Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman are set to lead the cast of Ryan Murphy’s “The Prom” at Netflix, an individual with knowledge of the casting tells TheWrap.
James Corden, Ariana Grande, Awkwafina, Keegan-Michael Key and Andrew Rannells are also joining the movie, an adaptation of the hit musical of the same name, which made it to Broadway last year.
Streep will play Dee Dee Allen, a two-time Tony winner who partners with Barry Glickman (Corden) in a musical about Eleanor Roosevelt that turns out to be a flop. After disastrous reviews, the pair teams with fellow Broadway vets Angie Dickinson (Kidman) and Trent Oliver (Rannells) to find a cause to get behind in order to revive their careers. They end up rallying around Emma, an Indiana teenager who is banned from attending her high school prom with her girlfriend, Alyssa.
Grande will play the popular daughter of the head of the PTA. Key is set as Principal Hawkins, Dee Dee’s love interest. Awkwafina will play Ms. Sheldon, a publicist. The role of Emma has not yet been cast.
The film will be produced by Murphy and Alexis Woodall, along with Bill Damaschke and Dori Berinstein, the producers behind “The Prom” Broadway musical. More of “The Prom’s” creative team is coming over to help on the streaming service’s movie adaptation, with Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin writing the script and Beguelin and Matthew Sklar handling music and lyrics, which are based on an original concept by Jack Viertel.
Murphy announced his plans to adapt the musical in April.
“The Prom” is one of several projects the “American Horror Story” creator has set at Netflix since he signed his huge overall deal with the streaming service last year. He is also working on a film adaptation of “The Boys in the Band” and the TV series “Ratched,” “Hollywood” and “The Politician.”
You can read more about Murphy’s Netflix slate here.
Deadline first reported the casting news.