EXCLUSIVE: Universal Pictures Content Group has acquired Hadestown: The Musical – a live capture of the stage show featuring the original Broadway cast and filmed in London’s West End – for UK-Ireland, Australia-New Zealand and South Africa, from Bleecker Street.
Theatrical rights have been sublicensed to Trafalgar Releasing, which will release the film in cinemas in UK-Ireland and Australia-New Zealand from October.
Hadestown: The Musical has proved a box office success in North America, grossing more than $18m since its release on July 24, overtaking Hamilton to become the highest-grossing live capture of a musical in North America.
The show blends modern American folk music with New Orleans-inspired jazz to reimagine the Ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, intertwined with the story of King Hades and his wife Persephone.
Brett Sullivan of Steam Motion & Sound directed the theatre capture of the stage musical. The original musical was written by Anaïs Mitchell and directed by Rachel Chavkin. Mara Isaacs, Dale Franzen, Hunter Arnold and Tom Kirdahy produced both the film and the stage productions.
The film includes five original cast members from the Broadway show: Reeve Carney as Orpheus, André De Shields as Hermes, Amber Gray as Persephone, Eva Noblezada as Eurydice, and Patrick Page as Hades.
It also stars Bella Brown, Madeline Charlemagne and Allie Daniel as Fates; Lauren Azania, Tiago Dhondt Bamberger, Ryesha Higgs, Waylon Jacobs and Christopher Short as Workers; and Lucinda Buckley, Francessca Daniella-Baker, Winny Herbert and Miriam Nyarko as Swings.
Hadestown, now in its seventh year on Broadway and third year in London’s West End, won eight Tony Awards in 2019, including best musical, and the 2020 Grammy Award for best musical theatre album.
Universal Pictures Content Group and Bleecker Street with its event cinema division Crosswalk previously collaborated on the release of Stray Kids: The Dominate Experience earlier this year and Adam Shankman-directed, RuPaul-led action comedy Stop! That! Train!, which Universal Pictures Content Group will release theatrically in UK-Ireland on August 21.
Universal Pictures Content Group’s UK-Ireland release of Six The Musical became the highest grossing theatre title at the box office after its release in 2025, at £6.16m, ahead of the original 2022 release of Prima Facie – NT Live (£5.5m).
“Whether you’ve seen Hadestown dozens of times or are discovering it for the very first time, this cinematic presentation offers an incredible way to experience the show,” said Helen Parker, executive vice president of Universal Pictures Content Group.
“It captures the heart, passion and artistry that made Hadestown a global sensation, and following the amazing box office result in North America, we’re delighted to share it with audiences throughout the UK and Australia.”
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