A musical based on the life of Diana, Princess of Wales, is set to premiere on Netflix before its Broadway debut.
Diana had been originally slated for an official opening on 31 March after previews earlier that month but production was shut down as a result of Covid-19. It’s now set to open in May 2021 but in an unprecedented move, it will now premiere on Netflix before then.
The musical will be filmed without an audience at the Longacre Theatre in New York with the original cast, including the Wicked and American Idiot star Jeanna de Waal as Diana. Producers have been working with the Actors’ Equity Association to ensure safety protocols are followed. Broadway theatres remain officially closed until next year.
“We speak for the entire company when we say that we couldn’t be more excited to finally be able share our show with theater lovers everywhere,” the producers said in a joint statement. “Though there is no substitute for the live theater, we are honored to be a part of the quality entertainment that Netflix provides its subscribers worldwide.”
Diana will now become the first ever Broadway production to premiere on the small screen before its official stage debut. A date for its Netflix debut has yet to be confirmed.
The news follows the success of Disney+’s filmed version of Hamilton which recently launched on the platform. According to data from research firm 7Park Data, the musical was the most-watched piece of content on any streaming platform during July with 37% of their sample size watching.
It’s also the latest splashy acquisition for Netflix, a company that’s been buying up content that’s faced delays as a result of the pandemic. Last week it was revealed that Fox’s adaptation of hit thriller The Woman in the Window, starring Amy Adams, would be skipping a theatrical release and heading online instead while the platform is also reportedly in talks to release Disney’s ambitious RL Stine trilogy Fear Street next summer.
