Ben Platt and Beanie Feldstein to star in Merrily We Roll Along film?

A film version of Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along is apparently in the works, but it might take a while to come to the big screen.

According to Collider, director Richard Linklater will oversee the project, which will be shot over the same timespan as that featured in Sondheim's musical – 20 years.

The musical is set in reverse-chronological order – Collider is reporting that Linklater will be shooting now and finishing in two decades time, and then reversing the footage to show the cast literally de-ageing. The award-winning director did something similar with his hit film Boyhood.

In effect, characters will age naturally over the period, with an eventual release later on this century.

Dear Evan Hansen star Ben Platt is slated to lead the cast in the film, alongside Lady Bird star Beanie Feldstein.

Merrily We Roll Along follows talented Broadway composer Franklin Shepard, who leaves his career to go and produce films in Hollywood. It is based on the 1934 play of the same name and had a rocky beginning on Broadway, running for 44 previews and 16 performances when it first premiered in 1981.

It received its West End premiere in 2000, with a revival staged at the Menier Chocolate Factory in 2012.

A release date for the flm is to be announced, but we'll keep you posted in about 20 years time.