A new version of the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II classic The King and I is in development with Paramount Pictures, according to Deadline.
Temple Hill will produce the movie musical with Concord (of which the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization, including its licensing arm, is a subsidiary). No creative team or casting has been announced.
The 1956 film of The King and I starred Yul Brynner (reprising his stage role) and Deborah Kerr. Based on the life of Anna Leonowens and Margaret Landon's 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam, the musical includes classics such as "Hello Young Lovers," "I Whistle A Happy Tune," "Shall We Dance?," and "Getting To Know You."
The musical opened on Broadway five years prior to the movie, starring Gertrude Lawrence as Anna. The production won five Tony Awards including Best Musical and awards for both Brynner and Lawrence. The most recent Broadway revival opened in 2015 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater and won the Best Revival of a Musical Tony. Kelli O’Hara and Ruthie Ann Miles also won for their performances as Anna and Ladi Thiang. Ken Watanabe was nominated for his work as the King of Siam.
