GK takes Jersey Boys film rights

King and Tim Headington will produce the film version, to be scripted by stage play writers Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. Frankie Valli and Bob Gaudio will executive produce.

The film will use much of the same music and lyrics as the stage play, which features such Four Seasons songs as Sherry, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Rag Doll, Oh What a Night and Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You.

The plays tells the story of how a group of blue-collar boys became one of the biggest American pop music sensations of all time, selling 175m records worldwide. It opened on Broadway in 2005 and won four 2006 Tony Awards including best musical. After opening in London’s West End in 2008 it won the 2009 Olivier Award for best musical. With productions staged around the world, the play’s ticket sales have topped $1bn.

“Jersey Boys is one of the most electrifying stage shows any of us has ever seen and it has all the ingredients to become a big commercial hit movie,” commented King.

GK Films’ Julie Roach negotiated with Ken Ziffren and David Lande of Ziffren, Brittenham, ICM’s Jeff Berg and The Four Seasons’ Peter Bennett to acquire the film rights.

GK Films recently announced that it is joining forces with Tribeca Productions and Queen Films to produce an untitled Freddie Mercury biopic starring Sacha Baron Cohen and written by Peter Morgan.