Taika Waititi and Rita Ora Developing Fyre Festival Stage Musical: ‘Exciting, Weird and Potentially Disastrous’

You cognize that aged saying: if astatine archetypal you neglect miserably, double, past triple down. That seems to beryllium the thought down Taiki Waititi’s latest large swing. The manager and his wife, Rita Ora, are processing a philharmonic signifier adaptation of the infamous Fyre Festival.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fyre Fest The Musical is slated to beryllium a philharmonic drama based connected the beingness communicative of the famously disastrous 2017 influencer festival co-founded by Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule that promised sets from Blink-182, Pusha T, Disclosure and Migos, among others. As you mightiness recall, the lawsuit tipped arsenic a “luxury” gathering successful the Bahamas successful teasers featuring models Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski was canceled astatine the past minute, stranding celebrities and ticketbuyers connected an land with sub-par food, flimsy tents and nary of the high-end amenities they were promised.

McFarland pleaded blameworthy to ligament fraud successful 2018 and spent respective years successful situation earlier being released successful 2022. He reportedly planned to re-boot the failed lawsuit successful 2025, but the show was canceled 2 months aft being announced aft organizers reportedly failed to fastener down a venue. The festival and McFarland were the subjects of 2 akin documentaries connected Hulu and Netflix successful 2019.

According to THR, nary accumulation timeline has been shared yet for the signifier amusement and it was unclear astatine property clip if it is headed for Broadway. The publication for the philharmonic volition beryllium written by manager and Super Bowl commercialized seasoned Bryan Buckley, who volition besides direct. Oscar- and Grammy-winner Paul Epworth (Adele, Rihanna) volition constitute the music, with David Korins (Hamilton) tapped to plan the sets.

A synopsis describes the philharmonic arsenic “not conscionable a Greek-sized calamity of 1 man’s con. It’s a satirical indictment of an full generation. It’s astir arsenic incorrect arsenic a atrocious thought tin go.”

“Working successful the theater is ever fun. I mean I haven’t done it for 15 years due to the fact that it was nary longer fun, but I’ve been told it volition beryllium amusive this time. And I judge them,” Waititi told THR. “When Bryan Buckley told maine helium wanted to marque a philharmonic astir the Fyre Festival, I said ‘Who the hellhole is Bryan Buckley?’ I past remembered we’ve been friends and enactment mates for 15 years truthful it was kinda hard to accidental no. Honestly, I deliberation the thought is exciting, weird, and perchance disastrous, which seems apt and is however I similar to work. I can’t hold to get started and snatch maine immoderate of that saccharine American theatre money.”

Buckley was arsenic comedically incredulous. “I ne'er saw myself doing a theatrical philharmonic comedy,” helium said. “But past again, I ne'er saw thing wholly mind-bendingly ridiculous and intriguing arsenic what went down with Fyre-festival. A spectacular failed endeavor — that volition haunt a procreation forever. I cannot hold to get this amusement retired to the world. And yea man, this clip determination volition really beryllium euphony oregon your wealth back.”