By: koalafriend
OMG Daniel Radcliffe’s New Musical Is A Certified Banger Before It Even Hits Theaters
Okay you guys stop EVERYTHING you are doing right now. We have some major major news that is about to rock your entire holiday season. Get ready to mark your calendars and pre-order your popcorn because the movie event of the year is officially upon us and the critics are literally losing their minds.
The hotly anticipated film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s legendary musical Merrily We Roll Along is already a certifiable smash hit and it has not even premiered yet. We are not kidding! The movie which marks Daniel Radcliffe’s big screen return just wrapped post production and early critic screenings have sent its Rotten Tomatoes score soaring to near perfect levels. We’re talking about a score so high it’s practically glowing. This is not a drill!
The musical film officially debuts in theaters on December 5 and it is already shaping up to be the one to beat this awards season.
A Near Perfect Score For A Perfect Cast
So what’s the tea on these reviews? Sources close to the early screenings are spilling that the film is an absolute masterpiece. The consensus is overwhelmingly positive with critics praising everything from the direction to the powerhouse performances. The near perfect Rotten Tomatoes score reflects a universal love for this ambitious and heartfelt project. This is the kind of critical rave that studios dream of and it has set the hype train into overdrive.
And can we talk about this cast for a second? Leading the charge is the one and only Daniel Radcliffe in his first film role since 2022. We have missed him! He is joined by Broadway royalty Ben Platt and the absolutely fabulous Beanie Feldstein. This trio is pure dynamite. They portray three lifelong friends Franklin Charley and Mary whose complicated and emotional bond is the heart of the entire story. The chemistry is reportedly off the charts and a major reason why the film is landing so spectacularly with critics.
Not Your Average Movie Musical
So what is Merrily We Roll Along even about? Get this the story is told in reverse. It starts with the characters as jaded and fractured adults and travels backward in time all the way to their bright eyed optimistic youth showing all the moments that made them and broke them along the way. It is a brilliant and heartbreaking look at friendship ambition compromise and the price of success.
And the genius behind the camera is just as iconic as the stars in front of it. The film is directed by Richard Linklater the visionary filmmaker behind Boyhood and the Before trilogy. In a move that has had Hollywood buzzing for years Linklater is filming Merrily We Roll Along over a real 20 year period to authentically capture the actors aging. Yes you read that right. They started filming years ago and will continue for more than a decade to come. This December 5 release is just the first incredible piece of a cinematic event that will literally span decades. It is a bold game changing approach to filmmaking and it is clearly paying off big time.
Daniel Radcliffe Is Back And Better Than Ever
Let’s be real we are so here for the Daniel Radcliffe renaissance. After leaving the world of Harry Potter behind him Radcliffe has consistently chosen fascinating and challenging roles from playing a flatulent corpse in Swiss Army Man to Weird Al Yankovic. He has also become a bona fide theater star earning raves for his work on Broadway.
His role as songwriter turned big shot movie producer Franklin Shepard in Merrily We Roll Along is being called a career defining performance. Critics are saying he perfectly captures the charm and the tragedy of the character. This film solidifies his status as one of the most versatile and exciting actors of his generation. It is a triumphant return to the silver screen and a powerful reminder that he is so much more than the boy who lived.
The Ultimate Redemption Story
What makes this success even sweeter is the history of the show itself. When the Stephen Sondheim musical first premiered on Broadway in 1981 it was famously a flop closing after just 16 performances. But over the years it has become a beloved cult classic with one of the most gorgeous scores in musical theater history.
This sensational film adaptation is the ultimate redemption arc. It takes a show once deemed a failure and transforms it into a critically adored cinematic event poised for mainstream success and Oscar glory. It is a story about second chances both on screen and off and we are absolutely obsessed.
So will you be rolling along to theaters on December 5? With a near perfect Rotten Tomatoes score a dream cast and a visionary director this Merrily We Roll Along adaptation is not just a must see movie it is a cultural moment in the making. Get ready because this is the film everyone will be talking about.
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