Bioh, with Wanuri Kahiu directing. Marc Platt will produce the film, for which a timeline has not yet been announced. It will be shot as an actual film, not a recording of a performance like Hamilton.

Once on This Island features a book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty. The musical, which premiered on Broadway in 1990 and won the Tony for Best Musical Revival for its 2017 production, is based on the novel My Love, My Love by Rosa Guy''.