Merrily We Roll Along: friendships unravel backward on the big screen
- In cinemas Friday, 5 December 2025; UK previews from Thursday, 4 December
- Cinematic live capture of the Tony-winning revival, directed by Maria Friedman.
- Starring Jonathan Groff (Franklin), Daniel Radcliffe (Charley), Lindsay Mendez (Mary).
- Runtime listings around 2h25; certificate TBC at time of writing.
- Reverse-chronology story with Stephen Sondheim’s celebrated songs.
Story in one sentence
Composer Franklin Shepard’s rise strains his bond with Mary and Charley, told in reverse—from fallout to first spark—with Groff, Radcliffe and Mendez leading.
Old friends, new beginnings (told backward)
Franklin, Mary and Charley: the trio at the centre
Franklin Shepard (Jonathan Groff) appears first at the height of success, then the film rolls time back to trace how choices hardened into distance. Mary Flynn (Lindsay Mendez) serves as the blunt, loyal conscience who can’t always soften the truth. Charley Kringas (Daniel Radcliffe) is the collaborator whose ideals clash with Franklin’s compromises.
The live capture preserves close-up intimacy without losing stage energy. Expect tight framing on confrontations, then wider images for numbers that rely on ensemble geometry, allowing the reverse structure to register clearly beat to beat.
Sondheim’s score anchors the time shifts: reprises arrive as emotional callbacks, while earlier iterations of songs land with different meaning once you’ve seen where the friendships end up.
From fallout to first spark: how the reverse timeline plays
Because scenes move backward, revelations work by subtraction: we learn why a partnership cracks, then step to the moment the first fissure forms, and finally reach the optimism that preceded it. The structure rewards attention without requiring foreknowledge.
Key set-pieces—parties, studio sessions, and industry rooms—shrink or expand with the trio’s changing fortunes, giving visual cues to where we are in their journey.
The effect is poignant: by the time we arrive at youthful promise, we understand the cost baked into it, which is precisely the musical’s sting.
How this version reaches cinemas
Stage-to-screen capture, not a separate feature adaptation
This release is a cinematic capture of the acclaimed revival, directed for the screen by Maria Friedman with distribution timed for early December. It is distinct from Richard Linklater’s separate long-gestation adaptation, which continues filming over decades.
The capture approach preserves choreography, orchestrations and performances that won major awards on Broadway, while the edit uses multiple camera positions to clarify story beats for filmgoers.
For audiences, that means the exact revival cast—Groff, Radcliffe, Mendez—on a cinema screen, with sound mixing tailored for theatrical playback.
Dates, tickets and who it suits
Release and runtime
United States and United Kingdom: theatrical release on 5 December 2025, with UK preview screenings on 4 December. Runtime is listed around 2h25 on UK exhibitor pages; certification to be confirmed.
Expect full evening shows across opening weekend and earlier daytime slots for matinee audiences once schedules expand. Premium auditoriums will emphasise vocal detail and pit-orchestra balance.
If you want quieter screenings, target early Friday or late Sunday; for “event” atmosphere, opening Friday evening typically delivers the biggest crowd response for musical releases.