What Do You Want the Next Big Movie Musical to Be?

Alex Kulak2 said:
There hasn't been a film adaptation of a musical since The Last Five Years


London Road just came out.

Updated On: 9/25/16 at 02:21 AM

I'm surprised we haven't heard of a film adaptation of Book of Mormon yet. I'd like to see that get done (but probably won't happen for another 5 or 10 years).

Follies is another one I think could be done well. It's a musical all about mood and films can do that well.

Avenue Q would be great to see in a Sesame Street type of setting (kind of gritty and not trying be all high-tech), but might be pretty confusing for parents unfamiliar with the content (I guess ads would need to be pretty explicit that it's not for children). Actually looking at the recording, the only material that's super inappropriate is The Internet is for Porn and (kind of) You Can Be As Loud as the Hell You Want When You're Makin' Love. I think they could probably get away with a PG-13 rating.

Updated On: 9/25/16 at 02:34 AM

I really want to see a Fun Home as a movie. I could see it done as maybe a Netflix film. I don't think that it has the tools to be a big mainstream blockbuster, but I could see it being a great independent film.

Follies is another show that would lend itself very well to film. Most of Sondheim's shows such as Company, Sunday in the Park with George, and Passion would work beautifully on film.

Wicked just screams for a film adaptation. It isn't my favorite show, but I think that it would create quite a stunning film. Avenue Q has always been a little problematic for me. I think that it is just far too small to work as a big budget film. This is another show that I think would be lovely on Netflix.

Ragtime is just so cinematic and that sweeping score would lend itself so well to the big screen also.

I think Fun Home, done as an animated movie, in the style of Allison's drawings, would be wonderful. Plus the entire OBC could reprise their roles.

I hope Avenue Q, possibly, if it decides to close at NWS, would film and sell their closing performance(s) via Netflix / BroadwayHD.

I would love to see Carrie done as a movie musical.

Miss Saigon.

But only if they don't take the literal approach like they did with Les Mis. They need to play with the sung thoughts/visions much more. Many scenes in Miss Saigon are actually visions, journeys in their head (this is the hour, movie in my mind, I still believe, nightmare, maybe, last night of the world, etc. It needs to be surreal. Better than life. Not realistic, because this artform per definition is not.

Matilda and a Christmas story

I would love to see them do a cool electric indie movie version of American Psycho the Musical.

Call_me_jorge said: "Matilda and a Christmas story"

Definitely A Christmas Story, but I'd like to see it done as a made-for-TV movie (even though it would compete with the MGM version starring Peter Billingsley). I'd like to see it lumped in annually with How the Grinch Stole Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life, et.al.

It's hard to suggest something for the big screen because it's so difficult to produce a musical that doesn't already have a positive reputation with the general public. Putting that aside, I'd like to see LaChiusa's Giant done for movie theaters.

I'd also like to see the new Chicago version of Smokey Joe's Cafe on the big screen.

Updated On: 9/25/16 at 07:53 PM

"Beautiful" with someone with star power (Sara Bareilles?) as Carole King could be fantastic!

Said it before and I'll say it again...it has been my pipe dream to direct a proper film adaptation of A Funny Thing...Forum and get the FULL score recorded by some Hollywood heavyweights. I have such a vision in mind for it! Now all I need is a few million dollars.

I also think Follies could make a beautiful movie, if done right and with a kickass cast.

On the stranger side, I wrote a treatment for Bat Boy as an indie musical, ala L5Y. I think it could be very good, perhaps elevate the source material.

Dave28282 said: "Miss Saigon.

But only if they don't take the literal approach like they did with Les Mis."

And no live singing! Geez, that destroyed 'Les Mis'. The only number that benefitted from it was 'I Dreamed a Dream'. 'Bring Him Home' is my favorite song from that show, and I can't even watch it in the movie because you can see the pain in Hugh Jackman's face as he s-t-r-a-i-n-s to hit those high notes. I can feel his vocal cords bleeding.

sarahb22 said: "Dave28282 said: "Miss Saigon.

But only if they don't take the literal approach like they did with Les Mis."

And no live singing! Geez, that destroyed 'Les Mis'. The only number that benefitted from it was 'I Dreamed a Dream'. 'Bring Him Home' is my favorite song from that show, and I can't even watch it in the movie because you can see the pain in Hugh Jackman's face as he s-t-r-a-i-n-s to hit those high notes. I can feel his vocal cords bleeding.



"

I know, one big showcase of actors struggling with notes. And then try to use that struggle to look miserable on screen, and therefore crying is the only emotion they get away with in this film. Horrific.



They should also realize that film is not theatre, so you need singers with a more filmic finesse, like John Owen Jones, instead of Hugh Jackman trying to reach for the backrow on a pavement, and most importanty, this artform is about sung thoughts, so there is no need to see the person mouthing the words into the camera all the time. This is film, so use elaborate editing, music as voiceover and beautiful cinematograhy and editing. And yes, pre-recorded stuff. Live singing is too literal for film.