UK theatergoers apparently are mad as hell and not going to take it anymore. But they’re going to get it anyway. Bryan Cranston is set to play Howard Beale in Lee Hall’s adaptation of the classic 1976 film Network for the National Theatre stage in November.
Paddy Chayefsky won an Original Screenplay Oscar for the film that starred Peter Finch as Beale, an unhinged TV newscaster whose network exploits his rants for profit. The film also won three others Oscars — for lead actor Finch, lead actress Faye Dunaway and supporting actress Beatrice Straight — among its 10 total noms but lost Best Picture to Rocky.
Hall wrote the screenplays for Billy Elliot and War Horse and also has written a dozen plays including The Pitmen Painters, which had a brief Broadway run in 2010. He also penned the book and lyrics for the Broadway adaptation of Billy Elliot: The Musical that ran from 2008-12. He won a Tony for that show’s book.
UK entertainment journalist Baz Bamigboye first reported the news on Twitter.