HBO Films secured the rights to adapt the Broadway production All the Way with Bryan Cranston attached to reprise his Tony-winning role as President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Last month we learned that Steven Spielberg was interested in producing the adaptation (originally as a miniseries) with Cranston on board, and his past relationship with HBO (Band of Brothers, The Pacific) likely contributed to the completion of the deal, as his company, Amblin Television, was hired to co-produce the TV movie. Cranston will also executive produce, along with All the Way playwright Robert Schenkkan, who is tasked with adapting his own material.
The play – which followed Johnson’s first year in office after President Kennedy’s assassination – received widespread acclaim and won 2014 Tony Awards for Best Performance by a Leading Actor (Cranston) and Best Play. However, even those unfamiliar with the stage production or the series of historic events surrounding Johnson’s presidency (Vietnam War, 1964 Civil Rights Act) could still be drawn to the adaptation due to the involvement of Cranston, who is also nominated for another Emmy Award for the last season of Breaking Bad.
We’ll let you know when HBO plans to air All the Way when a date is announced.
