Top 10 Musicals That Deserve Movie Adaptations

MsMojo

Broadway meets Hollywood in our countdown of musicals that are just begging for a film adaptation! From punk rock anthems to heartbreaking family dramas, we're exploring the stage shows that deserve their moment in the cinematic spotlight.

Transcript

00:00Hello, my name is Elder Price, and I would like to share with you the most amazing book.

00:07Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the musicals that have

00:12yet to receive the Hollywood makeover they deserve.

00:15What can I do to get you to look down and give in?

00:21Number 10.

00:22Legally Blonde.

00:23Yes, we know, there's already an iconic movie version of Legally Blonde.

00:28That didn't stop hairspray or Mean Girls.

00:39This 2007 adaptation of the Legally Blonde book and movie lit up the Broadway stage.

00:45We think it could stand to return to the silver screen.

00:47Elle Woods is the irrepressible, pink-loving, blonde-haired Harvard student looking to win

00:52back her fiancé when she accidentally discovers a passion for practicing law instead.

01:10Full of energetic, bubblegum-pop-inspired musical numbers and an eccentric cast of characters,

01:16Legally Blonde would have moviegoers bending and snapping in the aisles.

01:19But who would play Elle?

01:20They could do a whole other reality show to figure that one out.

01:31Number 9.

01:32American Idiot.

01:39Named for Green Day's award-winning concept album, this pulsing punk rock musical tells

01:43the story of three young men growing up in a time and a place where they don't feel at

01:47home.

01:48Their journeys lead them in search of love, meaning, and freedom.

01:57Green Day's hard-driving approach to the jukebox musical is a rallying cry for disaffected

02:02youth and the disillusionment of an entire generation.

02:05Imagining the breakneck pace of its songs with the cinematic possibilities of a movie

02:09is pretty exciting.

02:11The music may be of a certain era, but the themes are timeless.

02:23Number 8.

02:24Heathers the Musical.

02:32High school movies are rarely as sharp or deadly as 1988's Heathers.

02:37The Winona Ryder-led cult flick really puts the dark in dark comedy.

02:41Translating all that teen angst and acerbic wit to the stage actually went surprisingly

02:46well.

02:55While it's never played Broadway, Heathers the Musical has won over legions of devoted

02:59fans with its irreverence, complex characters, and genuinely beautiful score.

03:04The fashion alone would be worth seeing on the silver screen, but hearing those face-melting

03:0880's-inspired songs in a theater would be a mind-blowing experience.

03:12Until then, we'll be waiting with our popcorn, slurpees, and corn nuts in hand.

03:24Number 7.

03:25Ragtime.

03:26E. L. Doctorow's sprawling turn-of-the-century novel was adapted as a film in the 1980's,

03:38but the epic and sweeping musical based on Ragtime has yet to see the movie theater screens.

03:43Thinking of how star-studded that massive cast could be is enough to get our minds racing

03:48with ideas.

03:49There might even be a reason why the show has yet to make it to our screens.

03:57Given just how big it is, adapting Ragtime is daunting.

04:01But its heart-rending songs, politically charged themes, and social commentary make it a no-brainer

04:06for a big-budget movie musical.

04:17Number 6.

04:18Spring Awakening.

04:20This Tony-winning musical pits young people against puritanical repression, and musical

04:23theater technique against a demanding rock score.

04:26Spring Awakening had a strong grip on a generation of theater fans.

04:45Full of characters you can't help but love, this is a coming-of-age story with high stakes

04:49and high melodrama.

04:51It's about time that filmgoers got the chance to meet this haughty and hormonal ensemble

04:55of teens.

05:08Although the show's composer, Duncan Sheik, teased a possible film adaptation in 2016,

05:13seemingly nothing came of it.

05:15What's the hold-up?

05:16Until we get a true adaptation, we'll have to settle for the documentary of the Broadway

05:20cast reunion.

05:33Number 5.

05:34Next to Normal.

05:45The Goodmans might initially seem like the perfect family, but that facade falls apart

05:49by the time the first song is over.

05:51Instead, Next to Normal strips them bare.

05:53This Pulitzer-winning musical chronicles what happens when a family's grief becomes overwhelming.

06:06Grappling with a mother's mental health and the life-altering effects of losing a child,

06:11There's a lot of pain in this weighty, rock-forward show, but it's also a deeply funny and achingly

06:16human portrayal of the long road to healing from trauma.

06:19If this ever gets the movie version it deserves, they'll probably be throwing Oscars at it.

06:32Number 4.

06:33Once on this Island.

06:42Inspired by a retelling of The Little Mermaid, this show is a sumptuous fairy tale about

06:46a girl who falls in love with a man outside of her class.

06:50The intimately staged 2018 revival was a runaway success, reintroducing the production to a

06:55whole new generation.

07:01Set in the Caribbean, the show's catchy score is just begging to be made into a film.

07:06Musical fans rejoiced when they heard Disney was adapting Once on this Island for its Disney

07:09Plus streaming service.

07:11That announcement was in 2020, and we're still waiting, just like Timon.

07:22Number 3.

07:23Book of Mormon.

07:31This irreverent and uproariously funny show has entertained audiences since 2011.

07:37From the co-creators of South Park, The Book of Mormon follows Elder Price and his hapless

07:41friend Elder Cunningham as they embark on a mission trip to Uganda.

07:45Unhinged musical hijinks and political strife ensue.

07:55This show is crowded with wall-to-wall bangers that will have you clutching your pearls and

08:00then doubling over in your seat.

08:01It's played all across America, London, and around the world since its Broadway premiere.

08:06The movie theater has to be its next frontier.

08:17Number 2.

08:18Hamilton.

08:19Technically, there is a film version of Hamilton.

08:29Disney released a stunning live recording of the original Broadway cast in 2020.

08:34Producer Lin-Manuel Miranda said this all but put the nail in the coffin for a true

08:37adaptation anytime soon.

08:39But think of the potential!

08:45With its modern, hip-hop-inspired score and stunning numbers, a Hamilton movie could take

08:50full advantage of the period setting and drop us right into Revolutionary War-era America.

08:55Maybe we'd even get a battle scene or two.

08:57The show's known for doing big business.

08:59Let's throw big money at this thing!

09:12Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified

09:17about our latest videos.

09:19You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.

09:23If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.

09:29Number 1.

09:30Hadestown.

09:31A haunting and poetic retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, Hadestown brings

09:35new and vibrant life to a story that's been told a thousand times over.

09:39Hades, Hermes, Persephone, and the Fates fill out the story set mainly in the Greek underworld.

09:53Musically, Hadestown is heavy with folk and jazz inspirations that make it a fun and exuberant

09:58show that will also rip your heart out.

10:08Given the show's popularity, there's no denying it has staying power on the stage.

10:12A creative screen translation of this musical could become a major cinematic event.

10:24What musical do you think deserves a big screen version?

10:27Tell us in the comments.

10:28Do you agree with our picks?

10:29Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.

10:30And be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.

Category

Transcript

Recommended