Everything You Need to Know About the Upcoming Movie Musicals!
By: Linnae Medeiros Jul. 22, 2019
Broadway is coming to the big screen! Thirteen movie musicals are currently in development and are set to delight audiences in the coming months and years, from long-awaited movie adaptations to remakes and sequels of fan favorites. With such a variety to look forward to, we're getting you prepared by giving you a peek at each of the movies officially announced to receive the silver screen treatment! Take a peek at all the excitement below, and be sure to check back in as even more are announced!
THE LITTLE MERMAID
We're ready to head under the sea with Disney's live-action remake of their classic 1989 animated film The Little Mermaid! At the helm is stage and screen director Rob Marshall, with David Magee penning the script. The movie will feature the original film score by composer Alan Menken, as well as new tunes co-written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The film stars Halle Bailey as Ariel, and many Hollywood favorites are currently in talks to join the cast, including Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Javier Bardem as King Triton, and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, and Awkwafina as Scuttle.
The Little Mermaid will reportedly begin production early next year, and an official release date has yet to be announced.
IN THE HEIGHTS
Wepa! Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony-winning Best Musical, In the Heights, is coming to the big screen. The film is being directed by Jon M. Chu with a screenplay by the show's original book writer, Quiara Alegría Hudes, and it will include Lin's Tony-winning score. Lin also revealed in a post on Twitter that he and the show's original book writer, Quiara A Hudes, were working on new lyrics!
The film stars Anthony Ramos as Usnavi, Melissa Barrera as Vanessa, Corey Hawkins as Benny, Leslie Grace as Nina, Olga Merediz as Abuela Claudia, Jimmy Smits as Kevin Rosario, Gregory Diaz IV as Sonny, Daphne Rubin-Vega as Daniela, Stephanie Beatriz as Carla, Dascha Polanco as Cuca, Marc Anthony as Sonny's Father, Noah Catala as Graffiti Pete, and Lin-Manuel Miranda as Piraguero. The movie will also be filled with actual residents of Washington Heights!
In the Heights is currently being filmed in Washington Heights and is set to be released in movie theaters on June 26, 2020. To learn even more about the In the Heights film, be sure to check out full guide on the movie!
WEST SIDE STORY
Something's coming, something good! The classic 1957 musical West Side Story is being brought to the big screen by legendary director Stephen Spielberg with Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner penning the film's screenplay. The film, is an adaptation of the stage musical with an iconic score by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim and a book by Arthur Laurents.
The film is set to star Ansel Elgort as Tony, Rachel Zegler as Maria, Ariana DeBose as Anita, Mike Faist as Riff, David Alvarez as Bernardo, Corey Stoll as Police Lieutenant Schrank, Brian d'Arcy James as Police Sergeant Krupke, Rita Moreno as Valentina, and Andreá Burns as Fausta.
Kushner recently revealed that he would be leaving the musical numbers intact, and that the story would be more similar to the original musical than to the 1961 film, saying "It's not a straightforward remake [of the movie], but it's definitely the Jets and the Sharks. It's New York City. I think people will find a new way to love the story and to love the songs through our interpretation."
West Side Story wrapped filming in New York this past summer and is set to release on December 18, 2020. To learn even more about the West Side Story film, be sure to check out full guide on the movie!
YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN LIVE!
It's alive! Mel Brooks' musical adaptation of his classic film 'Young Frankenstein' is coming to the small screen in ABC's latest live musical. Young Frankenstein is the wickedly inspired re-imagining of the Frankenstein legend. The story follows bright young Dr. Frankenstein (that's Fronkensteen) as he attempts to complete his grandfather's masterwork and bring a corpse to life. The live production will feature music from the stage adaptation, originally composed by Brooks.
Young Frankenstein Live will air this fall on ABC. An airdate and cast announcement will be made at a later date.
EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE
He's a superstar, and you don't even know it! The hit West End musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie is coming to the big screen! The cast includes Max Hardwell taking on the title role, as well as Richard E. Grant as Hugo/Loco Chanelle, Sharon Horgan as Miss Hedges, and Sarah Lancashire as Jamie's mother, Margaret. The musical is based on the true story of Jamie New, a sixteen-year old in Sheffield who overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness, into the spotlight.
Everybody's Talking About Jamie is set to premiere October 23, 2020.
THE PROM
It's time to dance because The Prom is being adapted into a film for Netflix produced by Ryan Murphy! Set to star are Meryl Streep as Dee Dee Allen, James Corden as Barry Glickman, Awkwafina as Ms. Sheldon, Keegan-Michael Key as Mr. Hawkins, and Andrew Rannells as Trent Oliver. Though Ariana Grande was initially pegged to play Alyssa Greene, Billboard reports she will not be involved due to conflicts with her touring schedule. Casting director Alexa Fogel is currently on a nationwide search for the actress to fill the role of Emma.
Murphy will begin directing the film adaptation in December, for a fall 2020 awards season release in theaters before it airs on Netflix.
HAMILTON
Alright, alright! Disney is set to present Hamilton, filmed live on stage. The movie, production by Lin Manuel-Miranda, Jeffrey Seller, and Thomas Kail, will star the show's original Broadway cast, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Daveed Diggs, and more. The show's original Broadway director, Thomas Kail, also directs the film.
Hamilton is set to be released on October 15, 2021.
MEAN GIRLS
This news is so fetch! The Broadway hit Mean Girls is set to be adapted to a major motion picture from Paramount Pictures. This new film will be produced by Lorne Michaels and Tina Fey, with a script by Fey and featuring music by Jeff Richmond and lyrics by Nell Benjamin. Upon the announcement, Tiny Fey stated, "I'm very excited to bring Mean Girls back to the big screen. It's been incredibly gratifying to see how much the movie and the musical have meant to audiences. I've spent sixteen years with these characters now. They are my Marvel Universe and I love them dearly."
The timeframe for Mean Girls' production and release have yet to be announced.
MATILDA THE MUSICAL
It's time to head to Crunchem Hall because the musical adaptation of the classic story of Matilda is coming to the big screen! According to WhatsOnStage, a film version of the musical is in the works. Sony Pictures and Netflix are partnering up to release the film. Matthew Warchus, who directed the original production of Matilda, will helm the film. Matilda is written by Dennis Kelly, with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin. Based on the book of the same name by Roald Dahl, Matilda tells of a super-powered girl who uses her new skills to help those around her, all the while trying to deal with the atrocious Miss Trunchbull.
Filming for Matilda is expected to take place from August to December 2020. A release date has yet to be announced.
TICK, TICK ... BOOM!
Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to Imagine Entertainment's film adaptation of Jonathan Larson's musical Tick, Tick...Boom! Lin-Manuel Miranda, who starred in the New York City Center's Encores! Off-Center production of Tick, Tick...Boom!, will make his feature directorial debut, and Steven Levenson will adapt the screenplay based on the original stage show. The film is set to star Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp, Vanessa Hudgens, Robin de Jesus, Joshua Henry, Judith Light, and Bradley Whitford.
Set in 1990, Tick, Tick...Boom! tells the story of Jon, an aspiring theater composer who is waiting tables in New York City while writing Superbia - which he hopes will be the next great American musical and finally give him his big break.
Tick, Tick ... Boom! is in pre-production and does not yet have a release date.
BE MORE CHILL
C-c-c'mon because Joe Iconis's Tony-nominated musical Be More Chill is getting a film adaptation produced by Shawn Levy's 21 Laps and Greg Berlanti's Berlanti Productions! Blending the contemporary with retro sci-fi, this thrillingly exciting, comically subversive, and deeply felt musical is a coming-of-age story that tells the story of Jeremy Heere, an average teenager who, tempted by the prospect of popularity, takes a pill purported to make people more...chill.
No timetable has yet been set, and now that producers have been found, the hunt will be on for a film studio.
