THE APEX TIMES
Ted Field’s Radar Pictures in Development on Film Adaptation of West End Play ‘McQueen’
The screen adaptation will be based on James Phillips’ West End stage work, which opened in 2015 and follows the life of fashion designer Alexander McQueen.
A film adaptation of the West End play McQueen is in development, with Ted Field’s Radar Pictures attached, Deadline reported on Aug. 25.
The project is described as a feature adaptation of James Phillips’ stage play McQueen: or Lee and Beauty, which premiered in the West End in 2015. Deadline said the play’s opening came five years after McQueen’s death, positioning the production as one of the earlier major stage biographical treatments of the designer’s life.
Deadline’s report also said Zach Helm is set to write the screenplay. Helm’s previous writing credits include the Netflix series Stranger Things, according to the outlet.
Radar Pictures is producing the film in development, as described by Deadline. The company is led by Ted Field, whose career has included work across television and film, and the report frames Radar’s involvement as part of the studio’s move to translate established literary and theatrical material into screen projects.
The stage work’s title, McQueen: or Lee and Beauty, indicates the play’s storytelling structure, and Deadline’s account ties the planned film directly to Phillips’ script rather than to an unrelated biographical treatment. That matters for audiences who have already seen the play, because an adaptation typically carries over not only plot points but also character emphasis and dialogue choices from the original theatrical text.
While Deadline did not provide a release date or production start timeline, it identified the key creative and production elements that would typically determine next steps, including screenplay development and the adaptation’s planned path from West End material to a film format.
No casting information or distribution plans were included in the report, meaning that the project’s next phase appears to focus on script development and associated rights and production arrangements before public announcements on talent or release windows.
Why It Matters
- The project extends a major biographical work from the theatre to film, potentially reaching audiences who did not see the West End production.
- Because the adaptation is based on a specific stage script, it may preserve Phillips’ narrative framing and character focus as the story transitions to screen.
- Script development is the next practical step for the production, and public announcements on casting and timeline typically follow after screenplay work is completed.
- The film’s eventual market positioning will depend on how its theatrical foundation translates to a screenplay, including audience expectations formed by the West End run.
Key Facts
- Radar Pictures, led by Ted Field, is developing a feature film adaptation of the West End play McQueen.
- Deadline reported that the film will adapt James Phillips’ play McQueen: or Lee and Beauty.
- The stage play opened in the West End in 2015, described as occurring five years after Alexander McQueen’s passing.
- Zach Helm is attached to write the screenplay, and Deadline cited his work including Stranger Things.
- Deadline’s report did not include a release date, casting, or distribution details.