Richard Linklater is pulling a Boyhood on a Sondheim musical — Paul Mescal will be 44 when it comes out
Richard Linklater has offered a fresh progress report on his 20-year Paul Mescal film, with a titbit that’ll raise an eyebrow.
Here we go again: Richard Linklater and his love of cinematic marathons. If you thought Boyhood was ambitious for its 12-year shoot, Linklater's next mad project, Merrily We Roll Along, is set to stretch over two full decades. Yes, you read that right. The film started shooting back in 2019 but, honestly, don't expect to see an end product before 2040 unless time travel becomes a thing.
Merrily We Roll Along is planned as a 20-year, nine-part filming project; the fourth segment will shoot soon, with release expected in 2040.
The Long Game
So what's the story here? Linklater's latest epic is based on the Stephen Sondheim musical, but this isn't just another adaptation. He intends to shoot nine distinct chapters across 20 years, piecing it together slowly so the cast genuinely ages into their roles. He confirmed to Zurich Film Festival's Christian Jungen that the fourth section gets underway in a few months, and yes, that still leaves another fifteen years to go. I don't know whether to admire the commitment or suggest a support group for cinema fans who like closure.
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Unlike Boyhood, filmed in blissful obscurity, Merrily We Roll Along has everyone watching—mainly because Sondheim's name is attached. Linklater actually joked that, this time, he can't go more than a year or two without someone loudly wondering when the thing will be done or if the whole lot will survive to see the credits roll. Back with Boyhood, the whole shoot was so under the radar he didn't have to explain himself to anyone, but for this Sondheim musical, that's absolutely not the case.
Linklater, describing the difference in visibility compared to Boyhood, told the Zurich audience: 'When I was doing Boyhood, we worked in complete anonymity. No one knew about the film. This one, on the other hand, because it’s a Stephen Sondheim musical and it’s very public, I have to answer this question for 20 years while we’re making it.'
If you remember the old 'what if someone dies?' hand-wringing around Boyhood, Linklater isn't new to these concerns either. He shrugged it off then and does the same now, pointing out that the worst doesn't usually happen and, anyway, you can't make a film like this if you're betting against your own cast's survival. He got lucky before, and he's happy putting his faith in the future once again—though as he admits, it does mean fielding awkward questions for literally half a generation.
Story, Cast, and Sondheim
The plot is told in reverse—very much Sondheim’s thing—following Franklin Shepard, a composer who chucks in his friendships and art to become a jaded big shot in Hollywood. Paul Mescal leads as Franklin, with Beanie Feldstein taking on Mary Flynn and Ben Platt as Charley Kringas. The rest of the ensemble features Mallory Bechtel, Hannah Cruz, Boo Arnold, Leah Loftin, Werner Richmond, Jon Reneé, and Tristan Tierney. It's a solid cast, even if you'll need to keep a programme over the years just to remember who's still in it by the end.
For trivia buffs: this is actually an adaptation of Sondheim and George Furth's 1981 Broadway musical, itself inspired by a 1934 play from George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. Sondheim fans will know the score's already a bit of a legend—Linklater says he's already got the music in place, and he sounds genuinely chuffed to be working through the show piece by piece. The main theme, though? Lifelong friendship, played out in very real time if you’re willing to wait for the punchline in the year 2040.