Paolo Nutini in talks to stage John Lennon biopic

After the quickfire announcement of three forthcoming stagings of The Great Gatsby last week, the West End could be set for another thematic pile-up: adaptations of films about John Lennon's musical apprenticeship. Last year's Backbeat , which played at the Trafalgar Studios, charted the band's early days in Hamburg, and now – according to the Daily Mail – a stage adaptation of Sam Taylor-Wood's 2009 film Nowhere Boy could serve as a sequel. A new production is aiming for a West End opening within two years. Scottish singer-songwriter Paolo Nutini is reportedly in negotiations to write the music and lyrics for the project, which will be directed by Rupert Goold and produced by Sally Greene – perhaps best known for Billy Elliot: The Musical – in collaboration with the original film's production company Ecosse Films. Nowhere Boy was itself based on an autobiography by Lennon's half-sister Julia Baird, and focuses on his childhood in Liverpool, in particular his relationship with his biological mother and his early friendship and musical partnership with Paul McCartney. It depicts the formation of The Quarrymen, who would later travel to Hamburg and, eventually, reform as The Beatles. The Mail reports that Nutini will present a working version of an original score to the creative team in a series of workshops, which will inform how the production moves forward. Nutini has released two albums to date – These Streets and Sunny Side Up – both of which have gone sold over four million copies.