Home Box Office is bringing the Tony-award winning play "All the Way" to television. In it, Bryan Cranston will reprise his portrayal of President Lyndon B. Johnson. HBO has also hired the playwright Robert Schenkkan to adapt the play's text to television. Steven Spielberg will be the executive producer for the HBO film.
The play follows President Lyndon B. Johnson when he comes into the presidency after the assassination of John F. Kennedy on 11/22/63. It largely focuses on President Johnson's push to get The Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed by the U.S. Congress.
"All the Way" won the Tony this year for Best Play and Bryan Cranston won for Best Actor. It was Cranston's first role in a Broadway play. The play ran at the Neil Simon Theatre for 131 performances, beginning in March and closing on June 29, 2014. It broke the Broadway box office record when it made $1.4 million during eight performances, the most a play has ever made in one week.
Schenkkan had previously written many plays and television shows, including episodes for the HBO miniseries about World War II, "The Pacific."
The HBO version of "All the Way" will mark Bryan Cranston's return to television since the conclusion of his television show "Breaking Bad," where he played Chemistry teacher-turned-drug kingpin Walter White. His performance of White won Cranston a number of awards, including the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor three times. He is also nominated this year for the final season of "Breaking Bad."
Playwright Schenkkan has written a sequel named "The Great Society" which will be performed at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, from July 23 to November 1, 2014. The play follows Lyndon B. Johnson during the later years of his presidency, including his time dealing with poverty in America and the Vietnam War. The play will be directed by Bill Rauch, who also directed "All the Way" on Broadway. LBJ will be played by Jack Willis, who originated the role in "All the Way" when it was performed at the 2012 Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
HBO has not announced when the screen adaptation would film or when it would air on the cable network.
