Jamie Brewer will reprise her historic Off-Broadway stage performance in the upcoming film adaptation of Lindsey Ferrentino's Amy and the Orphans, according to a report in Deadline. Brewer became the first actor with Down Syndrome to lead an Off-Broadway production, after starring in the work's 2018 premiere.
As previously announced, Ferrentino is penning both the screenplay and directing the screen adaptation. The project was initially announced as being headed for Netflix, a detail now missing from this latest report.
In Amy and the Orphans, three siblings go on the trip of a lifetime. After their father’s death, Maggie and Jacob reunite with Amy, their movie-loving sister who has Down Syndrome. Together, they careen down the Great American Long Island Expressway, navigating strip malls, traffic jams, and family drama.
The film will also feature Edward Barbanell, who understudied Brewer's role in the Off-Broadway run and eventually played matinee performances weekly. Barbanell's performances notably saw the character's name changed to Andy, and the play's title itself shifted to Andy and the Orphans. Barbanell will reportedly play a role new to the work's screen adaptation.
Amy and the Orphans premiered Off-Broadway via Roundabout Theatre Company in 2018, with Brewer starring alongside Tony winner Debra Monk, Mark Blum, Vanessa Aspillaga, Diane Davis, and Josh McDermitt. Scott Ellis directed. Read reviews here.
Aggregate Films' Jason Bateman and Michael Costigan are developing and producing along with fellow producer Tracey Nyberg. No timeline for shooting or release has yet been revealed.
See photos from the original stage production of Amy and the Orphans below.
