NEW YORK — "CODA," the Oscar-nominated film about a singing teenage daughter in a deaf family, is being developed as a stage musical by the Los Angeles-based Deaf West Theatre.
The project was announced Wednesday by the film's producers, Vendôme Pictures and Pathé Films, ahead of Sunday's Academy Awards where "CODA" is in contention for best picture. Sian Heder's "CODA," which was acquired for $25 million by Apple TV+ after its Sundance Film Festival debut, was adapted from a 2014 French film.
That 2014 film, "La Famille Bélier," didn't star deaf actors as the parents, but "CODA" has drawn widespread praise for its authenticity. The cast includes Marlee Matlin, Daniel Durant and the Oscar-nominated Troy Kotsur.
READ MORE: Asghar Farhadi's new film grapples with the idea of heroes
"This is an opportunity, then, to bring the story full circle by bringing it back to members of the Deaf community and by making the music accessible through our signed and sung live adaptation of the movie," said DJ Kurs, artistic director of Deaf West Theatre, in a statement. "It is in the mission of our organization to be the artistic bridge between the Deaf and hearing communities and we are truly excited and honored to embark on this live iteration of a story that brings together both sides of the aisle and addresses the ways that we move throughout the world."
No timeline for the production has yet been announced. Matlin, Kotsur and Durant have all previously performed at Deaf West, an acclaimed non-profit theater founded in 1991 that features deaf and hearing actors in productions performed in both sign language and spoken English. Several previous Deaf West musical productions, including "Big River" and "Spring Awakening," have made it to Broadway.
Kotsur, in particular, has been a mainstay on Deaf West stages. Beginning with "Of Mice and Men" in 1994, he's acted in some 20 productions with the theater company, including "Cyrano," "American Buffalo" and "A Streetcar Named Desire."
Sustain our coverage of culture, arts and literature.
John Leguizamo has appeared in more than 100 films while also telling a distinctly Latino story in documentaries, one-man shows…
In death, Leonard Cohen is having a rebirth. The legendary singer is being remembered by older and younger generations alike…
Alec Baldwin's Western "Rust" had its world premiere Wednesday at a film festival in Poland, three years after the shooting…
In her new collection of columns from The Wall Street Journal, Pulitzer Prize-winner Peggy Noonan takes readers on a journey…
If you've ever wanted to own a piece of Hollywood history, now's your chance. A pair of Dorothy's ruby slippers…
When Centurion was founded, it was the first group of its kind working to overturn wrongful convictions for people facing…
As major American museums reexamine their collections to ensure diversity and inclusion, there's a growing realization that they need more…
As a dancer, choreographer, director and speaker, Jamison's distinguished career leaped over barriers of race and gender.
In the 1980s, about 70 percent of clothes sold in the U.S. were made in the country. Today, it's down…
This is her first time receiving nominations in the country and Americana categories.
For many Muslim and Arab Americans, Israel's wars in Gaza, Lebanon, and the wider Middle East are personal, and so…
A giant in the music and entertainment industry has died. Quincy Jones, known to many as 'Q,' was revered as…
Jones rose from music school dropout to the very heights of show business, becoming one of the first Black executives…
Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on "Saturday Night Live" in the final days before the presidential election, playing herself…
