CHICAGO -- A new Broadway musical version of “The Princess Bride” will premiere in Chicago next summer, lead producer Jeffrey Seller (“Hamilton”) told the Tribune on Sunday. An official announcement is expected Tuesday.

The show, based on the William Goldman novel and the fantastical 1987 Rob Reiner movie, is one of the most anticipated Broadway projects in development, thanks to its popular title and blue-chip creative team. Given the movie’s huge fan base, its pre-Broadway tryout here is especially welcome for Broadway in Chicago after a relatively lean spell.

The book is by the Tony Award winner Bob Martin (“The Drowsy Chaperone”) and Rick Elice (“Jersey Boys”). Music and lyrics are by the Oscar-winning composing team of Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (“Frozen”). The director is the Tony Award winner Alex Timbers (“Moulin Rouge!”) and choreography is by the Tony-winning Andy Blankenbuehler (“Hamilton” and “In the Heights”).

Casting has not yet been announced, but a workshop of the show featured Alex Brightman as Billy, Erika Henningsen as Princess Buttercup, Joel Perez as Inigo Montoya and Jonathan Hadary as Grandpa. (Post-workshop casting changes are common with big Broadway musicals.)

“The Princess Bride: The Musical” will open at the Nederlander Theatre on July 19, 2027, and run through Aug. 22, giving the show a five-week exclusive in Chicago at the peak of the summer tourist season. The cost of a out-of-town tryout likely will be offset by the Nederlander’s high capacity and plethora of well-positioned orchestra seats.

“I read ‘The Princess Bride’ in college and thought it could be a musical,” Seller said. “So it’s no exaggeration to say I have been wanting to do this show for 40 years.”

Seller has a relationship with Gov. JB Pritzker, who met with the touring cast of “Hamilton” earlier this year in Chicago. The producer said that he has discussed with the governor the need to extend the current state incentives for pre-Broadway shows into 2027, especially given Chicago’s high amusement tax and the rise of competitive offerings in less-attractive theater cities.

“I think this engagement is important for the show and it is important for Chicago,” Seller said.

Seller also said that “The Princess Bride” will be the biggest show he has produced to date.

Neither Broadway dates nor a New York theater have been announced, but a transfer during the 2027-28 season is likely. Group tickets for the Chicago run are on sale now by calling Broadway in Chicago at 312-977-1710. Individual tickets are not yet on sale.

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