Universal Pictures has announced that they have acquired the life story of the Bee Gees which they will develop, through their theater division, into a Broadway musical.
Barry Gibb, the surviving member of the trio, along with Yvonne Gibb, widow of Maurice, and the estate of Robin Gibb are all on-board and Barry is set to executive produce the show.
Gibb said in a statement “This is a wonderful opportunity for our family. I’m personally very excited to be a part of the creative process along with Yvonne and Dwina. It’s another adventure for us and a chance to throw the spotlight on all my brothers and finally the real story of us will be told. It’s an honor to be working alongside the people I most respect. I can’t wait to get started!”
Jimmy Horowitz, president of Universal Pictures, said “On behalf of the entire company, we take great pride in collaborating with Barry on developing a stage musical that captures the scope and significance of his family’s incredible story. We thank Barry, Yvonne and Dwina Gibb and our longtime collaborator Sir Lucian Grainge and the Universal Music Group who have played a vital role in creating this opportunity, and we look forward to bringing some of the best music ever written to audiences in a unique and thrilling live stage musical event.”
Sir Lucian Grainge, chairman of Universal Music Group, added “The Bee Gees are among the world’s most influential and commercially successful artists. We’re honored to represent their publishing and recorded music catalogs and we’re thrilled to be involved in this important new project with Jimmy and the team at UTG. This production will honor the trio’s iconic legacy and help introduce a new generation of fans to a band responsible for some of the greatest songs and melodies in pop music.”
Universal Theatrical Group has previously produced shows such as Wicked, Billy Elliot and Bring It On.
