Mitski, Eboni Booth to write Broadway-aimed 'The Queen's Gambit' musical

A new stage adaptation of Walter Tevis's novel, which was previously adapted into a Netflix series, is preparing for a world-premiere pre-Broadway production.

This is the queens' musical! A new musical adaptation of The Queen's Gambit, based on Walter Tevis bestselling same-named novel about teenage chess prodigy Beth Harmon, is in the works. The musical is in development ahead of a planned world-premiere production and a hopeful Broadway transfer.

Production dates and venue details have yet to be announced, but the lead creative team has been set. The Queen's Gambit musical will feature songs by Oscar-nominated musician Mitski (Everything Everywhere All at Once) and a book by Eboni Booth (Primary Trust), adapted from Walter Tevis's novel. Whitney White (Jaja’s African Hair Braiding) will direct.

“I was a fan of the Netflix show and an even greater fan of the original novel. So I was already determined to be a member of this team,” Mitski said in a statement. “And then I met Eboni and Whitney, and my determination grew tenfold!”

“Everyone has desires, hopes, aspirations, and ideas about who they are and what they can offer the world," White said in a statement. "The Queen’s Gambit takes us into a story of a brilliant young woman on the hunt for all these things. It is a story that feels like mine, and I’m excited to be a part of this exceptional team creating it anew for the stage.”

Tevis's original novel came out in 1983, and the Netflix miniseries adaptation, starring Anya-Taylor Joy, premiered in 2020. If the musical adaptation comes to Broadway, it will mark Mitski and Booth's Broadway debuts. White made hers with Jaja’s African Hair Braiding earlier this fall.

Photo credit: Eboni Booth, Whitney White, & Mitski. (Photo by Michaelah Reynolds)