Well, my friends. The time has come. It's time to raise the roof and have some fun because Walt Disney Studios is developing an original movie musical based on the songs of American treasure, Lionel Richie!

The new project, tentatively titled All Night Long after his 1983 hit, will use some of Richie’s greatest hits in a live-action project in early stages of development with a theatrical release in mind, sources said.

The film is expected to have a jukebox musical vibe and be more in line with movies like Mamma Mia, which is inspired by ABBA’s songs, rather than biopic-oriented, such as the Freddie Mercury-focused Bohemian Rhapsody and Elton John-based Rocketman.



Richie most recently served as a judge on Disney/ABC’s American Idol for Season 18, which premiered in February and then adapted with stay-at-home performances in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. He was also forced to postpone his 2020 European summer tour to 2021 due to the pandemic.

The four-time Grammy Award winner has reportedly sold over 100 million records worldwide. He’s also a three-time Academy Award nominee for Best Original Song, with one win in 1986 for the song “Say You Say Me” from the film White Nights.

Let the music play on!