Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s hit biblical musical Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamboat is to be transformed into an animated film.
The movie will be produced by Elton John’s Rocket Pictures and Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group.
Speaking about the new project, Lloyd Webber said: “Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat started in a school and was the first step on the path that led to my musicals with Tim Rice. It is now being performed all over the world by a fourth generation of school kids, and a great movie can only help Joseph be part of the lives of many more.”
Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat tells the story of a favourite son whose jazzy jacket, a gift from his father, is the straw that broke the camel’s back for his brothers, who try to do away with him. A cunning way with dreams, however, sees the trendily tailored tyke rise in the world. The show has been seen by an estimated 26 million people worldwide, earning more than $600 million at the box office.
In joining the Rocket Pictures stable, it joins Gnomeo And Juliet, its upcoming sequel Sherlock Gnomes and the forthcoming Elton John biopic Rocketman.
Rocket Pictures’ CEO Steve Hamilton Shaw commented: “Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is one of the most popular musical experiences ever conceived. We are excited about the huge potential of a contemporary animated version, and we’re thrilled to bring this to the big screen in partnership with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.”
Both Lloyd Webber and Rice currently have new shows playing in the West End. The composer’s latest, Stephen Ward, is playing at the Aldwych Theatre, while From Here To Eternity, featuring lyrics by Rice, runs at the Shaftesbury Theatre.