10 Films To Adapt Into Musicals
BEETLEJUICE, FOOTLOOSE, ONCE, WAITRESS…the list goes on and on of musicals that first originated as non-musical films. This has been happening a lot more recently. But the projects tend to either be obvious or boring—luckily I’ve got the cure! Behold a list of 11 movies that would may be unexpected but would perfectly make the transition to the stage and result in a wonderfully weird time at the theatre.
Yes, the one with the classy spelling.
Honorable Mention: THE APPLE (1980)
THE APPLE is an honorable mention because it’s already a musical, it just needs to be adapted to stage. This would probably be difficult given the numerous locations in the film, but it shouldn’t be too hard to narrow down the list. Plus the songs are already written so you’re most of the way there!
10. THE GUEST (2014)
At first blush, this one doesn’t make sense. How can Adam Wingard’s action/horror film that is essentially Captain America as The Terminator work for the stage? Well music is such a key component to the film (and even part of the narrative) that it would be cool to bring alive that way. Plus there aren’t a lot/any Synthwave musicals, so why not let this be the first? Add it into the weird sexual tension between the two leads, the constantly shifting villainous turn by David, and the Halloween trappings for some great stage decorations and buddy—you’ve got yourself a stew goin’!
9. THE GOONIES (1985)
This is actually much more appropriate for a musical than a bunch of the titles below. But I bumped it higher up because it’s a bit self-serving to include it when I worked on a musical of THE GOONIES with my friend, Keith. Still! The movie has so many moments that would be perfect for a rousing chorale or moving ballad. C’mon, Spielberg—return my calls!!!
8. CRANK (2006)
Make no mistake—a straight stage adaptation of Neveldine/Taylor’s frenetic action film would be impossible. But you get a little Blue Man Group/experimental/breaking the fourth wall with it and it could be a fun, adrenaline-fueled time with tons of explosions and other spectacle on stage. It would require a true visionary, but you know it would melt your damn face to see it on Broadway.
7. ONLY GOD FORGIVES (2013)
Nicolas Winding Refn’s tale of revenge and toxic masculinity and deity defiance already has music in it with Cliff Martinez’s dynamite score and multiple karaoke scenes. But with easily limited locations (the karaoke bar), this would be a great and unexpected experience that I can see Winding Refn pursuing just because it is so gonzo.
6. NETWORK (1976)
“I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore!” sounds like a lyric to some rousing song where more and more people join in, just like the scene. Sidney Lumet and Paddy Chayefsky’s depressingly prescient film would make for a great multimedia theatrical experience as the different shows and political factions are projected on monitors, crowding the stage and characters in a way that metaphorically mirrors the omnipresence of media in everyone’s lives.
5. HELLRAISER (1987)
The Priest (Pinhead) towering over Kirsty with chains draped behind him makes for such a dramatic pose that would be perfect for a gothic opera in the style of Grand Guignol. Gushing blood and flayed corpses alongside bombastic songs about love, sex, revenge, Hell, pain, and more. Slap the Freudian psychosexual layers on top and some bang up costumes, and you can practically see people serenading the Lament Configuration like a musical version of Yorick’s skull.
4. STEP UP REVOLUTION (2012)
It is insane to me that the STEP UP franchise has not been made into more interactive and live events. Even a Vegas revue would make absolute sense for this dance-heavy romance about people from different ends of the socioeconomic spectrum. REVOLUTION is a good first go at the musical route because it has more of a central story and plot mechanic about protesting corporations and preserving a neighborhood. By creating the contrasting factions, that sets up many dramatic confrontations and opposing songs a la West Side Story or even parts of Les Misérables.
3. HAROLD AND MAUDE (1971)
I’m genuinely shocked this hasn’t happened yet. I can only assume that Hal Ashby’s estate or someone else has barred such an adaptation. Maybe Yusuf Islam himself stands in the way because this would be a great jukebox musical for his songs (back then written & performed under his former name of Cat Stevens) while having a tremendous romcom/dramedy story at the center. It would be a 1970s take on Once, and that thing cleaned up!
2. THE BABADOOK (2014)
Sure, this could easily slip into The Nightman Cometh, with its tale of an endangered child plagued by a boogeyman who also happens to be a Queer icon. But its limited cast and locations makes it a fairly inexpensive endeavor, but one that is bursting with tension and big emotions. Allowing some young actor to really emote as a terrible child being raised by a bad mother, completely with solos and confrontational medleys all leading up to the entrance of the titular Babadook himself who could be truly sinister…until he isn’t.
1. THE APARTMENT (1960)
Another “Why hasn’t this happened yet?” Billy Wilder’s romantic dramedy is ripe for the musical treatment. Again, small number of sets (the office, the elevator—itself an adjunct part of the office—and the titular apartment) and mostly contained cast would be like a darker and more heartfelt version of How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. Make it a period piece of the ‘60s and have these unspoken romances and heartaches play out beautifully on stage. C’mon, Broadway! It’s a sure thing!