Advertisement

Jeff Daniels returning to Broadway for To Kill a Mockingbird revival

Jeff Daniels is heading back to Broadway to reprise his role as Atticus Finch in the hit production of To Kill a Mockingbird.

The Newsroom star originated the character in Aaron Sorkin's stage adaptation upon its launch in 2018, and earned a Tony nod for his work, before handing over the part to Ed Harris.

Greg Kinnear had been tapped to make his Broadway debut as the new Finch just weeks before the Covid-19 pandemic shut down New York City's Great White Way in March, 2020, and now producers have turned to Daniels again to help bring the show back to the stage for a limited run in October.

He will be joined by his old Tony-winning co-star Celia Keenan-Bolger, who will return as Scout Finch.

Sharing the news via Twitter on Thursday, Daniels wrote, "Atticus rides again. Broadway. October through January."

He added in a statement, "Over the course of the original year long run, I felt a nightly privilege playing Atticus Finch. At this moment in our country's history, I'm honored to play him again, to inhabit an iconic American Hero who still speaks to our times and will help us all remember who we can be."

And writer/producer Aaron Sorkin shared, "We've been waiting more than a year for Mockingbird - and all of Broadway - to come back, so this is a very happy announcement.

"I'm looking forward to the re-launch of the play under (executive producer) Orin Wolf's leadership and I'm excited for the electricity that Jeff, Celia and the whole cast will be bringing to the Shubert Theatre. Mostly I'm looking forward to being back in our rehearsal room."

Scott Rudin is no longer credited as a producer of the production following his decision to step back from all his film and theatre projects in April to reflect on his past bad behaviour, after former colleagues made allegations about his volatile bullying behaviour in an article by The Hollywood Reporter.

To Kill a Mockingbird, based on the 1960 book by Harper Lee, is also set for a U.S. National Tour in March, 2022, as well as a launch in London's West End in the same month, with Rafe Spall in the lead role.