‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ To Become a Broadway Musical

Will ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ become a Broadway musical? Guillermo del Toro‘s ‘El Laberinto del Fauno‘ (Pan’s Labyrinth) is officially in development to become a theatrical musical.

Now that Deadline.com broke the story I can tell you that I knew about this story since winter of last year. Argentinian composer and Oscar winner, Gustavo Santaolalla, who is currently writing the music for the show, said it himself at a meeting I was a part of for a Viva Broadway Hispanic campaign initiative in NYC.

Santaolalla was accompanied by Sergio Trujillo, Colombian choreographer of the Broadway hit ‘Jersey Boys’, on a rainy evening in midtown Manhattan back in 2011. Santaolalla expressed how this new show concept was exactly what Broadway producers needed to develop more frequently for theatergoers. Trujillo most likely is the man choreographing the show.

Unfortunately for me, they said that the info was confidential and off the record. A year later here it is, which means that they have something ready to show soon.

Where and when will the musical begin? That is exactly the question that everyone will now ask. From the sounds of it, it will start in London and then make its way to Broadway sometime by 2014. Latinos in the city and from South America will be going nuts for these tickets… guaranteed.

The 2006 film by Guillermo del Toro directed film is about a young stepdaughter of a sadistic Spaniard army officer who finds refuge and terror in a fantasy world in 1944 Fascist Spain. The stage version already has a book that has been written by del Toro and Jeremy Ungar. Paul Williams has just been signed to write the lyrics. Robert Fox is producing with del Toro and Gary Ungar.

Del Toro has been working quietly on this for four years, interviewing directors, librettists, and composers.

“I admire and love Gustavo and Paul wrote the perfect album in Phantom Of The Paradise, which I have loved for decades,” said del Toro.

Said Santaolalla: “I’m so excited about translating Guillermo’s magical vision into music and songs. I’m such a longtime fan of both Guillermo and Paul that to work on this with them is truly a dream come true.”