Movies based on the musicals Into the Heights and West Side Story have recently received (mostly) good reviews but disappointing box office results…and Cats and The Prom — both of which I kinda liked — didn't do so well in either category. The film of Dear Evan Hansen got mixed reviews and low grosses.
It's been a while since any movie based on a stage musical has really attracted ticket buyers. Nevertheless, a surprising number of them are currently poised to be turned into motion pictures…maybe.
This article lists them all and as you can see, 13, Matilda and a live-action version of The Little Mermaid (based on the stage musical based on the animated feature) have all been filmed. Wicked is in pre-production with stars attached so it's just about definite.
But there are 27 (!) stage musicals which are "in development" as movies. Here's the list: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Bare: A Pop Opera, Be More Chill, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, The Color Purple, Follies, Jekyll & Hyde, Lysistrata Jones, Mean Girls, Memphis, Merrily We Roll Along, Miss Saigon, Once on This Island, Pippin, The Shaggs, Spamalot, Spring Awakening and Sunset Boulevard. There are also planned remakes of Flower Drum Song, Guys and Dolls, Gypsy, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The King and I, Little Shop of Horrors, Oliver!, Porgy and Bess and South Pacific.
Now obviously, not all of these movies will be produced. I'm suspecting a majority of them will never go before a camera and some, especially in light of West Side Story's grosses, may already be pretty unlikely. What is the answer to the question, "If they didn't turn out for West Side Story, why would they clamor for Guys and Dolls?" (Possible reply: "West Side Story didn't lend itself to big stars in the leads but Guys and Dolls could.")
But I thought it might be interesting to list them all here. Then next year around this time, we'll come back to this list and see how many have been made or come close.
Admittedly, it does take a long time for some musicals to make it to the silver screen. They've been announcing remakes of Gypsy for a few decades now…and Lysistrata Jones has been on such lists for close to ten years. Sweeney Todd was announced and announced and announced until it finally got made.
I'm thinking that if the film of Wicked comes out and is a smash hit, that might kickstart more of these "in development" projects than if it disappoints. But let's just see what happens, shall we? And by next year, maybe Hamilton and The Book of Mormon will be on this list.