Paul McCartney to create It's A Wonderful Life musical with Lee Hall

Paul McCartney has issued a statement saying that he's working on his first musical, an adaptation of It's A Wonderful Life.

The show, which is based on Frank Capra's iconic 1946 film of the same name, will have music and lyrics by the Beatle band member and book and lyrics by Lee Hall, the writer behind shows like Billy Elliot and Shakespeare in Love.

The piece, which will be produced by Bill Kenwright, has no confirmed release date or venue attached, but is due to open in late 2020. It is unknown if the show will open in the UK or the US first.

Capra's film is about a man, George Bailey, who contemplates taking his own life before realising the impact he's had on his community.

McCartney said: "Like many of these things this all started with an email. Bill had asked if it was something I might be up for. Writing a musical is not something that had ever really appealed to me but Bill and I met up with Lee Hall and had a chat and I found myself thinking this could be interesting and fun."