Stage cast for Octet, which is being adapted into a film

Cast announced for Octet adaptation

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From stage to screen, Octet‘s been given the full Hollywood treatment with an almost too-good-to-be-true cast, here’s what we know so far:

Spearheaded by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton), the cast list for Octet has been released and the gravitational pull from all the stars populating it has drawn in plenty of eyes. The musical giant takes on the task of adapting David Malloy’s work for theatres of a slightly different kind.

What’s it about?

The musical’s story is told through the medium of a cappella, relying heavily on the pure vocals of the cast. The original plot takes place in the gloomy basement of a church, where a group of addicts gather on a regular basis in order to support one another. What’s their collective vice, you ask? Internet overuse and depending on the digital world. The group share woes about FOMO, screen addiction, toxic behaviour spurred by internet anonymity and the general difficulty around the idea of finding and maintaining real human relationships. Presenting themselves in a series of confessionals, the group come clean about themselves in their ongoing quest to find redemption. The story draws parallels between the experiences of online gaming, social media, and digital nihilism with cards found in the Major Arcana of Tarot. With a reliance on the power of the acoustic voice and minimalist staging, it’ll pose an interesting challenge for Miranda’s move to put this story to film.

Who’s in it?

Thanks to a sneaky instagram post from Miranda of the cast list, the confirmed cast includes Amanda Seyfried (Mean Girls), Rachel Zegler (West Side Story), Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary), Phillipa Soo (Moana), Gaten Matarazzo (Stranger Things), Jonathan Groff (Glee), Tramell Tillman (Severance) and Paul Jordan Jansen (& Juliet).

When’s it out?

No official release date has been announced…yet.