New life for Stephen Merchant's 2019 movie

Stephen Merchant's film Fighting With My Family is being adapted into a stage musical.

The 2019 film, which starred Florence Pugh and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, tells the story of WWE wrestler Paige, also known as Saraya Knight, who rose from an modest Norwich background to WWE stardom.

Merchant – who wrote and directed the film – said: ‘When we were making the film, I always thought of it like a musical: a young woman from the chorus line fighting to get her big break, surrounded by theatrical, larger-than-life characters and huge sweeping emotions.

‘I approached each Wrestling match like it was a different dance number, building to a big show-stopping finale. Seeing the film reimagined for the stage feels like the natural next step. 

‘The team have captured the humour, grit and heart of the story in a way that feels both faithful to the film and completely fresh.’

The premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and went on to earn  $41.5million (£30.7million) at the global box office.

The stage adaptation is being brought to life by a team that includes  Johnson's company Seven Bucks Productions and the Birmingham Hippodrome – which is where the show is likely to premiere. 

Johnson said: ‘Fighting With My Family feels exceptionally well-suited for the stage. It’s packed with personal emotion expressed through the dynamic world of wrestling, which has always been about storytelling and connecting with a live audience. 

‘Working with Stephen Merchant on the film was a truly special experience, and his brilliant work deserves this new act. As it comes to life musically, I have no doubt it will be an absolute blast for theatregoers.’

Composer Miranda Cooper will write the music. She helped create more than  30 top ten singles for British acts in the 2000s including Girls Aloud’s  Sound of the Underground and The Promise, Sugababes’s Round Round, and Kylie Minogue’s Giving You Up.

Merchant has recently been in New York shooting an as-yet untitled romcom alongside Cameron Diaz.

He plays a workaholic Brit employed at an upscale New York hotel who needs a wife for appearances. He strikes a deal with a struggling stand-up comic (Diaz) who is desperate for health insurance.  Their fake marriage starts as a transaction but ends in an unexpected romance.

Merchant is also directing the movie from a script he co-wrote with John Butler.

Published: 22 Apr 2026