School of Rock musical set for Broadway

Jack Black starred as wannabe rocker Dewey Finn in Richard Linklater's 2003 film

The musical version of the hit 2003 Jack Black film School of Rock is to open on Broadway next year.

The show will be written by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Producers say it will closely follow the film's plot, about a wannabe rock star who poses as a substitute teacher and forms a band with his fifth grade students to enter a music competition.

It is due to open at the Winter Garden on 6 December.

Although Lord Lloyd Webber will write new music for the production, the show will still include some of the rock classics featured in the original film.

The composer will work with lyricist Glenn Slater, who co-created Disney's 2010 film Tangled and wrote the lyrics for the Broadway production of Sister Act.

Casting is set to begin in January.

School of Rock grossed more than $131m (£81.6m) at the global box office when it was released in cinemas.

Directed by Richard Linklater, it featured songs by AC/DC, The Doors, Cream, The Black Keys and Led Zeppelin.