Everything We Know About ‘The Prom,’ the Netflix Musical Starring Ariana Grande and Meryl Streep
There is a lot happening at Netflix lately. There’s been some bad news, like the company announcing it would stop streaming The Office in 2021. But there are exciting developments too, like tons more Queer Eye, another round of GLOW featuring Oscar winner Geena Davis, and even a series all about Dolly Parton.
And among those new developments is a star-packed musical we can’t wait to see. Deadline reported that Glee and Scream Queens creator Ryan Murphy is getting started on a massive film called The Prom, starring Ariana Grande and Meryl Streep. Those two icons are just the tip of the iceberg. The script will be based on a Tony-nominated Broadway musical of the same name, and the cast is made up of a seemingly endless list of stars. Here’s what we know about the project so far.
It’s based on a Tony-nominated Broadway musical.
The Prom made its debut in Atlanta in 2016, and then it came to Broadway in 2018. It follows the story of two washed-up Broadway actors, Dee Dee Allen and Barry Glickman, who travel to Indiana to defend a high school girl’s right to take her girlfriend to prom. The show scored six Tony nominations earlier this year, including nods for Best Musical and Best Direction.
The cast is next-level good.
Streep will play Dee Dee Allen, and James Corden will star as her professional partner Barry Glickman. The cast will also include Nicole Kidman and Andrew Rannells as friends of the actors, while Awkwafina will play a publicist. Over at the high school, Keegan-Michael Key will take on the role of the principal, as well as a love interest for Streep. Grande will portray Alyssa, the popular secret girlfriend of the main character, Emma. There’s currently a national search for the actor who will play Emma.
On October 10, Deadline reported that Kerry Washington is also joining the star-studded cast, though we don’t know exactly what her role will be yet.
The film is part of Ryan Murphy’s five-year Netflix deal.
Murphy previously made headlines for signing a five-year deal with Netflix, reportedly valued in the $250 to $300 million range. Murphy, who worked with Grande on Scream Queens, has shared that he has about 10 projects in the works for Netflix, including three moves, four TV shows, and three documentaries.