Carole King musical Beautiful headed for big screen

King, now 73, called Beautiful "a wonderful gift" when it opened in London last month

Beautiful, the Tony-winning and Olivier-nominated musical about the early life of Carole King, is to be turned into a film by Sony Pictures.

Tom Hanks' Playtone production company will produce the movie, to be written, like the musical, by Douglas McGrath.

Beautiful opened on Broadway in 2014 and made its West End debut last month.

"We're thrilled to be bringing this inspiring and powerful musical to movie audiences everywhere," said Sony Pictures' Michael De Luca.

Beautiful dramatises King's formative days as a songwriter and her gradual emergence as a solo artist and features a host of songs, among them I Feel the Earth Move, So Far Away and Will You Love Me Tomorrow.

Katie Brayben (seated) plays King in the West End production

"Theatrical audiences both on Broadway and in the West End have responded to Beautiful, not only to relive Carole King's timeless classics, but to experience the ways they illustrate her triumphant and joyful life story," said De Luca.

Beautiful won two Tonys last year, for its sound design and original lead actress Jessie Mueller. Chilina Kennedy has since taken over the lead role in the New York production.

The show, currently playing at London's Aldwych theatre with Katie Brayben as King, is up for eight awards at next month's Oliviers.