Deadline film site always has some juicy news, and this one is no exception – Spike Lee is reportedly set to direct a new movie musical that will tell the story of how Viagra became one of the most popular prescription drugs in the world.
According to Deadline, the screenplay for the upcoming will be co-written by Lee himself alongside British actor, playwright, and Young Vic creative director Kwame Kwei-Armah.
It’s set to focus on a 2018 Esquire feature aptly titled All Rise: The Untold Story of The Guys Who Launched Viagra, which tells the story of how the drug faced opposition from Wall Street and the Catholic Church before transforming the sex lives of men across the globe. Music for the film is set to be led by Mark “Stew” Stewart and Heidi Rodewald, known for their Tony-winning musical Passing Strange.
Matt Jackson’s Jackson Pictures will produce with Spike Lee’s 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks. The project will be the next Spike Lee Joint, meaning it will be the next picture for a filmmaker who has been on a strong roll with this year’s Netflix Vietnam drama Da 5 Bloods and HBO Max’s David Byrne’s American Utopia, these coming on the heels of Best Picture nominated BlacKkKlansman, for which Lee shared an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. Joanne Lee of Jackson Pictures and David Kushner will be executive producers.
This project also marks Lee’s second foray into musical territory after his latest project, an adaptation of David Byrne’s American Utopia live show, which debuted to critical acclaim.
