In a competitive bidding war, Paramount Players has acquired the rights to develop an untitled country music musical with “Across the Universe” producer Matthew Gross and country music super-producer Mark Bright on board to develop.
Gross brought the project to the studio, and the fact that Bright was producing the film’s soundtrack stood as a prominent selling point in the bidding war. Bright helped find such major acts as Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum and Carrie Underwood. Both he and Gross will produce the album, with Gross producing the film.
Following the success of musicals like “The Greatest Showman,” studios are seeing a huge market for the genre, and Paramount is now fast-tracking the pic to pre-production.
The script will be penned by “Galavant” showrunners Kat Likkel and John Hoberg based on an idea conceived by Gross at the 2018 Stagecoach musical festival. Likkel and Hoberg will also exec produce. Shane Stevens and Karyn Rochelle will pen the music and lyrics for the movie.
The story centers on the daughter of a wealthy family who goes on a journey of self-discovery after she leaves the boy everyone expected her to marry for a small-town country guy who captures her heart.
Gross, Likkel and Hoberg are repped by Karl Austen, who brokered the deal. Likkel and Hoberg are repped by manager Helena Heyman at Industry. Bright is repped by Seth Lichtenstein. Stevens and Rochelle are repped by W. Joseph Anderson at Manatt.