Oh, Fyre Fest. Despite the fact that it never turned out happening it has been the gift that has kept on giving. Normally, we don’t take pleasure in the pain of others, but a bit of schadenfreude is acceptable when we’re talking about convicted felon Billy McFarland, the mind behind Fyre Fest. He swore it would actually happen the second time around, and shockingly, it didn’t. But it will all be worth, because Taika Waititi is currently working on “Fyre Fest: The Musical.”
The original Fyre Fest was a joke unto itself. People traveled to an island for the promise of a tropical music festival, but weren’t given appropriate shelter or food. The second Fyre Fest never happened, so at least no one was hurt. First, FF2 was going to happen in one location, then another, then it was going to become a music streaming platform, then a hotel pop-up event, then the IP was sold on eBay for $245,000. And while this upcoming musical isn’t officially connected to the brand, it’ll probably be the best thing to come from it.
Waitii has made his name as a comedic force off the strength of movies like “Hunt for the Wilderpeople,” “Thor: Ragnarök,” “Jojo Rabbit,” and “What We Do in the Shadows.” Who better to produce a musical about Fyre Fest and Billy McFarland? As Waititi puts it, “Honestly, I think the idea is exciting, weird, and potentially disastrous, which seems apt and is how I like to work. I can’t wait to get started and snatch me some of that sweet American theatre money.”
He’ll be working with Bryan Buckley, whose previous experience in directing has largely been some of the biggest Super Bowl commercials of all time, as well as the film “The Pirates of Somalia.” The score will be composed by Paul Epworth, who notably wrote the song “Skyfall” from the James Bond film of the same name. It’s an intriguing combination but one that is summed up in the synopsis: “It’s not just a Greek-sized tragedy of one man’s con. It’s a satirical indictment of an entire generation. Fyre Fest the Musical. It’s about as wrong as a bad idea can go.”
There are currently no announcements as to when or where the show will be produced, but we’ll keep you posted. Assuming it actually happens of course, this is Fyre Fest we’re talking about.
