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Dear Evan Hansen: people are shocked to learn what musical movie is actually about

Ben Platt stars as Evan Hansen, the role he originated on Broadway 

Emmy Griffiths
TV & Film Editor
May 19, 2021
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Dear Evan Hansen's trailer debuted on Wednesday, and people took to social media to discuss, with many fans full of praise for the first look at the upcoming musical drama based on the hugely popular theatre show. However, plenty of people were also quick to share their surprise at the upcoming film's plot...

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Taking to Twitter, one person wrote: "Love that everyone's having a meltdown after learning that Dear Evan Hansen isn't the gay coming-of-age story that they thought it was," while another added: "I was today years old when I learned about the plot of #DearEvanHansen and honestly ignorance was bliss." 

WATCH: Dear Evan Hansen trailer

A third person wrote: "'Wait, #DearEvanHansen isn't about a gay kid?' 'No it's about a kid who gaslights a family into believing he was friends with their son who committed suicide by creating fake e-mails between them.' '.....' 'YEAHHHHH.'"

However, fan was quick to defend the plot, tweeting: "I can't believe how shocked people are by the plot of #DearEvanHansen. I must be the only one who reads the plots of broadway shows on wiki." 

dar evan hansen

Are you excited for the film?

So what is Dear Evan Hansen about? The film, which is set to star Ben Platt as the title role, follows a socially awkward teenager who struggles to fit in at school. After his classmate Connor dies by suicide, a misunderstanding leads Evan to pretend to Connor's family that the pair were good friends, trying to offer them comfort while becoming more and more embroiled in his tangled web of lies. 

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Speaking about the role, which he originated on Broadway, Ben told Vanity Fair: "I think everybody obviously had in their minds that I wasn’t going to stay teen-adjacent forever. The need to get it done was a little urgent. 

dear evan hansen

Evan will be played by Ben Platt

"Then of course the pandemic happened, and I kind of assumed that was that—it would be a no-go, and by the time the pandemic was over, I’d have outgrown it. Much to my pleasant surprise, Universal seemed to be really hell-bent on making it, and specifically making it with me." 

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