Slumdog Millionaire musical is officially in development

It has been confirmed that the Oscar-winning 2008 film Slumdog Millionaire is being adapted into a stage musical.

Tony Award-winning producer Ken Davenport has secured the rights to develop the show that will feature songs from the movie such as “Jai Ho” by the Pussycat Dolls, alongside new music by A R Rahman.

Rahman, who won two Academy Awards for his work on the original film, said: “I’m incredibly excited to begin work on Slumdog Millionaire: The Musical. This reimagined version will take you on an electrifying journey with new songs and a few unexpected twists. We can’t wait for you to experience it with us!”

Davenport added: “My father, Kenny Dipchand Hasija, never talked much about growing up in India, until I took him to see Slumdog Millionaire. Immediately after the credits rolled, the stories, the love, and the pride of where he was from poured out of him. It was one of the closest moments we ever had. Right then and there, I vowed to one day find a way to bring our Indian culture to the stage, as a way to honor him, and people of Indian descent all over the world. I just never imagined that I’d be able to do that with that very film, and with A R Rahman himself! I’m so grateful that this beloved story has been entrusted to me, with a special thank you to Paul Smith at Celador.”

Slumdog Millionaire tells the story of two brothers, struggling to make ends meet in Mumbai. While one brother is seduced into a life of crime, the other embarks on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity courtesy of the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? quiz show.

Directed by Danny Boyle and produced by Celador Films in association with Film 4, the screenplay was written by Simon Beaufoy. It was inspired by the award-winning Indian novel Q&A by Vikas Swarup.

A location for the world premiere production, as well as casting and additional creative team information, will be revealed in the coming months.

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