Love a good musical movie? All the films currently in development
There’s no business like show business, or so the song goes. While the death of the Golden Age of musicals took place in the 60s, it doesn’t mean that the whole tradition of the musical isn’t enjoying a second sort of life in the 2000s. For every Cats, we get a Chicago after all. It looks like the 2020s, for all it started like a flaming dumpster fire, will have a good roster of musical movies as well.
We’re all waiting with bated breath for musical movies like In the Heights or Prom, but what about the ones in development? Good questions! Here are five musical movies that promise to make us sing when they’ll be released.
Fiddler on the Roof
Matchmaker, matchmaker had a hand in this match. They found a big fine, caught a big catch. MGM are the ones behind the adaptation of the beloved 1964 musical (which had a movie version in 1971). Not much is known about the project at this time in terms of cast, but Thomas Kail, who directed Hamilton, will direct this new version of Fiddler on the Roof.
In addition to Kail, Steven Levenson, who wrote the book for Dear Evan Hansen and worked with Kail on Fosse/Verdon, will pen the script for Fiddler on the Roof. Given the state of Hollywood right now, no one is giving a guess for a release date at this time.
Wicked
Rumors of a film adaptation of the beloved 2003 Stephen Schwartz musical, which is an adaptation of the Gregory Maguire novel, have swirled for decades at this point. People would love to see a Wicked film, but it’s been delayed or stuck in development hell for a variety of reasons. Universal has had the film rights for Wicked since 2012 and there was a release date for Dec. 2021.
Due to the coronavirus, however, Wicked was taken off the schedule and a new release date has yet to be announced. Our best guess is that Universal is waiting for the pandemic to calm down. It’s hard to social distance when doing a big musical, you know? At this point, we say wait until 2023 and make it a big anniversary thing with the release of the Wicked film.
Tick, Tick . . . Boom!
Jonathan Larson is chiefly known for the 1996 musical, Rent. It’s a tragic story with Larson dying from an aortic dissection while Rent was still in previews. Larson had another stage show as well, the autobiographical Tick, Tick . . . Boom! It’s no surprise that people want to make this lesser-known musical of Larson’s into a movie. It’s quite an exciting project as well.
Netflix snapped up the rights and Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) will make his feature directing debut on the project. Andrew Garfield (Angels in America), Alexandra Shipp (X-Men: Apocalypse), Vanessa Hudgens (The Knight Before Christmas), Robin de Jesús (The Boys in the Band), Joshua Henry (Hamilton), Judith Light (Transparent), and Bradley Whitford (Perfect Harmony) make up the cast of Tick, Tick . . . Boom!
Little Shop of Horrors
There’s been a revival of this B-movie turned movie musical turned Off-Broadway favorite in recent years. Jonathan Groff (Mindhunter) starred in the 2019 Off-Broadway version. Mj Rodrgiuez (Pose) making history as the first trans actress to play Audrey in the Pasadena Playhouse take on Little Shop of Horrors.
Now a brand new take on Little Shop of Horrors is officially in the works. What we know of it is quite exciting. Greg Berlanti, architect of the Arrowverse, will direct the upcoming adaptation. Chris Evans (Defending Jacob) will finally get to live his musical dreams by playing asshole dentist Orin. Billy Porter (Pose) will lend his voice to Audrey II.
Mean Girls
Is it possible to expand on the perfection that was 2004’s Mean Girls? Tina Fey is certainly going to try. With the a successful Broadway musical version of Mean Girls behind her, Fey is planning to do an adaptation of the musical version of Mean Girls. Fey has teamed up with Paramount for this adaptation, but not much is known except that it is happening.
Fey said, “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.”
