Dear Evan Hansen film – get to know the eight leading cast members

Following last night's news, we now have all eight leading cast members for the upcoming Dear Evan Hansen film! And trust us, it won't be hard to have an optimistic outlook with these performers involved.

Update: The show's release date has been revealed.

Here's a little bit more about each one:

Evan Hansen – Ben Platt

Many have queried if Platt is too old to take on the lead role in the film but it all seems relatively set in stone now that the actor will be performing in the big-screen adaptation – with Platt's own father Marc producing the picture. Given he won a Tony Award for his efforts back when he first opened the show on stage, we aren't too fussed.

Hear him sing in: The original Dear Evan Hansen cast recording – he knows these tunes like the back of his hand.

Heidi Hansen – Julianne Moore

Still Alice and Boogie Nights actress Julianne Moore is a titanic screen presence, so seeing her join the film has brought a fresh wave of excitement. She'll be taking on the role of Evan's put-upon mother Heidi, who has to grapple with her son's turbulent mental health as well as an intense career in medical care. She also gets some cracking tunes, including "Good For You".

Hear her sing in: This video from film What Maisie Knew – it's actually pretty decent.

Cynthia Murphy – Amy Adams

If Moore is a well-deserved Academy Award-winner, then Adams has long been asking for one. A six-time nominee and one of the best actresses out there at the moment, she'll be taking on the role of grieving mother Cynthia who welcomes Evan into her home following the death of her son Connor. What is interesting is that you could almost cast Moore and Adams in the opposite roles and it sit equally well – so it'll be brilliant to see how director Stephen Chbosky tackles the parts and puts his own mark on the piece.

Hear her sing in: Enchanted

Larry Murphy* – Danny Pino

We put an asterisk by this one as it's currently a bit up in the air about Pino's part – the Mayans actor will play a newly reimagined version of the glove-obsessed, traffic-fussing father of deceased school kid Connor – Larry is now meant to be Connor's stepfather, in a bit of a push for greater diversity within the cast. We're intrigued to see how else the film might be changed up.

Zoe Murphy – Kaitlyn Dever

Booksmart's Dever will take on the role of Zoe, Evan's love interest and sister to deceased school student Connor. She's a rising star in the film world and, even before being announced in the picture, visited the West End production (in what should have been a bit of a tip-off).

Hear her sing in: Dever and her sister Mady make up the musical duo group Beulahbell – they released their first song earlier this year.

Connor Murphy – Colton Ryan

Colton Ryan is an Evan Hansen alum having understudied three roles, so it's nice to see him get a spot in the limelight with the show in his life for so long. He's also appeared in Broadway musicals like Girl from the North Country, which hopefully he'll be able to return to once lockdown ends (though who knows when that might be on Broadway).

Hear him sing in: Girl from the North Country – a live recording is here:

Jared Kleinman – Nik Dodani

Evan's associate Jared helps him orchestrate a plot to fool his school into thinking he and Connor were best buds, and Atypical star Nik Dodani will be a fine addition to the film. A comedian as well as an actor (with his Late Show appearance being particularly funny), we expect he'll have the comedy chops to really win the hearts of viewers.

Hear him sing in: We can't find much from him but his stand-up is really quite great.

Alana Beck – Amandla Stenberg

Amandla Stenberg, already a prolific name after her charged turns in The Eddy and The Hate U Give, will be taking on the role of Evan's classmate Alana in the upcoming film. She's a major hit with the youngsters and was included in Time's list of Most Influential Teens in both 2015 and 2016. Stenberg will reportedly get a beefed-up role in the new film, with an extra song as she spearheads the campaign to remember Connor.

Hear her sing in: All of her music. She's a brilliant performer.