Dear Evan Hansen movie: All you need to know
The hit musical has had the big screen treatment
Dear Evan Hansen is one of Broadway's most recent hits and has gained fans from across the world. So it's no surprise that the show didn't only get a West End transfer but also a film adaptation - and it's finally here!
Join us as we dive into everything we know about the Dear Evan Hansen movie including when it will be released in the UK, who's in the cast and how this version will differ to the stage version.
What is Dear Evan Hansen about?
Dear Evan Hansen tells the story of Evan, a high school boy with social anxiety who is encouraged by his therapist to write himself letters where he'd tell himself what was good about each day.
When one of his letters is found in the pocket of Connor Murphy, another student who had taken his own life Connor's family think their son was close with Evan - leading Evan to dive into a web of lies. Eventually Evan has to decide whether he should continue being heralded as a hero for something he did not do or tell the truth and be held accountable for his actions.
When will the Dear Evan Hansen film be released in the UK?
The Dear Evan Hansen film was released in UK cinemas on 22nd October 2021.
Does Ben Platt star in the Dear Evan Hansen film?
Yes he does! Ben Platt stars in the titular role for which he won a Tony Award in the original Broadway production of the show.
Meet the full cast of the Dear Evan Hansen film:
Ben Platt as Evan Hansen
Ben Platt is returning to Dear Evan Hansen to reprise the role of Evan. Evan Hansen is a teenage boy with social anxiety who falls into a web of lies as he pretends he was friends with Connor Murphy, another boy from his school that took his own life.
Ben originated the role of Evan in the Broadway production of Dear Evan Hansen, other theatre credits include Dickon in the 25th anniversary concert of The Secret Garden, and Elder Cunningham in The Book of Mormon in Chicago and New York.
Ben's screen credits include Netflix's The Politician, and the Pitch Perfect film series.
Julianne Moore as Heidi Hansen
Julianne Moore will be playing Evan's mother, Heidi Hansen. She works as a nurse's aid during the day and attends a paralegal school during the evening, which leaves Evan home alone most evenings.
Julianne's credits include Alice in Still Alice, President Coin in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay and Nancy Donovan in the comedy series 30 Rock.
Colton Ryan as Connor Murphy
Colton Ryan will be playing Connor Murphy, a boy at Evan's school who takes his own life. Before his death he stole one of the letters Evan had written to himself, this causes Connor's family to believe that Connor and Evan had been friends.
Colton is no stranger to the world of Dear Evan Hansen as he was part of the cast on Broadway understudying the roles of Evan, Jared, and Connor.
Kaitlyn Dever as Zoe Murphy
Zoe Murphy is Connor's younger sister and Evan's longtime love interest. She never really liked Evan until he lied about being friends with Connor before he died.
Kaitlyn Dever's past credits include the film Booksmart, and Netflix's Unbelievable.
Amy Adams as Cynthia Murphy
Amy Adams will be playing the role of Cynthia Murphy, Connor and Zoe's mother who is trying her best to keep her family together through such a difficult time.
Amy's other movie credits include Giselle in Disney's Enchanted, and Lois Lane in DC's Man of Steel and Justice League.
Amandla Stenberg as Alana Beck
Amandla Stenberg will be playing Alana Beck, Evan's eccentric classmate who is always looking for extracurricular activities to get involved with. She helps Evan create The Connor Project in Connor's memory.
You may remember Amandla as Rue from the first Hunger Games film. Since then, Amandla has appeared in the film The Darkest Minds, and the TV series Gaslight
Nik Dodani as Jared Kleinamn
Jared is one of Evan's few friends, with quite a sarcastic sense of humour. Jared helps Evan write the fake letters between Evan and Connor and he also helps Evan form the Connor Project with Alana.
Nik Dodani's recent TV appearances include Murphy Brown and Netflix's Atypical.
Danny Pino as Larry Murphy
Danny Pino will be playing Larry Murphy, Connor and Zoe's distant father who is regretting not being there for Connor, starts to form a fatherly bond with Evan.
Danny has a many TV credits including FX's Mayans M.C. and Law and Order.
Who wrote the music for the Dear Evan Hansen film?
The film will contain the magnificent Tony-winning score by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul who penned the musical’s beautiful numbers such as ‘Waving Through a Window’ and ‘You Will be Found’.
The writing duo's other work includes the musical Dogfight and the hit movie musicals La La Land and The Greatest Showman. They will also be working on the upcoming live-action remake of Disney's Snow White.
Who wrote the Dear Evan Hansen film?
Original writer of the Broadway show, Stephen Levenson returned to pen the screenplay of the film.
Who is directing the Dear Evan Hansen film?
The film was directed by The Perks of Being a Wallflower writer and director Stephen Chbosky - who isn't new to the world of movie musicals as he also wrote the screenplay for the 2005 film adaptation of RENT.
The history of Dear Evan Hansen
Dear Evan Hansen opened on Broadway in 2016 and became a huge hit earning nine Tony Award nominations and winning six, including Best Musical and Best Score. The West End production opened in November 2019 and won several Olivier Awards including Best New Musical and Best Actor.
Will there be any changes in the film version?
Yes there will. In an interview with the Telegraph, Ben Platt revealed that the ending of the story had been altered for the film which will have Evan held to account for his lies slightly more than he was in the stage version.
When speaking about the change, Ben said: “We see this kid do all these things and tell all these lies in real time, so we need to see the redemption and the forgiveness and the repentance. Watching Evan do the work to figure out who Connor was and heal the family in a much healthier, more removed way, and see him take a breath and heal outside of the trauma he’s experienced, is really, really effective.”
Dear Evan Hansen: Movie soundtrack
The soundtrack for Dear Evan Hansen is now available to buy and stream and includes the iconic songs from the musical such as 'Waving Through a Window' and 'You Will Be Found'.
Will the Dear Evan Hansen film have new songs?
Dear Evan Hansen composers Pasek and Paul have penned two new songs for the film adaptation. 'Anonymous Ones' will be sung by Alana (Amandla Stenberg) and 'A Little Closer' has been written for Connor (Colton Ryan). Connor's song will tie into the film's altered ending.
We've also learnt that the songs for the film were recorded live on set - the same way they recorded the singing for the 2012 Les Misérables film adaptation. Ben Platt added: “I didn’t want there to be such a shift from scene to a song that it felt canned or fantastical. I really like that a lot of the singing is a bit unpolished or raw.”
Have some Dear Evan Hansen songs been cut?
It looks like some songs from the musical have made the cutting room floor. When we looked at the track list for the movie's soundtrack we noticed that 'Anybody Have a Map?', 'Disappear', 'To Break in a Glove' and 'Good For You' were missing.
How can I watch the film adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen?
Dear Evan Hansen is now showing in UK cinemas, you can find a cinema showing Dear Evan Hansen here.
WATCH: Trailer for Dear Evan Hansen the movie:
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