Spike Lee Does Broadway? Director Talks ‘Do the Right Thing’ Adaptation

Hey, what has Spike Lee been up to lately? Aside from visiting Wesley Snipes in prison, the director has reportedly been in talks to adapt one of his most lauded films for the New York stage.

Director Spike Lee is reportedly in talks to adapt his Oscar-nominated film Do the Right Thing for the Broadway stage, according to MSN. Though a Spike Lee Broadway show might come as a surprise to some, the director actually has some stage-cred behind his name. He’s currently in charge of Mike Tyson’s one-man show Mike Tyson:Undisputed Truth which opened on the New York stage last week. And you know? The show is doing pretty well, notes Hollywood.com.

Now, Lee has taken such a liking to the stage that he’s looking to adapt his 1989 film, a Brooklyn-staged drama about racial tension in the neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant, to the Broadway stage. Lee apparently made the decision based on the counsel of his wife, and has been in talks with a well-known Broadway bigwig about the project.

“I’m talking to Sir James Nederlander about it (taking ‘Do The Right Thing’ to Broadway),” Lee said in an interview on Today.

Do the Right Thing was a critically lauded film when it was released, and enjoys status as one of the greatest (and controversial) films of all time, selected for preservation by the National Film Registry. It was written, produced and directed by Lee, who also starred in it. The film co-starred Danny Aiello, Ruby Dee, Martin Lawrence and actress Rosie Perez.