CODA is riding its wave of Oscar momentum all the way to the theater.
The Apple TV+ film, which is competing for Best Picture at Sunday's Oscars, is set to be turned into a stage musical. The film centers around a "child of deaf adults" who decides to pursue her love of singing.
Vendôme Pictures and Pathé Films, the movie's co-producers, are working with Deaf West Theatre on the adaptation, according to Deadline. Deaf West Theatre's productions mix "ASL with spoken English to create a seamless ballet of movement and voice," according to its website, and some of the non-profit's past productions include Spring Awakening and Big River.
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"It is in the mission of our organization to be the artistic bridge between the deaf and hearing communities and we are truly excited and honored to embark on this live iteration of a story that brings together both sides of the aisle and addresses the ways that we move throughout the world," DJ Kurs, Deaf West Theatre's artistic director, said.
Kurs also told The New York Times that "as a deaf person, I knew from the start that CODA would make a perfect musical," as it "addresses our relationship with music and how we move through the world of sound like immigrants in a foreign country, learning new, seemingly arbitrary rules on the fly."
Further details about the stage production weren't revealed, but Vendôme Pictures' Philippe Rousselet said "we are excited at the caliber of Broadway talent interested in collaborating with us on the project."
In recent weeks, CODA has been building major momentum in the Oscars' Best Picture race, and it's now considered a strong contender to win, despite only receiving three nominations. Troy Kotsur, who plays the protagonist's father in the film, is also the frontrunner to win Best Supporting Actor, meaning he'd make history as the first deaf man to ever win an acting Oscar.
