BWW Flashback: A Look Back on Stage to Screen Musicals of the Last 10 Years!
By: Kaitlin Milligan Dec. 31, 2019
With 2019 coming to a close, the new decade is set to bring us a slew of film adaptations of our favorite stage musicals! From West Side Story to In the Heights to The Prom, we are gearing up for some big films, but before we move into 2020, let's have a look back on the last ten years of musicals turned into films!
Rock of Ages (2012)
Rock of Ages was the first big screen musical of the decade, and the film packed a lot of star power. Directed by Adam Shankman and based on the rock jukebox Broadway musical Rock of Ages by Chris D'Arienzo, the film starred Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Russell Brand, Alec Baldwin, Paul Giamatti, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Malin Åkerman, Mary J. Blige, Bryan Cranston and Tom Cruise. The film grossed $59 million worldwide.
Les Miserables (2012)
At the end of 2012, the highly-anticipated film adaptation of Les Miserables was released. Directed by Tom Hooper, the film starred Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, Amanda Seyfried, Helena Bonham Carter, and Sacha Baron Cohen. Les Miserables grossed over $441 million worldwide.
The film won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Jackman, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture for Hathaway. It also won four BAFTAs and received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. It won three Oscars, including Best Supporting Actress for Hathaway.
Jersey Boys (2014)
Clint Eastwood directed the 2014 film adaptation of the Tony Award- winning musical Jersey Boys. The film, which tells the story of the Four Seasons, had the band members Frankie Valli and Bob Gaudio (who also composed the film's music) serve as executive producers. The film starred John Lloyd Young, reprising his Tony winning role as Frankie Valli, Erich Bergen, Michael Lomenda, Vincent Piazza, and Christopher Walken. Jersey Boys grossed $47 million in North America and $20.6 million internationally for a worldwide total of $67.6 million, against a budget of $58.6 million.
Annie (2014)
The Tony Award-winning musical Annie received its 3rd film adaptation in 2014, with Will Smith and Jay-Z producing. The film starred the film stars Quvenzhané Wallis, Jamie Foxx, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale and Cameron Diaz. The film was a box office success, grossing $133 million and it also received two Golden Globe Award nominations in the categories of Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical (for Wallis) and Best Original Song.
Into the Woods (2014)
The 1986 Stephen Sondheim Broadway musical Into the Woods received a film adaptation in 2014 from director Rob Marshall. The film starred Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, Tracey Ullman, Christine Baranski, Lilla Crawford, Daniel Huttlestone, MacKenzie Mauzy, Billy Magnussen and Johnny Depp. The film grossed $213 million worldwide and received three Academy Award nominations and three Golden Globe Award nominations, including Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy.
The Last Five Years (2014)
Jason Robert Brown's musical The Last Five Years received a film adaptation in 2014, starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan. The film premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival and was subsequently released in select theaters and on video on demand on February 13, 2015. The Last Five Years was the first indie movie musical adaptation of the decade, and the film grossed $145,427 in its domestic box office run.
Beauty and the Beast (2017)
The hit 1991 animated film turned Broadway musical received a live-action adaptation in 2017. Beauty and the Beast featured a star-studded cast that included Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Kevin Kline, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Audra McDonald, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Ian McKellen, and Emma Thompson.
The film grossed over $1.2 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing live-action musical film, and making it the second-highest-grossing film of 2017, the 14th-highest-ever-grossing film in North America and the 16th-highest-grossing film of all time.
Hello Again (2017)
The Off-Broadway musical Hello Again was adapted into an indie film in 2017. The film starred Audra McDonald, Martha Plimpton, T. R. Knight, Rumer Willis, Nolan Gerard Funk, Jenna Ushkowitz and Cheyenne Jackson. The music and lyrics for the film were done by Michael John LaChiusa, who wrote the original Off-Broadway show. The film had a limited release in the United States on November 8, 2017.
Cats (2019)
The last musical film adaptation of the decade was the highly-anticipated Cats film, directed by Tom Hooper, his second movie musical of the 2010s. The film featured an ensemble cast that included James Corden, Judi Dench, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift, Rebel Wilson, and ballerina Francesca Hayward. The film features digital effects, including digital fur technology, to turn the actors into computer-animated cats. The film also includes a new song is titled "Beautiful Ghosts", written by Taylor Swift and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
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