Goldman and Guettel Part Ways on Princess Bride Musical

By Andrew Gans
February 16, 2007

It looks as though a musical version of "The Princess Bride," William Goldman's hit 1987 film, won't be arriving on Broadway anytime soon.

Goldman and Adam Guettel, the Tony-winning composer of The Light in the Piazza, had been collaborating on a Princess Bride musical for over a year. Guettel was penning the score with Goldman supplying the book. The New York Post reports that the two had a "falling out over ownership of the show," with Goldman reportedly demanding 75 percent of the authors' share of the musical.

Goldman confirmed to the Post that he and Guettel have parted ways.

A recent workshop of The Princess Bride had been held at Lincoln Center. One source told the New York daily, "Adam wrote some wonderful songs. Maybe he can use them in another show."

"The Princess Bride" delighted audiences with its mix of sincere medieval magic and mocking parody of the swashbuckling film genre. The flick starred Cary Elwes and Robin Wright as each other's true love, and Chris Sarandon as the evil prince who would keep them apart. The film also starred Mandy Patinkin as a swordsman out for vengeance, Christopher Guest as another baddie, Wallace Shawn and Andre the Giant as two unlikely compatriots, and Billy Crystal and Carol Kane as an ancient wizard and his wife.

The material was a decided shift to the lighthearted for Guettel, whose two previous musicals, Floyd Collins and The Light in the Piazza, both examine the darker and moodier sides of human nature.

Goldman is a famed screenwriter known for the films "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "All the President's Men" and "Marathon Man." He also wrote the classic examination of the Broadway world, "The Season."