Producers interested in bringing the Whit Stillman film The Last Days of Disco to the stage are considering converting the independent feature into a musical.

Playbill On-Line first confirmed Disco's possible theatrical future on July 16. Reached on July 22, Stillman told PBOL that several different parties had shown interest in the movie. The filmmaker said he was initially surprised by the suggestion that his film was stageworthy. "I hadn't been thinking about it," he said. "But then I thought it what a great idea. Musical theatre was one of my first loves. We can do so much more than we were able to do in the film.

At this early stage, no names have been attached to the project, but Stillman said "I'd love to be involved in the adaptation somehow." Stillman said his past theatrical experience consisted of long ago writing a "well regarded," but ultimately rejected skit for Harvard's annual Hasty Pudding show.

The Last Days of Disco opened in late May to positive reviews. The story takes place in the late 1970s, and follows the adventures of two young women using the New York disco scene to make personal and professional connections. As in previous Stillman films, such as 1990's Metropolitan, the characters of Disco are the voluble, hyper-analytical members of an East Coast, WASP culture gasping its last breath.

The film stars Chloe Sevigny and Kate Beckinsale as Alice and Charlotte, the two protagonists. The cast also features Christopher Eigeman, Matthew Keeslar, MacKenzie Astin, Jennifer Beals, and frequent New York stage performer Robert Sean Leonard. Stillman wrote the screenplay and co-produced the picture. As of July 20, the movie had grossed $2.85 million. Stillman's other films include Barcelona (1994). He was nominated for an Oscar for his screenplay to Metropolitan.

-- By Robert Simonson