GLEE's Murphy Eyes WICKED Movie Musical; Will Next Direct Ruffalo in 'The Normal Heart' Flick

MTV exclusively reports that GLEE creator and Eat Pray Love director Ryan Murphy will next helm The Normal Heart film starring Mark Ruffalo, and may have his sights set on directing the screen adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, Wicked.

Murphy told MTV at on the red carpet of the Eat Pray Love premiere of his next gig: "I'm directing [The Normal Heart] from Larry Kramer's beautiful script and we're going to shoot that in June of next year...I think it's an important story and I think Mark Ruffalo is just beyond brilliant so I'm very excited to be directing him."

The Normal Heart is a semi-autobiographical play by Larry Kramer. It focuses on the rise of the HIV-AIDS crisis in New York City between 1981 and 1984, as seen through the eyes of writer/activist Ned Weeks, the gay Jewish founder of a prominent HIV advocacy group. Ned prefers loud public confrontations to the calmer, more private strategies favored by his associates, friends, and closeted lover Felix Turner, none of whom are prepared to throw themselves into the media spotlight. Their differences of opinion lead to frequent arguments that threaten to undermine their mutual goal.

Of his potential Wicked stint Murphy was less specific, simply stating: "I admire those guys so much...I love that show, I've used the music of that show on 'Glee,'" he said. "I think that show is about empowerment, which is what 'Glee' and 'Eat, Pray, Love' are about, so it would be an honor to be asked to [direct the adaptation]."

Eat Pray Love opens in theaters everywhere tomorrow, August 13.

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