Dear Evan Hansen Movie Storyline. Film adaptation of the Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical by Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul about Evan Hansen, a high school senior with a severe Social Anxiety disorder, whose letter to himself, one that was not meant to be seen by others, lands into the wrong hands of a fellow classmate who, as a result, commits suicide. This incident sends Evan on a journey of self-discovery and gives him the chance to finally be accepted by his peers and live the life he never dreamed he could have.
Dear Evan Hansen is an upcoming American musical teen drama film directed by Stephen Chbosky, and adapted for the screen by Steven Levenson from his and Benj Pasek & Justin Paul’s 2015 stage musical of the same name. A Universal Pictures / Marc Platt production, the film stars Platt’s son, Ben Platt, reprising his performance in the title role, which he originated on stage. The film’s ensemble cast also includes Kaitlyn Dever, Amandla Stenberg, Nik Dodani, Colton Ryan, Danny Pino, Julianne Moore and Amy Adams.
The film is scheduled to have its world premiere at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2021 as its Opening Night Gala Presentation, to be followed by a release in theaters on September 24, 2021, by Universal Pictures.
About the Filming
On August 25, 2020, Ben Platt confirmed that principal photography had begun. It was shot in Los Angeles, California and Atlanta, Georgia, with primary filming with the main cast taking place in September and expected to end around Thanksgiving.
About making the film during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kaitlyn Dever said to Variety, “I’m very happy that we’re able to make something so special during such a strange and sad and confusing times… I have gotten used to the ‘doing nothing’ part of my job, which is just sitting and waiting for something to happen. Now, I feel like I’m really geared up for this and ready to go.”[20] Additional filming took place in Fayetteville, Georgia, which included scenes involving Ellison State Park.
The high school scenes were filmed at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School in Fayetteville, and B.J. Reece Orchards was used for the scenes that took place at the Autumn Smile Apple Orchard/Connor Murphy Memorial Orchard. Blackhall Studios in Atlanta served as the COVID-19 testing site for the actors and crew members on set. The vocal performances in the film were recorded almost entirely live on set, specifically to ensure that Ben Platt’s vocals sounded as real and authentic as possible when he sings on screen. On December 15, 2020, Universal Filmed Entertainment Group chairwoman Donna Langley confirmed that the film would wrap production that month.
In February 2021, Ben Platt described his experience of recreating his performance as Evan Hansen as “really special” and “bizarre” to Drew Barrymore on her daytime talk show, while also hoping that the film will be “a really moving experience for a lot of different ages of people… I think it’s going to be particularly poignant in terms of everybody’s inability and ability to reach out, and the ways in which we struggle to do that, and the magic that can happen when you do connect with someone and finally feel seen.”
On May 13, 2021, Ben Platt admitted he was apprehensive about translating his performance for the screen. “I think I was nervous about having to meet that same level in a medium that I’m not necessarily as instinctually comfortable in, and that doesn’t necessarily lend itself to the same kind of fireworks as a live performance.”
Ultimately, Platt overcame his personal reservations because they felt like “small beer…Having an opportunity to share this story with, like, millions more people is ultimately much more important than my being worried that my performance won’t be as good as it was on stage.” Platt also confirmed he lost weight and grew his hair out in order to look “authentic” as a gawky and fresh-faced 17-year-old.
Differences from the musical
While the film is expected to be a faithful adaptation of the musical, changes were made to the portrayals of the show’s characters, as mentioned above, along with the cutting of some songs. Additionally, Ben Platt revealed that the ending was altered for the film, describing it as “a kind of extended third act in which we get to see a little bit more of Evan’s repentance and redemption and the work that he does subsequently to make amends and really get to know who Connor was and try to help the family heal…
He’s not, like, quite as off the hook as he is in the musical, where you’ve been sitting in a theater for two and a half hours and you’re kind of ready to wrap it up.” The film does not use elements from Val Emmich’s 2018 young adult novelization of the musical, which featured material from cut scenes and songs from the musical’s development to expand upon its own version of the story.
About the Music
In August 2020, it was confirmed that in addition to playing Alana Beck, Amandla Stenberg would collaborate with Pasek & Paul on the writing of a new song for her character. On May 18, 2021, the official movie website launched and confirmed that the following songs would be included: “You Will Be Found,” “Waving Through a Window,” “For Forever” and “Words Fail.”
On the same day, Ben Platt stated in a Vanity Fair interview that “I think there’s nothing major gone that anyone’s going to miss. All of the major beats and all of the favorite songs are very much intact” while also hinting that another new song had been written for the film. The film’s soundtrack was made available for pre-saving on May 25, 2021 and is set to be released on Interscope Records in September 2021.
Dear Evan Hansen (2021)
Directed by: Stephen Chbosky
Starring: Ben Platt, Kaitlyn Dever, Amandla Stenberg, Nik Dodani, Colton Ryan, Danny Pino, Julianne Moore, Amy Adams, DeMarius Copes, Liz Kate, Isaac Cole Powell, Avery Bederman
Screenplay by: Steven Levenson
Production Design by: Beth Mickle
Cinematography by: Brandon Trost
Film Editing by: Anne McCabe
Set Decoration by: Lance Totten
Art Direction by: Brittany Hites
Makeup Department: Delonda Harvey
Music by: Benj Pasek, Justin Paul
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Universal Pictures
Release Date: September 9, 2021 (TIFF), September 24, 2021 (United States)
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