Matthew López, who became the first Latiné playwright to win a Tony for Best Play last week, has signed on to make his feature directorial debut with the big-screen adaptation of Casey McQuiston‘s bestselling LGBTQ+ romance novel Red, White & Royal Blue.
López will also write the script for the movie, which revolves around the love story between an unlikely couple; Alex Claremont-Diaz, the son of America’s first female president, and Prince Henry, the grandson of the Queen of England. The two of them have never gotten along, and after a minor international incident, the two have to pretend to be friends for publicity reasons.
But as they spend more time together they realise they might want to be more than friends. But becoming romantically involved could prove difficult, as Alex’s mother is preparing to run for re-election, but also because it will thrust both men into the spotlight in a way they’re not ready for.
López won his Tony Award for his play The Inheritance, but Hollywood had already taken notice before he secured that award.
He’s already penning the remake of The Bodyguard, which will revolve around an up-and-coming Latina pop star, while he’s also writing a feature adaptation of the novel Leading Men, which focuses on the relationship between Tennessee Williams and his longtime partner Frank Merlo.
The film is being developed by Amazon, who won the rights at auction in 2019. McQuiston’s novel quickly became a New York Times bestseller and has been critically acclaimed. Their latest novel, One Last Stop, was released back in June of this year.
Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter will produce for Berlanti/Schechter Films, while López will also executive produce alongside Michael McGrath. No word yet on who will star in the film, nor when it will be released.
#Peace.Love.RedWhiteRoyalBlue
