There Will Be 10 Things to Love about This Lena Dunham and Carly Rae Jepsen Collab
Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles at swing in a scene from the film "10 Things I Hate About You," 1999 Source: Buena Vista/Getty Images)

There Will Be 10 Things to Love about This Lena Dunham and Carly Rae Jepsen Collab

Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 1 MIN.

"Girls" creator Lena Dunham and "Call Me Maybe" singer Carly Rae Jepsen are joining forces to bring the Gil Junger-directed 1999 rom-com "10 Things I Hate About You" to the stage as a musical.

"Jepsen is co-writing the score with producer Ethan Gruska, with whom she worked on her most recent album 'The Loveliest Time,'" Variety reported, "and Dunham is set to co-write the book with acclaimed playwright Jessica Huang."

A release about the project recalls that "'10 Things I Hate About You,' a retelling of William Shakespeare's 1594 play 'The Taming of the Shrew,' launched the careers of Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles and Joseph Gordon-Levitt and showcased a breakout performance by Alison Janney," Variety relayed.

In the film, Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) hires Patrick (Heath Ledger) to romance Kat (Julia Stiles), the older sister of Bianca (Larisa Oleynik). His motive is simple: Bianca will not be allowed to date until Kat has a boyfriend.

"The film was a box office hit and gained cult status thanks to its keen and witty examination of teenage life in a 1990s Seattle suburb and the nuanced portrayal of sisters Kat and Bianca Stratford," the release adds.

"The adaptation's creative team also includes the two-time Tony-winning director and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon; music supervisor, arranger and orchestrator Tom Kitt, who is also a two-time Tony winner; and 'Shucked' and 'Beautiful – The Carole King Musical' producer Mike Bosner by special arrangement with Buena Vista Theatrical," Variety noted.

Revisit the 1999 film with the trailer below.


by Kilian Melloy , EDGE Staff Reporter

Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.

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