Good grief. Just when you thought Guillermo del Toro had reached the limit of projects he’s involved it (several steps beyond most human beings’ abilities), he goes and adds something else. This time, it’s based on something he already made. So get ready for a musical version of Pan’s Labyrinth.
According to Deadline, Del Toro has been cooking this one up for several years now, taking meetings with directors, composers and librettists to get the basics in place. He’s co-written the book for the show with Jeremy Ungar; Babel/Brokeback Mountain score man Gustavo Santaolalla is handling the music and Paul Williams has now been brought aboard to supply lyrics.
“I admire and love Gustavo, and Paul wrote the perfect album in Phantom Of The Paradise, which I have loved for decades,” Del Toro tells Deadline. But given that it's still in development, don't expect it to hit the stage for a while yet.
The show will adapt the 2006 film, which saw young Ofelia escape the harsh realities of Spain in 1944 during the Civil War, exploring a strange underworld. Of all of Del Toro’s films, it does seem the logical choice to turn into a musical. Though there’s some part of our brain that craves Hellboy! A Demonic Musical…