Hot off his Tony win last night for his performance as President Lyndon Baines Johnson in All the Way, it appears that Bryan Cranston may continue playing the role, as Steven Spielberg has is reportedly in talks to acquire the rights to the play to turn the show into a new mini-series.
Deadline caught word on talks coming from Spielberg's corner. Telling the story of how Johnson dealt with the troublesome politics of 1964, including the Vietnam war and the Civil Rights movement, the Robert Schenkkan-penned play won Best Play in addition to Cranston taking home the top acting prize, which would suggest why Spielberg would be interested into making this project available for a wider audience.
Cranston will be working on the show until the end of the month, and while he does have a few projects on the horizon, including a biography of Dalton Trumbo and a part in Errol Morris' Holland, Michigan, it is not hard to believe that Cranston could try to fit some room into his schedule to continue playing the part.
It is unclear that, if the show does get made, where it will eventually air, as Spielberg has a strong working relationship with HBO from Band of Brothers, while Cranston, of course, is good buddies with the team at AMC. But the project is apparently moving quickly, so an answer should be available soon.
Additionally, Schenkkhan has written a second play about Johnson, centered on his years in 1964-68 titled The Great Society set to premiere at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival next month. At the moment, it is unclear whether or not anything from that play will be centered inside the mini-series.
For those who are not lucky enough to see, or have seen, the show on stage, here is a clip showcasing Cranston's performance as the President:
Image courtesy of Roger Wong/INFphoto.com