The short story that inspired the making of Academy Award winning film “Brokeback Mountain,” which brought director Ang Lee a golden statuette for best director in 2005, will be transformed into an opera by American composer Charles Wuorinen and is slated to premiere during the New York City Opera’s 2013 spring season.

“Brokeback Mountain” created a great big stir in 2005, when it made the transition from a 1997 short story by Annie Proulx to a cinematic adaptation under the direction of Ang Lee. It told the story of two cowboys who fall in love as young men and remain in touch throughout their lives, developing a complex romantic and sexual relationship.

Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, who portrayed the lovelorn men, were both nominated for Academy Awards, best actor in a leading role and best actor in a supporting role, respectively, as was Michelle Williams, for best actress in a supporting role.

“Brokeback Mountain” was also nominated for best picture and best cinematography. It walked away from the 78th Academy Awards with statuettes for best director, best adapted screenplay and best original score.

The film was widely remembered three years later when Ledger passed away in January of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs at the age of 28. Many of his bereft fans must have viewed the film once more, in memoriam.

The critically acclaimed project will now receive an unexpected fresh creative infusion.

New York City Opera spokesperson Gerard Mortier said in a statement Sunday that Charles Wuorinen had been invited to compose an opera based on the short story. Wuorinen has accepted and the opera is now scheduled to premiere during City Opera’s 2013 spring season, Reuters reported.

Wuorinen has had a previous world premiere at City Opera, when he was commissioned to compose “Haroun and the Sea of Stories,” after a Salman Rushdie novel. It opened in 2004.

Wuorinen said he was excited to be writing the opera and that he had long wished to take on the project.