Hadestown is soon to hit the big screens, as the Tony-winning musical looks to expand its audience and, potentially, chart a new course for theatrical live captures. 

The live capture of the musical is coming to movie theaters for a five-night run starting July 24, with the film featuring five of the original cast members. After seven years on Broadway and two years on the West End, the goal of the film version is to spread word-of-mouth even further for the show. 

“I sort of look at the audiences of Hadestown in concentric circles, and the inner circle are the core fans, and then they tell their friends, and then there’s the next circle, and they tell their friends, and then next circle, and part of what we’re trying to do is build the concentric circles as wide as possible to to draw everyone into the storytelling,” said producer Mara Isaacs.  

The show intertwines the two mythic love stories of Orpheus and Eurydice and Hades and Persephone, as Orpheus must go down to Hades’ underworld to rescue Eurydice after hard times befall the couple. Anaïs Mitchell penned the folk-jazz score and book. Rachel Chavkin directed the stage productions. 

The idea for a film had pre-dated the show’s 2019 Broadway run, but producer Mara Isaacs said the show wanted to make sure they had the right creative team in place and vision for the film before proceeding. 

“When I think about live captures, very few have figured out how to translate the theatrical experience into an actual filmic experience that has fidelity to what the theatrical experience is, but actually really works in the film medium,” she said. “There have certainly been captures, but they always felt like a kind of compromise.”

She calls the Hadestown film, led by director Brett Sullivan of Steam Motion and Sound, a blend of both a film adaptation of the show and a live theater capture, with Sullivan employing cinematic tools to tell the story. One example, Isaacs said, is the choice to do a one-take shot of Eurydice (played by Eva Noblezada) as she sings “Flowers,” with the camera slowly moving in as she bemoans her choice to go to the underworld.

The live capture was filmed in London’s West End, where costs are lower, but where there’s also a different contracting set up, so that all cast members leave and start at the same time. This cleared the way for original cast members Noblezada, Reeve Carney, Patrick Page, Amber Grey and Andre De Shields to all step into the London production for one-month runs in winter 2025 in order to participate in the film. The lower costs to produce the film also made it feel less “risky,” Isaacs said, since the film was shot on spec, before being acquired by Bleecker Street’s Crosswalk and LD Entertainment and then premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival. 

Three live performances were filmed for the live capture, with a few more additional shooting days without a crowd in order to get needed camera angles. The shoot was a multi-camera set up with moving cranes. 

It is relatively rare to release a live capture of production while the show is still running on stage — Hamilton is one of those rare examples — as many in the industry have feared that the film would cannibalize the audience for live theater. Isaacs said she is still waiting to see how the data pans out, but said she believes that cultural consumption has changed so that consumers are more interested in repeat viewings. Hadestown has also had luck with repeat attendees at the show thanks to a number of creative casting choices. 

“I think that we really need to take into account how younger generations are consuming culture and their interest in having the same experience from multiple perspectives,” Isaacs said.

EXCLUSIVE: In the first development on FX‘s Shōgun in months, we can tell you that Rick Kumazawa (Grey’s Anatomy, You) is set for a recurring role in the Emmy-winning drama’s second season.

Kumazawa is playing Gaspar; no further character details have been disclosed.

Other previously announced newcomers to Shōgun in Season 2 include Asami Mizukawa, Masataka Kubota, Sho Kaneta, Takaaki Enoki, Jun Kunimura, Ren Meguro, Risei Kukihara, Ryô Satô, Seishiro Nishida, Mantaro Koichi and Takashi Yamaguchi.

Emmy winner Hiroyuki Sanada and Cosmo Jarvis will return from Season 1, along with Fumi Nikaidô, Shinnosuke Abe, Hiroto Kanai, Yoriko Dôguchi, Tommy Bastow, Yuko Miyamoto, Eita Okuno and Yuka Kouri.

Production on the new season kicked off in Vancouver earlier this year.

Adapting James Clavell’s bestselling novel, Shōgun‘s first season watched as Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Sanada) fought for his survival as his enemies in the Council of Regents united against him. When a mysterious European ship was found marooned in a nearby village, its English pilot John Blackthorne (Jarvis) shared vital strategic secrets with Toranaga that tipped the scales of power in his favor to win a century-defining civil war.

The TV adaptation hails from creators Rachel Kondo & Justin Marks and is produced by FX Productions. Kondo and Marks are joined as executive producers by Michaela Clavell, Edward L. McDonnell, Michael De Luca and Sanada. Season 2 casting has been handled by Kei Kawamura and Laura Schiff, whose work on the first season won them one of the show’s 18 Emmys, as the show became FX’s first to win Outstanding Drama Series.

Season 2 of Shōgun will stream on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ internationally and air on the FX channel.

Kumazawa is a Japanese-American actor whose television credits include recurring roles on Grey’s Anatomy, Netflix’s You and While You Were Breeding, a guest star role on S.W.A.T., and appearances on Grown-ish, Veep and Animal Kingdom. His voice work includes Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Rise of the Ronin and WWE 2K25. He is repped by Jackson Entertainment Management and Skrzyniarz & Mallean.

EXCLUSIVE: Next-generation talent management firm Select Management Group has upped talent manager Paul Luckenbaugh to Head of Theatrical Talent, Deadline has learned.

Whereas traditional agencies have had film & TV as a pillar, getting increasingly into the creator economy as time has gone on, Select’s approach to entertainment has been a bit of the reverse. News of Luckenbaugh’s role at Select, which is newly created, reflects their continued investment in filmed entertainment and the growing convergence of traditional Hollywood and creator-led talent.

Luckenbaugh will draw on his track record in film & TV to grow Select’s representation expertise in the space, expanding opportunities for clients across the full Select talent roster.

“I’m thrilled to step into this new role as Select continues to redefine talent management at the intersection of Hollywood and the creator economy,” Luckenbaugh told Deadline. “Traditional and digital entertainment have never been more interconnected, creating new opportunities for talent to build careers across verticals. I look forward to growing our theatrical business and helping our clients navigate this evolving landscape.”

Select Management Partners Lisa Filipelli, Brittany Maxwell, Caroline Nardilla and Amy Neben said: “From day one, Select has been focused on bridging the gap between Hollywood and the creator economy, helping talent build careers that extend beyond any single platform. With a roster that spans creators, actors and hybrid talent, Paul has a deep understanding of where the industry is headed and a proven ability to navigate both worlds. He is the ideal leader for our theatrical division as we enter this next phase of growth.”

Luckenbaugh first joined Select in 2018. Alongside his new role as Head of Theatrical Talent, he will continue managing a roster of in both the digital and traditional entertainment spaces. Collectively reaching over 100M followers, his list includes digital-native talent such as Morgan Evelyn Cook, Gigi Gorgeous, Eva Gutowski, Jess Val Ortiz and Crescent Shay, among others. Luckenbaugh also works with actor-first creators such as Roman Banks, Bennett Curran, Jenny Lorenzo, Uly Morazan and JJ Niemann.

Notable clients at Select include Jennifer Affleck, Mikayla Mathews, Mayci Neeley, Jessi Ngatikaura, Aspyn Ovard and Layla Taylor, stars of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County, and actors such as Miss Benny, Hannah Love Lanier, Jenny Lorenzo, Uly Morazan, JJ Niemann, Katie Rose and Tyler Scherer, in addition to myriad creators, athletes and entrepreneurs.

The company also produces Hulu’s cultural phenomenon The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and its upcoming spinoff The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County.

Select Management is part of the Propagate Content family of companies, which also includes Artists First, Authentic Talent & Literary Management, Parker Management and Sway Social, among others.