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Vanity Fair has just released an in-depth piece spotlighting Lin-Manuel Miranda’s upcoming Octet film adaptation. In the article, which includes an accompanying first-look photo of the cast, Miranda sheds new light on the film, including casting, the filming process, and details about its release.
The project is based on the acapella musical by Dave Malloy, exploring the prevalent theme of internet addiction in our very online, digital-first culture. The movie wrapped production earlier this year with a star-studded cast of performers, including Rachel Zegler, Jonathan Groff, and Amanda Seyfried.
After rehearsing for five weeks, the film had a 22-day shoot, culminating in an outdoor night shoot in Yonkers. In a departure from the stage play, which takes place entirely in a church basement, the film allows room for other settings as well, making real the world of the character’s addictions.
According to Miranda, about half of the sung vocals were captured live on set, noting that “Dave [Malloy] has moments that are so vocally dense and verbally dense that it’s actually harder to lip-sync than it is to just get it live.”
Miranda also shared that the opening number—called “Hymn: The Forest” in the stage musical—was shot in one continuous take, known as a “oner.”
Having been independently financed, Octet currently has no release date or studio attached. “We raised the money ourselves to make this film. We are looking for distribution,” he said.
Read the full Vanity Fair article, in which Miranda shares how he landed on the casting decisions for the film, and previews the close bond he witnessed between the cast members. Learn more about the new Octet movie in our guide here.
Octet is an a acapella chamber musical about eight internet-obsessed people who meet in a church basement and lock their phones in a box. The Dave Malloy (Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812) musical follows an octet of people struggling with digital dependency, charting their compulsions using only the analog vibrancy of their own voices. The piece premiered on May 19, 2019, at Off-Broadway at the Signature Theatre in New York City.
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s film version stars Amanda Seyfried as Jessica, Rachel Zegler as Velma, Sheryl Lee Ralph as Paula, Phillipa Soo as Karly, Gaten Matarazzo as Toby, Jonathan Groff as Henry, Tramell Tillman as Marvin, and Paul-Jordan Jansen as Ed. Writer and composer Dave Malloy adapted the musical’s book for the big screen and also serves as Executive Producer.
Photo Credit: Bruce Glikas
