Clare Sidoti
Staff Writer
It seems as if the whole world, not just the US, is on the edge of its seat waiting for the US Supreme Court’s decision on Marriage Equality and California’s Proposition 8 bill. While we sit and watch, E! Online is reporting that the debate appears to have spurred writer Dustin Lance Black (Milk) to complete the film adaptation of his successful play, 8, “as soon as possible”.
The play taken from the actual trial transcripts documents the Proposition 8 hearings in California. 8 has already had two successful staged readings: in New York City in 2011 and last year in Los Angeles. As far back as the New York performance, director Rob Reiner was talking about adapting the play for the screen with the Oscar-winning screenwriter.
There’s no word yet on casting for the film version but both staged readings had stars from stage and screen lining up to be involved. The New York reading was directed by Joe Mantello and featured Morgan Freeman, Ellen Barkin, John Lithgow and Cheyenne Jackson. Los Angeles’ version was directed by Rob Reiner and starred George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Martin Sheen, Matthew Morrison, Jane Lynch, Chris Colfer and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
However, filming isn’t likely to begin until June or July once the Supreme Court rules on Prop 8, as until that ruling comes down, the story isn’t over. In a March interview with BuzzFeed, Rob Reiner said: “Hopefully, we’ll win, and then the question is how broadly or narrowly they rule. If they rule in the broadest way, which we hope they do, that will open the door to marriage equality throughout the country. If not, then they might assign themselves with the White House’s [amicus] brief, which would open it up for eight more states, and that would basically start the ball rolling throughout the country. If they limit it to just California, then at least that’s an eighth of the country, in addition to the 11 states that already [have same-sex marriage]. It’s just a matter of time before we have marriage equality throughout the country. … We’ll know pretty soon. We’ll know by June.”
You can check out the March 2012 Los Angeles performance of the play, in conjunction with the American Foundation for Equal Rights, below.
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