Cyrano - What We Know So Far
When it comes to movie adaptations of classic literature, few plays have been adapted for the screen as many times as Edmond Rostand's 1897 play, "Cyrano de Bergerac."
At its core, the story of Cyrano is one that most people can relate to — he has fallen in love with Roxane, but his insecurity about his personal appearance makes him too shy to pursue her directly. The first film adaptation came just three years after the play premiered, all the way back in 1900 (via Century Film Project), and since then, new film adaptations of the play have premiered about once a decade, with the only exceptions being the 1910s and the 2010s. In addition to the direct adaptations, there have also been numerous looser portrayals of the story, like "The Truth about Cats and Dogs," "Roxanne," and "Megamind."
Now, the latest adaptation of "Cyrano de Bergerac" is the upcoming MGM musical. Here's everything we know so far about the new "Cyrano," starring Peter Dinklage.
What is the release date for Cyrano?
As reported by Deadline, "Cyrano" premieres in New York and Los Angeles on Christmas Day 2021. It will be distributed by United Artists Releasing. United Artists and MGM haven't yet announced plans for when the film might premiere on streaming services. In the past, movies have typically gotten a 90-day theatrical window before they're available on streaming or home video, but the COVID-19 pandemic has made the situation more fluid — for example, the release window for "Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" is just 45 days after it premieres on September 3 — so the future of theatrical windows very much remains to be seen.
Regardless, the movie musical will be an adaptation of the same musical that premiered off-Broadway in late 2019 and starred Peter Dinklage in the title role (via The New York Times). MGM picked up the film rights to the adaptation on August 4, 2020, (via The Hollywood Reporter), and "Cyrano" was filmed in Sicily in October 2020 (according to The Knowledge).
On August 24, 2021, MGM shared a first-look from "Cyrano" at CinemaCon. That footage isn't yet available to the public, but a trailer should be available in the coming months.
Who is in the cast of Cyrano?
As reported by the Hollywood Reporter, "Game of Thrones" alum Peter Dinklage plays the title role of Cyrano de Bergerac, without the character's signature long nose. "Hillbilly Elegy" and "The Equalizer" star plays Cyrano's love interest, Roxane.
Joining them are Kelvin Harrison Jr. ("12 Years a Slave," "It Comes at Night") in the role of Christian, Cyrano's dim-witted friend whom the poet asks to be the face of his plan to woo Roxane. Ben Mendelsohn ("Rogue One," "Bloodlines") will be playing the role of Count le Guiche, the villainous nobleman who hopes to woo Roxane himself. Brian Tyree Henry ("Atlanta," "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse") plays Le Bret, another friend of Cyrano's.
"Cyrano" is directed by Joe Wright, and written by Erica Schmidt, who also directed the musical. Previously, Wright has directed several period dramas like "Pride & Prejudice," "Anna Karenina," and "Atonement." His only other film with major musical elements is the 20098 drama "The Soloist" with Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx.
What is the plot of Cyrano?
"Cyrano" is an adaptation of the 2019 Off-Broadway musical of the same name, which was itself an adaptation of Edmond Rostand's 1897 play. Set in 17th century France, Cyrano follows a soldier in the French military who is gifted at both sword fighting and poetry. In the classic version of the tale, Cyrano is cursed with an abnormally large nose, which robs him of his self-confidence — instead, this stage version and the movie musical emphasize Peter Dinklage's stature (via PlayBill).
When Cyrano falls in love with the beautiful young noblewoman Roxane, he comes up with a plan to woo her without having to show his face: by writing her love letters and pretending they were written by his handsome friend, Christian. Sure enough, Christian also falls in love with Roxane. Without spoiling anything else — even though the play is more than a century old, so the ending has been out there for a long, long time — things take a tragic turn before Roxane realizes it was Cyrano who was behind the letters.