Taika Waititi and Rita Ora are working on ‘potentially disastrous’ Fyre Festival musical
Bryan Buckley will direct and write the book for the developing production inspired by the life of Fyre Festival founder Billy McFarland
By Larisha Paul
Billy McFarland‘s Fyre Festival is the disaster that keeps on giving. Earlier this summer, the convicted fraudster sold all trademarks related to the music festival on eBay for $245,300. Now, the chaos fest and the man behind it will serve as the basis for the upcoming musical comedy, Fyre Fest The Musical.
“Honestly, I think the idea is exciting, weird, and potentially disastrous, which seems apt and is how I like to work,” said producer Taika Waititi, per The Hollywood Reporter. “I can’t wait to get started and snatch me some of that sweet American theatre money.” It’s a true parallel to the story behind Fyre Fest, which has been immortalized in documentaries from both Netflix and Hulu, as well as in the viral photos of the terribly sad sandwiches the stranded festival-goers were served when the festival was abruptly cancelled.
Waititi and Rita Ora will produce the developing production alongside Matthew Weaver and Bryan Buckley’s Hungry Man Productions. Buckley will write the book and direct, though it hasn’t been announced whether the show will head to Broadway or exist in another realm of the medium.
“Working in the theatre is always fun,” Waititi said. “I mean, I haven’t done it for 15 years because it was no longer fun, but I’ve been told it will be fun this time. And I believe them. When Bryan Buckley told me he wanted to make a musical about the Fyre Festival, I said ‘Who the hell is Bryan Buckley?’ I then remembered we’ve been friends and work mates for 15 years so it was kinda hard to say no.”
Paul Epworth — who has previously collaborated with Adele, Foster the People, Glass Animals, and more — will helm music, while Hamilton‘s David Korins will be responsible for set design.
“I never saw myself doing a theatrical musical comedy,” Buckley said. “But then again, I never saw something completely mind-bendingly ridiculous and intriguing as what went down with Fyre-festival. A spectacular failed endeavor — that will haunt a generation forever. I cannot wait to get this show out to the world. And yeah man, this time there will actually be music or your money back.”