06/02/2014 - Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical to be turned into animated feature film

Musician Elton John’s Rocket Pictures, a film, television and theatrical production company that focuses on family and music-related projects across multiple platforms, has acquired the film rights to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s musical with a view to making an animated feature film in association with Lloyd Webber’s The  Really Useful Group. Rocket Pictures CEO Steve Hamilton Shaw and David Furnish will produce the film with The Really Useful Group. Lloyd Webber, Rice and Elton John will executive produce.

Lloyd Webber said, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat started in a school and was the first step on the path that led to my musicals with Tim Rice. It is now being performed all over the world by a fourth generation of school kids, and a great movie can only help Joseph be part of the lives of many more.” 

Originally created by Lloyd Webber and Rice for performance in schools, Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is one of the most performed musicals in history that has been seen by some 26 million people, earning over $600 million at the box office. A straight to video film version was released in 1999.

Rocket is currently producing Rocketman, a musical about Elton John’s life, with Tom Hardy starring as the flamboyant musician, co-financed by AI Film and Focus Features.  Rocket is also producing Sherlock Gnomes, the sequel to their 3D animated hit Gnomeo & Juliet [+see also:
trailer
making of
film profile], which was released by Disney and earned $200 million worldwide, and the animated family film Will Gallows And The Snake Bellied Troll, written and to be directed by Kelly Asbury.