As the song builds up into an uplifting climax, it goes viral, the entire public believing and consuming Evan's lies in the process.
Benj Pasek explained this by saying that it was "In part because it’s a speech that Evan is giving to his classmates, an idealized version of how he wants to feel, the lyrics had a chance to resonate beyond the story—we realized people all over the world were using it as a means of finding connection and hope in challenging times.
"[4] In his review of the Broadway production of the musical for The New York Times, Charles Isherwood called it the show's most memorable song, and a "soaring anthem" that "becomes one of the rallying cries for the social media movement that the death of Connor — and Evan's speech about him — incites.
Pasek and Paul adapted the song into a picture book released by Little, Brown and Company on March 17, 2020, with illustrations by Sarah J.
[4] "You Will Be Found" was featured in Universal Pictures' 2021 film adaptation of the musical, starring Ben Platt, who reprised his performance in the titular role.
The film, which premiered at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2021,[8] followed by a theatrical release on September 24, 2021, is directed by Stephen Chbosky from a screenplay by the musical's librettist Steven Levenson, who also serves as an executive producer with Michael Bederman, Pasek & Paul and the show's lead producer Stacey Mindich.