21 Popular Broadway Musicals That Are Going To Be Adapted Into Movies And We Can’t Wait

Nothing beats seeing a live stage show, but these films are going to have a much larger audience.

Maryjane

• Published in Film & TV
• June 25, 2022

If you enjoy Broadway and wish you could see a show when you visit NYC, you’ll be delighted to know that many adaptions of Broadway hits are on the way. A slew of film adaptations of famous Broadway musicals are currently in progress or have already completed post-production.

Of course, nothing beats seeing a live stage show, but thanks to these films, the best of Broadway can be watched by a much larger audience. Furthermore, a few major projects have recently reached theaters, which is very exciting for many theatergoers.

The Broadway has long been sought after but often difficult to acquire for so many. After all, how many folks can actually shell out $300-plus for show tickets?

Most Broadway film adaptations have large budgets because they have already proven to be famous and adored, so the quality of the show is usually excellent. Consider Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights: The songs, dance routines, sets, and costumes were all better than we could have envisaged.

This has been the case with so many other Broadway-based films, and we’re excited to see what’s next. Continue scrolling to see what’s coming to Broadway connoisseurs soon with these 21 Broadway musicals that are getting adapted into movies.

1. Dear Evan Hansen

The anticipated film adaptation of the Broadway musical stars Ben Platt, and it's about a high schooler who goes on a self-discovery journey after a classmate committed suicide.

2. Everybody's Talking About Jamie

It is an Amazon original but the movie adaptation didn't get a theater release, but it is available to stream. It's about a teenager who has dreams of being a drag queen.

3. Tick, Tick … Boom!

This is the next much-anticipated Broadway movie and it is directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda. It features big shots including Vanessa Hudgens, Andrew Garfield, and MJ Rodriguez.

It's about a New York theater composer who is nearing his 30th birthday.

4. West Side Story

The Steven Spielberg's West Side Story remake has been pulled back many times. It stars Rachel Zegler and it is a tale of the longstanding feud between the Sharks and the Jets.

5. Cyrano

It stars Peter Dinklage and is based on the Edmond Rostand play Cyrano de Bergerac. It talks about a man, admired by his peers but fights with self-doubt due to his appearance.

6. Matilda

Yup! It's another Matilda movie and it will be a musical produced by Netflix. It signed in some big stars including No Time To Die's Lashana Lynch and Oscar-winner Emma Thompson.

7. The Little Mermaid

The live-action film adaptation of Disney's The Little Mermaid is starring big names like singer Halle Bailey as Ariel and acclaimed actors Melissa McCarthy and Javier Bardem.

8. The Color Purple

It will once again be a film adaptation and it will be a musical that tells the tale of a Black woman in the South that endures abuse, racism, amongst other things.

9. 13

It is less-known and it's about a young Jewish boy who goes to a small town in Indiana after his parents' separation. The Netflix adaptation for film will most likely star Debra Messing, Rhea Perlman, and Josh Peck.

10. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

The musical comedy was debuted on Broadway in 2005 but it is still in the development stage, so there aren't many details available.

11. Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

The successful Broadway musical will be adapted to film and produced by Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman, and Paul Blake for Sony Pictures. It focuses on Carole's early life and showcases her songs too.

12. Guys and Dolls

This musical will get the film adaptation as Bill Condon is set to direct it for TriStar Pictures. It's all a musical comedy about a gambler hunting for a cheap location to host a game.

13. Gypsy

Amy Sherman Palladino signed the Broadway classic, Gypsy into a film and it is talks about a stripper named Gypsy Rose Lee, just that Gypsy's mother is the focus.

14. Mean Girls

The show first appeared on Broadway in 2017 but now, it is set to be adapted into a movie. Tina is responsible for screenplay, and Arturo Perez Jr. and Samantha Jayne are the directors.

15. Memphis

The musical has been adapted for film as the inspiration for the show is the story of the 1950s-era, Memphis-based DJ Dewey Phillips. Creator Joe DiPietro is writing the film's screenplay.

16. Miss Saigon

The Hollywood director Danny Boyle signed the film adaptation of this popular musical and it is a story about a young Asian woman left behind by her American lover.

17. South Pacific

The musical is such a huge Broadway hit, and it is a big one because some major names like Hugh Jackman, Justin Timberlake, and Michelle Williams are starring in the project.

18. Oliver!

Ice Cube in a movie is partnering with Disney for the film adaptation of Oliver! musical. It will be directed by Hamilton's Thomas Kail.

19. Merrily We Roll Along

It will be starring Beanie Feldstein, Blake Jenner, and Ben Platt but apparently, it will be filmed over the course of 20 years. It's all about three friends and the changes in their lives and relationships.

20. Wicked

The details of this one are scanty, but the film adaptation is in progress. It is the darker tale of The Wizard of Oz, told from the viewpoint of the Wicked Witch of the West, before turning evil.

21. Sunset Boulevard

The film adaptation of Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard is starring Glenn Close and is about a movie star who is silently yearning to return to the silver screen.

The stories told on Broadway, as well as the art style and performances displayed, are absolutely fantastic. As a result, we believe that the film adaptations have the potential to enrich the lives of many people who would not otherwise have the opportunity to see these shows in person.

What are your thoughts about these Broadway adaptations? Let us know in the comments section.

Maryjane