Paul McCartney will write the music and lyrics to the stage adaption to Frank Capra‘s legendary 1946 Christmas perennial, It’s A Wonderful Life. The Guardian reported the show will pair McCartney with Lee Hall — best known as the author of Billy Elliot and screenwriter for the Elton John biopic Rocketman — who’ll collaborate with McCartney on lyrics, and write the show’s book.

The project, which is set to open late next year, was spearheaded by Liverpudlian producer Bill Kenwright, who’s best known in theater circles for such musicals as Blood Brothers, Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, and Heathers: The Musical.

The former-Beatle has already recorded demos of some of the musical’s songs, with Kenwright revealing they “. . . exceeded expectations. The songs take you somewhere you don’t expect to go. They sound simple — but it’s deceptive. That’s Paul’s genius.”