Danny Pino joins Dear Evan Hansen musical film in new role conceived for adaptation
© Gage Skidmore
After yesterday's reveal that Amy Adams is joining the ensemble, today brings a fresh announcement courtesy of Deadline – Danny Pino, who has been in the likes of Across the Hall and The Burning Plain, will take on the role of Connor Murphy's stepfather in the film, with name to be confirmed.
Pino and Adams join a cast that's expected to include original Tony-winning star Ben Platt in the title role, as well as Kaitlyn Dever as Zoe, Amandla Stenberg as Alana, Nik Dodani as Jared, and Colton Ryan as Connor.
Steven Levenson will pen the script from his original stage version, with Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) directing. Music and lyrics are by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Platt's father, producer Marc Platt, and Adam Siegel will produce through Marc Platt Productions. Pasek and Paul are executive-producing.
With a Tony-winning score by Pasek and Paul, and a Tony-winning book by Levenson, Dear Evan Hansen is described as follows: "A letter that was never meant to be seen, a lie that was never meant to be told, a life he never dreamed he could have. Evan Hansen is about to get the one thing he's always wanted: a chance to finally fit in."
Pino's casting is significant as it is the first sign of changes being made to the original stage script, with characters now being redrawn or reimagined.
The creators recently described the film project in an interview with WhatsOnStage:
WhatsOnStage said of this five-star show: "Dear Evan Hansen is a desperately powerful exploration of a troubled teen sacrificing the truth for a sense of comfort – startlingly relevant for a world swaddled in screens and fleeting fictions."
