In October, rising star and talented actress-singer Anna Kendrick signed on to play the female lead in a film adaptation of the successful time-warp romantic musical “The Last 5 Years.” Now, Broadway golden boy Jeremy Jordan has been cast as her love interest, a choice that is sure to get the theater kids jazzed up. Jordan was Tony Award-nominated for his lead performance as Jack Kelly in “Newsies” last year, has also starred in the film musical “Joyful Noise” with Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah, and can currently can be seen in season 2 of "Smash."
“The Last 5 Years” is the story of a couple meeting, marrying and eventually divorcing over a five-year period, told using a unique timeline device. While Jordan’s character experiences the relationship in chronological order, the story of Kendrick’s character arcs backwards from the end of their marriage to the day that they met, with the two timelines intersecting for only one song in the middle of the show/movie. Romantic film veteran Richard Lagravenese (“P.S. I Love You,” “Beautiful Creatures”) is set to direct from his own script.
While Jordan might be getting a lot of attention for causing a recent sensation on Broadway, not everyone realizes that Kendrick is a Tony nominee herself, having been nominated when she was only 12 years old for her role in the musical “High Society.” Her recent performance in “Pitch Perfect” played well, so hopefully this will be another chance for her to show off her pipes and entertain more a capella fangirls and boys alongside a musical theater star. [Deadline]