Armando Iannucci, creator of HBO’s Veep, is adapting Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb into a play.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove is being turned into a stage production by Iannucci that will play in London’s West End. Co-writing the production alongside Iannucci is Sean Foley, who previously directed stage productions of The Ladykillers, Ben Hur, and more.
“We have always been reluctant to let anyone adapt any of Stanley’s work, and we never have. It was so important to him that it wasn’t changed from how he finished it,” Christiane Kubrick, wife of the late Stanley Kubrick, told BBC. “But we could not resist authorizing this project: the time is right, the people doing it are fantastic, and Strangelove should be brought to a new and younger audience. I am sure Stanley would have approved it too.”
What Happens in Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove?
Originally released in 1964, Dr. Strangelove was directed, co-written (alongside Terry Southern and Peter George), and produced by Kubrick. The screenplay is loosely based on a 1958 novel written by George titled Red Alert.
In the film, a United States Air Force general played by Sterling Hayden wakes up one morning and decides he wants to launch a nuclear attack on the Soviet Army. He manages to put plans to do so into motion with relative ease and, before anyone can fully realize what’s happening, authorizes a full-scale attack that seemingly can’t be undone. High-ranking members of the United States government then gather within a War Room located within the Pentagon and attempt to figure out how to navigate the situation. However, the discussion mostly results in petty arguments and absurd revelations.
Along with Hayden, the film stars Peter Sellers (in three separate roles), George C. Scott, Keenan Wynn, Slim Pickens, and James Early Jones. It received Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
The stage adaptation of Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb will open in late 2024.