COME FROM AWAY
Moviegoers are going to be welcomed to the rock with the film adaptation of the Tony-winning musical Come From Away. The show's creators, husband and wife duo Irene Sankoff and David Hein, revealed to The Daily Beast that they are planning to film in Gander, the small town in which the show takes place. They said that they will use special effects to create "what 38 planes and 7,000 people in a town of 10,000 people will look like on screen." In addition, though, they want "the film crew, actors and staff being invited in people's homes, just as it was in the story."
The duo has stated that they don't want big Hollywood names starring in the film, taking the audience out of the moment. They also hope to cast the people of Gander as extras in the film.
No date has been set for the Come From Away film yet, but a production company has said that they want to begin filming "as soon as possible."
THE COLOR PURPLE
It's time to push da button because the musical adaptation of The Color Purple is coming to the big screen! According to The Hollywood Reporter, Oprah and Steven Spielberg, along with Quincy Jones and Scott Sanders, have plans to produce the film. In talking about the movie, Sanders has stated, "We're really excited to create a film that translates the heart and emotion."
The Color Purple is in early development and does not yet have a cast or a writer.
GYPSY
Everything's coming up roses because the classic musical Gypsy is coming to the big screen! Amy Sherman-Palladino, the Emmy Award-winning creator of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Gilmore Girls, is currently in talks to direct the film. When asked about working on the film, Sherman-Palladino stated, "I gotta put Maisel to bed this year, and then apparently I'm supposed to write some words that would be entertaining." It is also reported that Oscar-nominee Melissa McCarthy could be one of the names in consideration for the lead role.
The timeframe for Gypsy's production and release have yet to be announced.
SUNSET BOULEVARD
She's ready for her closeup! Seven-time Oscar nominee Glenn Close is set to reprise Tony Award-winning performance as Norma Desmond in the film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard. The film will be directed by Tony winner Rob Ashford with a screenplay written by Tom MacRae, who penned the book for the hit West End musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie.
Sunset Boulevard will begin shooting this October, and a release date has not been set yet.
WICKED
Oh, what a celebration we'll have today because the long-running hit Wicked is coming to the big screen! The movie is set to be directed by Tony and Olivier Award winner Stephen Daldry and produced by the stage production's producer, Marc Platt. The show's original book writer, Winnie Holzman, will write the film's screenplay, and composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz is also set to bring his iconic score to the film. No casting has been announced as of now.
Wicked is currently set to hit movie theaters on December 22, 2021.
13
All hail the brain! Jason Robert Brown's musical 13 is being adapted for Netflix. Brown first revealed this news at the 2019 Broadway Teachers Workshop in July. The show centers around Evan Goldman, who, on the verge of turning 13 and following his parents' divorce, moves to Indiana with his mom. Thrown into a new environment, he must now navigate crushes, cool kids, and a little more homework as his Bar Mitzvah approaches. Robert Horn, who wrote the show's book, will adapt the script for the screen, and Tamra Davis is attached to direct the Netflix adaptation.
The timeframe for 13's production and release have yet to be announced.
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
It's time to head back to Skid Row because a film remake of Little Shop of Horrors is on its way! Greg Berlanti will direct the feature film, with a script by Matthew Robinson. Taron Egerton and Scarlett Johansson have been offered the roles of Seymour and Audrey, respectively. It was also reported that Billy Porter is the favorite to voice Audrey II in the film.
The timeframe for Little Shop of Horror's production and release have yet to be announced.
MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG
Now you know! Stephen Sondheim's musical Merrily We Roll Along is coming to the big screen starring Ben Platt as Charley Kringas, Beanie Feldstein as Mary Flynn, and Blake Jenner as Frank Shepard! The film will be directed by Richard Linklater and is set to be shot across the next twenty years and in reverse chronological order. The movie, just like with the stage production, has a narrative that shows the events of the trio's lives in reverse chronological order, beginning in 1976 and ending in 1957. Learn even more about the upcoming movie and the history of Merrily We Roll Along with our guide to the film!
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