What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Peter Hedges’ 1991 novel that was adapted by Lasse Hallström into a 1993 hit film starring Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio and Juliette Lewis, is being transformed once again, this time as a stage musical that will have its world premiere Off Broadway next year.
Off Broadway’s MCC Theater announced the project today as part of the company’s 40th Anniversary 2026-27 season. Hedges will write the book, with music and lyrics by Adrian Enscoe, Christopher Sears, Sydney Shepherd and Regina Strayhorn (Enscoe, Shepherd and Strayhorn are a trio known collectively as Bandits on the Run, a Brooklyn-based indie-Americana band; actor-musician Sears is a longtime friend of the group).
The musical will be directed by Anne Kauffman, and will debut in June 2027 at MCC’s Newman Mills Theater.
“We’ve known Regina, Sydney, Adrian, and Chris through both their acting and their remarkable music (go to any Bandits on the Run concert you can!),” said MCC’s Co-Artistic Director Will Cantler in a statement. “Anne Kauffman is one of our favorite directors and we’re excited that she will bring back her unparalleled gift for calibrating a twisty tale as she did so beautifully in our productions of The Nether and Smokefall. Peter Hedges is one of our longest collaborators and friends, developing the novel What’s Eating Gilbert Grape in a series of chapter readings at MCC in 1989. How fitting to come full circle.”
The novel follows a grocery store clerk living with his dysfunctional family in the fictional rural town of Endora, Iowa., including his obese mother, his mentally disabled younger brother and two sisters. MCC describes the adaptation as “a fresh look at the beloved story of a small-town life, a family on the edge, and the dream of escape.” What’s Eating Gilbert Grape is produced in association with Matt Ross, Dede Harris, and Linda Rubin.
Also announced as part of MCC’s 40th anniversary season:
Casting and creative teams will be announced at a later date.
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