Oscars favourite La La Land to be developed into West End musical after record number of nominations
HOLLYWOOD hit La La Land is being made into a musical for London’s West End.
Theatre bosses are planning to capitalise on the success of the Los Angeles-based love story starring Emma Stone, 28, and Ryan Gosling, 36, which has made over £30million at the UK box office alone since it was released last month.
Sonia Friedman — the mastermind behind theatre hits Funny Girl and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child — revealed work is already underway on a La La Land adaptation and a producer has been chosen.
In an exclusive interview, she told The Sun: “I would love to produce it, but I know who’s going to produce it and it won’t be me.
“Of course it will happen. It’s made for the stage and it will happen.
“But I’m sure the rights have already gone somewhere else.”
Sonia was speaking at the What’sOnStage Awards held at London’s Prince of Wales Theatre.
La La Land, which tells the story of an actress and a jazz pianist who fall in love, was nominated for a record 14 awards ahead of The Oscars — tied only with Titanic and All About Eve.
It was up for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Original Song and Best Cinematography.
Ryan and Emma were each nominated for Best Actor and Actress while filmaker Damien Chazelle, 32, was up for Best Director.
It also won five gongs at the Baftas, and all seven it was nominated for at last month’s Golden Globes.
Earlier this month, the film’s producer Jordan Horowitz said a theatrical version would need to include brand new songs.
He said: “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 will have to figure out what about the story we want to keep.”
However last month actor and singer John Legend dismissed the suggestion of a movie sequel.
He told The Sun: “I don’t know if these things have sequels. I don’t know if it’s that kind of movie.”
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MEANWHILE, protests against new US President Donald Trump surrounded this year’s glittering bash at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre.
Stars blasted Trump’s agenda at pre-Oscars events on Saturday.
Casey Affleck labelled the president’s anti-immigration policies “abhorrent” and “un-American”.
On Saturday night, Nicole Scherzinger, 38, performed at a pre-Oscars dinner in Beverly Hills, where Lion actor Dev Patel, 26, was joined by his mini-me from the film Sunny Pawar, eight.
Kate Beckinsale, 43, wowed the blue carpet at the Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica, where Brit Naomie Harris, 40, saw her film Moonlight win six gongs.
Naomie’s bullying hell
NAOMIE Harris has told how her role in Moonlight revived memories of being bullied as a child.
The Best Supporting Actress nominee, raised in a London council flat, said: “It’s painful to watch. “I was picked on at school as I was in TV shows and they wanted to bring me down to size.”
Naomie plays a drug addict in Moonlight.
Leo's gang on the town
LEONARDO DiCaprio’s notorious Hollywood drinking club were set to hit the town after the ceremony.
The A-lister, 42, formed the group, called Leo’s Wolf Pack, last year and members include Tom Hardy and Tobey Maguire. Leo, who won the Best Actor gong last year, was in town to present a prize at last night’s awards.
A source said: “Leo and his gang will throw the wildest party in town.”
Jessie J in F-bomb gig
JESSIE J made foul-mouthed quips in front of top UK diplomats at a pre-Oscars event.
The Brit pop star said her mic was too low because “my vagina can’t sing” and joked her pianist was “f****** it up”.
Jessie, 28, sang at an official Hollywood reception celebrating British Oscars success, with guests including ambassador Sir Kim Darroch and consul general Chris O’Connor.
But one guest said: “Her performance was great and everyone laughed about it.”
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