Some of the most famous musicals have a movie adaptation, but there are still quite a few that need their Hollywood makeover.From The Sound of Music to Hamilton, there’s a long history of adapting popular musicals to the cinema, and with good reason. Broadway shows aren’t always accessible due to licensing restrictions and wildly expensive tickets that can cost up to $10,000, despite there being a huge demand for better accessibility.
Movie adaptations bring in a slew of new musical fans and have actually boosted ticket sales. Nothing can truly duplicate the experience of seeing something live, but a faithful cinematic rendering can come close. With that in mind, here’s some musicals that should be considered for the red carpet treatment.
Dave Malloy’s most famous musical is based off of 70 pages of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace, and focuses on the story of the Russian aristocrats Natasha Rostova and Pierre Bezukhov as they figure out their places in the world. The entire performance is sung-through, save for less than a minute of dialogue. Actors in the Broadway production also interacted heavily with audience members, and created one of the most memorable Broadway shows until its end in 2017.
This electropop opera has plenty of potential to be turned into a unique film. While the setting may fit aesthetics similar to Phantom of the Opera, the original performances had a mix of elegant 1800s noble dresses and modern-day ripped jeans. The range of music genres also open the door to more actors who may want to try songs outside of the classic Broadway realm. Perhaps there could also be an attempt to have the actors sing live just like in Les Misérables. Considering the musical is garnering attention outside of the U.S., Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 could become the next period film for audiences to obsess over.
Hadestown gained renown in 2019 when its creator, Anaïs Mitchell, brought it to Broadway after years of releasing smaller productions. The story is based off the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice but is set in a post-apocalyptic Great Depression era. The musical won 8 Tonys in 2019, but was unable to start its national tour in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Although the production lost the chance to tour and welcome new fans, a movie version present an opportunity to make up for the blow. Greek myths have been retold time and time again through shows, movies, cartoons, books, and the likes, and there’s no stopping that train anytime soon. Fans of Disney’s Hercules (which is getting its own live-action adaptation) would enjoy another epic Greek story featuring tormented lovers, petty gods, and fabulous muses. The jazzy style of the musical would also lure in fans of La La Land or Chicago, and offer a fresh mix of folksy songs as well.
The six wives of Henry VIII get together to discuss their woes about their neglectful husband…via pop concert. The musical is a modern retelling of these historical ladies where they attempt to form a girl-group and figure out who should be the leader based on who’s had it the worst in their marriage. Excerpts of Six’s songs ended up being used as viral TikTok sounds, which helped its fanbase expand. This popular British musical still plans to open on Broadway after its debut was interrupted by COVID-19.
The original performance is more of a concert than an actual musical, so it would take a creative mind to make it into a cohesive movie. But if films like Mamma Mia! and Across the Universe were able to weave pop songs into actual plots, then Six can, too. This could also become a star-studded film since it could cast famous pop stars for the six wives. Cher Lloyd as the bratty Queen Anne? Dua Lipa could be great as either Queen Catherine or Queen Jane for their ballad-like performances. And Kim Petras’ voice could be perfect for “All You Wanna Do”. The possibilities are endless.
Team StarKid is more well-known for A Very Potter Musical, but what some fans of the famous Harry Potter parody might not know is that Team StarKid didn’t stop there. They went on to release over 10 productions like Firebringer, a comedy musical (available to watch on YouTube) about early humans discovering fire and wreaking havoc across the prehistoric lands. One song in particular, “We’ve Got Work To Do”, became viral and an anthem for people who don’t really want to do the work today.
Loyal Starkid fans would be happy to see their favorite production company make it to Hollywood. If not the big screen, then laptop screens. As streaming services become more focused on creating original content, producing a movie musical that has a good following would be a great way to gain more subscribers.
Ever heard of Elle Woods, UCLA sorority president who dropped everything to attend Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend but ended up being one of the best and most fabulous lawyers of her class? If not, then check out her book, movie, or Broadway musical. Ever since 2003, Elle Woods has been a pop culture icon and still has a strong presence in mainstream media to this day. The original Elle Woods, Reese Witherspoon, even announced that a third movie was in the works back in 2018.
“But wait…isn’t it already based off of the movie? Why would the musical have a film adaptation if–” Yes, yes, but here’s a hot take: Why not make a film adaptation of the musical? If not live-action, then animating it could put a fresh new spin on the franchise and garner even more attention. Plus, the musical’s plot is silly and cartoonish enough that animation could really bring out the comedy of songs like “There! Right There!” And if Disney’s live-action remakes keep making significant profit, then a fourth adaptation of the beloved Legally Blonde would make perfect sense. What, like it’s hard?
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