BWW Blog: Disney Movies That Deserve Broadway Musicals - What Films Make the Cut?

Last month, I wrote an article about which attractions at Disney theme parks would make great Broadway musicals, ranging from rides to shows. For this month, I've decided to focus on Disney movies that could become good stage musicals ready for the Great White Way. These movies are a mix of musicals and non-musicals ranging from films made by Walt Disney himself to more recent ones. A quick clarification before I get started - All of these movies were made by Disney and weren't simply acquired from other groups like Touchstone and Hollywood Pictures. And no, I didn't include Ratatouille. I just don't think it would make a great stage show (which is an article for another day). Let's jump right into it!

Disclaimer: Some of these might already be musicals but they haven't reached the Broadway level yet so they will still be included on this list.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire

Atlantis: The Lost Empire is one of the most underrated animated movies that Disney has ever made. Based on the myth of the lost city of Atlantis, the film follows a nerdy man named Milo who joins up with a team of adventurers to discover the mysterious empire. The songs could be a brilliant mix of the team searching for Atlantis and the songs that the Atlanteans sing in their native language. The sets would be a wide range, going from classic research rooms to intense underwater submarine scenes. There could be an incredible puppet for the kraken, one of the creatures that attacks Milo and the team as they search for Atlantis. And as a bonus, Princess Kida is a person of color, which would allow for more representation not only for Disney shows but for Broadway musicals as a whole, something that is sorely needed.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

While Snow White might not be my favorite movie (even the attraction at Disney still scares me a little bit), I have to admit that it has quite a bit of potential as a stage musical. There's a reason the movie is a classic, which includes its lovely music and pleasing animation style. Of course, there would be the issue of what to do with the seven dwarves, but I'm going to gloss over that for now in order to continue the list. Costumes like that of Sven the reindeer in Frozen could be used for the woodland creatures, and actors could dress as the trees that attack Snow White in the forest. I would love to see how they would transform the Evil Queen into the hag, something that Disney would hopefully make impressive in some dramatic song. And can you imagine the scene when the Evil Queen falls off a cliff? That would be a fantastic moment.

Sleeping Beauty

I'm honestly shocked that Sleeping Beauty hasn't been made into a hit musical like Cinderella. Who wouldn't love a wonderful tale full of fairies, magic, and true love? Costume and set designers would have a fantastic time with the whimsical world while songwriters could take songs like "Once Upon A Dream" and create some new classic-sounding songs. And the Maleficent dragon puppet would be absolutely incredible (if it doesn't fail as much as it does in the theme parks)!!!

The Black Cauldron

Seeing as so many people don't even know that The Black Cauldron exists, it would be a great idea to turn it into a musical, bringing in thousands of new fans. The film follows a young shepherd boy named Taran who works with Princess Eilonwy and an adorable creature named Gurgi in order to stop the evil Horned King from using his cauldron (hence the title of the movie) to take over the world. Making The Black Cauldron into a musical would give Disney songwriters the chance to write an entirely new set of songs. And the Horned King could be voiced by someone like Patrick Page but be some form of puppet/animatronic, as seen in the extinct Cinderella Cast Mystery Tour at Tokyo Disneyland.

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

As the only live action movie on this list, you might assume that it would be the easiest for the Disney Theatrical Group to adapt. But what about when you spend half of the film following shrunken children in their yard? The set designers would have a field day in creating larger-than-life set pieces like blades of grass, a dog's nose, and event gigantic ants! Disney might even be able to use set pieces from the defunct Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: Movie Set Adventure at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida. I pretty much just put this on the list because I would love to see how they pulled off the world from the perspective of the shrunken kids versus the parents searching for them. And some great songs would definitely be a bonus!

The Emperor's New Groove

How has this not been made yet??? The Emperor's New Groove would be a perfect Broadway musical. With great characters, hilarious dialogue, and a great soundtrack, the movie would be easy to turn into a stage show. There would be plenty of roles for people of color as well as opportunities to show off the ancient South American culture, with gorgeous temple settings and fun costumes. I would love to see how Disney would pull off Kuzco as a llama - probably with an actor in a costume similar to Sven in Frozen (which I referenced in my Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs idea). And the final battle with Yzma would be full of stage magic and fun hijinks!

Ultimately, there are dozens of Disney movies that could be turned into fantastic musicals for Broadway. From animated classics like Sleeping Beauty to more recent live-action comedies like Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, there are plenty of options for the Disney Theatrical Group to choose from for their next Broadway musical. Which one do you think would be the best?