Chlöe Bailey and Olivia Colman to star in film adaptation of Bob Dylan’s ‘Girl From the North Country’

Chlöe Bailey, Woody Harrelson and Olivia Colman are slated to star in a film adaptation of Girl From the North Country, the Broadway musical built around Bob Dylan‘s discography, according to Variety.

Conor McPherson, who created the musical, is writing and directing the movie. The musical, which debuted at the Old Vic in London before landing on Broadway, soundtracks a Depression-era storyline that follows the intersecting lives of travellers with popular Dylan tracks, including ‘Forever Young,’ ‘All Along the Watchtower’ and ‘Like a Rolling Stone.’

The film will see Harrelson play proprietor Nick Laine, whose wife Elizabeth, played by Coleman, is battling dementia. As they face foreclosure on their house, their daughter Marianne, portrayed by Bailey, develops a life-changing relationship with an escaped convict named Joe Scott, played by Tosin Cole, while living at a guesthouse in Duluth, Minnesota. Blueprint Pictures is behind the movie, with executive producers Graham Broadbent and Pete Czernin.

In a statement, Dylan spoke fondly of McPherson’s work. “To be associated with Conor is one of the highlights of my professional life,” he said. “It goes without saying the man is a genius for putting this thing together and I’m thrilled to be a part of the experience. My songs couldn’t be in better hands. The play had me crying at the end. I can’t even say why. When the curtain came down, I was stunned. I really was.”

McPherson added, “Having Bob Dylan’s trust to create a story using his incomparable songs is a huge privilege that has brought nothing but joy to my world. But working with this incredible cast to bring these characters to life is almost beyond imagining. I’m also especially thrilled to be working with Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin and the whole Blueprint team, who have given cinema audiences some of the greatest movies of recent times.”