The Queen’s Gambit stage musical in the works following success of Netflix series

Musical producers said show is ‘a siren call amidst our contemporary struggles for gender and racial equity’

The Queen’s Gambit is being turned into a stage musical following the success of the award-winning Netflix series.

Telling the story of Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy), an orphan who grows up to become a chess prodigy with a hallucinogen addiction, the series was a surprise hit for Netflix last year.

Now the 1983 novel of the same name, written by Walter Tevis, is to become a stage show, after the rights were acquired by entertainment company Level Forward.

It has not been confirmed whether the company, which was recently behind the Alanis Morisette jukebox musical Jagged Little Pill and Jeremy O’Harris’s Slave Play, will be the ones to adapt the book.

“It is a privilege for Level Forward to lead the charge of bringing The Queen’s Gambit to the stage through the beloved and enduring craft of musical theatre,” said CEO Adrienne Becker and producer Julia Dunetz in a joint statement.

Harry Melling and Anya Taylor-Joy in The Queen’s Gambit (Phil Bray/Netflix)

“Audiences are already sharing in the friendship and fortitude of the story’s inspiring women who energise and sustain Beth Harmon’s journey and ultimate triumph. The story is a siren call amidst our contemporary struggles for gender and racial equity, and we’re looking forward to moving the project forward.”

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The Queen’s Gambit was an unexpected success for Netflix, with more than 62 million households around the world watching in its first month on the streaming service.

The seven-episode series was named Best Limited Series at the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards, while Taylor-Joy also won for Best Actress in a Limited Series at both events.