Paul Mescal Replaces Blake Jenner in ‘Merrily We Roll Along’ Movie, Which Will Be Filmed Across 20 Years

Paul Mescal has joined the cast of the the movie musical Merrily We Roll Along!

The 26-year-old actor will take on the lead role of Broadway composer Franklin Shepard. The role was originally going to be played by Blake Jenner, but he left the project following the allegations made by ex-wife Melissa Benoist.

The movie is going to be filmed across 20 years to tell the full story of the musical with the actors being the appropriate age in each scene. Richard Linklater, who used the same concept for his Oscar-winning movie Boyhood, is directing the film.

Variety reports that Paul has already shot a segment for the movie.

Ben Platt is playing Franklin’s creative partner Charley and Beanie Feldstein is playing their friend, theater critic Mary.

The story “tracks the trio’s disintegrating friendship as Franklin abandons Charley and Mary to become a successful Hollywood film producer — the twist is that the story is told in reverse chronological order, starting with Mary castigating Franklin as a sell-out and ending 20 years earlier with the characters as fresh-faced hopefuls,” according to Variety.

It’s not yet clear if scenes were fully reshot to include Paul or if technology is being used to place him into the completed scenes.

Paul just was cast in another exciting project!