Chlöe Bailey to star in film adaptation of Bob Dylan-inspired musical

Chlöe Bailey will star in an upcoming film adaptation of playwright Conor McPherson’s Girl From The North Country musical, which is based on the songs of Bob Dylan.

As Variety reports, Bailey – one half of R&B duo Chloe x Halle – will lead the cast along with Olivia Colman and Woody Harrelson. McPherson will write and direct the film, which is being produced by Blueprint Pictures. A release date has not yet been set for the film.

The original Girl From The North Country musical premiered in London in 2017. Namerd after Dylan’s 1963 song of the same name, the musical is set during in 1934 during the Great Depression, and centres around the owners and travellers at a guesthouse in Duluth, Minnesota, as their lives intersect. In the film adaptation, Bailey will play Marianne, the adopted daughter of proprietor Nick Laine (Harrelson) and his wife Elizabeth (Colman).

The musical uses 19 songs from throughout Dylan’s catalogue, including ‘Slow Train’, ‘I Want You’, ‘Like A Rolling Stone’, ‘Hurricane’ and ‘Idiot Wind’. In a statement shared by Variety, Dylan said that being associated with McPherson was “one of the highlights of my professional life”.

He continued: “It goes without saying the man is a genius for putting this thing together and I’m thrilled to be a part of the experience. My songs couldn’t be in better hands. The play had me crying at the end. I can’t even say why. When the curtain came down, I was stunned. I really was.”

McPherson, in his own statement, said it was a “huge privilege” to have Dylan’s trust to create a story from his songs. “Working with this incredible cast to bring these characters to life is almost beyond imagining.”

After its London production in 2017, Girl From The North Country went on to have off-Broadway, Toronto, Broadway and Australian runs. Its Broadway production received a slew of Tony Award nominations last year, winning Best Orchestration.

“To be [a part] of a tony award winning musical adaptation, with this stunning cast, is exciting and surreal,” Bailey wrote on Twitter when announcing her casting in the upcoming film. The singer and actress’ other recent film credits include last year’s Jane along with the upcoming horror thriller The Georgetown Project.

to be apart of a tony award winning musical adaptation, with this stunning cast, is exciting and surreal… ✨✨ https://t.co/ILScWolivq

— Chlöe (@ChloeBailey) February 6, 2023

Bailey’s sister and bandmate Halle has also been involved with multiple film projects of late. This year, she is set to star as Ariel in Disney‘s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, as well as young Nettie Harris in a film adaptation of The Color Purple. Both are currently in pre-production.

Following a string of standalone tracks throughout 2022, Chloë Bailey’s debut solo studio album ‘In Pieces’ is set to arrive next month. It’s been previewed with one single thus far, January’s ‘Pray It Away’.