Spike Lee is directing a musical about Viagra
What's Spike Lee up to next? It's just been announced he'll direct a movie musical about the creation of ED breakthrough drug Viagra. He's co-writing the screenplay with British playwright Kwame Kwei-Armah, while the songs will be composed by Stew Stewart and Heidi Rodewald, who wrote Tony-winning musical Passing Strange, which Spike adapted into a 2009 feature film.
The musical will be based on David Kushner's 2018 Esquire feature "All Rise: The Untold Story of the Guys Who Launched Viagra." No title for the film has been announced yet, but surely they're mulling over thousands of potential puns as we speak. Too bad The Harder They Come is already a movie. Feel free to leave a suggested title in the comments.
In a statement, Spike wrote: "“First And Foremost, I Thank Ms. Jacquelyn Shelton Lee. I Thank My Late Mother For As She Would Say Taking “My Narrow,Rusty Behind” Dragging,Kickin’ And Screamin’ To The Movies When I Wuz A Nappy Headed Kid Growing Up In Da Streets Of Da People’s Republic Of Brooklyn. I Did Not Want To See Corny People Singin’ And Dancin’. I Instead Wanted To Play With My Friends On Da Block,Stoop Ball,Stick Ball,Punch Ball, Soft Ball, Basketball,2 Hand Touch, Tackle Football, Coco Leevio, Johnny On Da Pony, Hot,Peas And Butter, Crack Top,Down Da Sewer And Of Course-Booty’s Up. All The Great New York City Street Games That Might Be Sadly Lost Forever. My Father,Bill Lee,Jazz/Folk Bassist,Composer HATED HollyWeird Movies,Henceforth And What Not,Me Being The Eldest Of 5 Children I Became Mommy’s Movie Date. She Was A Cinefile. Thank You Lawdy She Didn’t Listen To My Ongoing Complaints About Musicals. So Finally Going Into My 4th Decade As A Filmmaker I Will Be Directing An DANCIN’,ALL SINGIN’ MUSICAL Spike Lee Joint And I Can’t Wait. My Moms Has Been Waiting TOO!!! And Dats Da Rodgers And Hammerstein Truth,Ruth.”
Spike has had a busy 2020, having released drama Da Five Bloods via Netflix, and the concert film adaptation of David Byrne's American Utopia on Broadway for HBO.
Also in the works for Spike: a hip hop adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet currently titled Prince of Cats.