Musical theater and movies have always had an overlap. In the early days of cinema, many films featured musical numbers, dancing, and sets similar to those you’d see on a stage. Films like White Christmas and Hello Dolly were musical classics that are still enjoyed today, with newer musicals like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory appealing to younger generations of the time. Lately, it seemed that musical films were relics of the past, only made by Disney and by a few niche directors like Baz Luhrmann.

However, the rise in popularity of musical movies has become apparent. With new adaptations like Tick, Tick, BOOM! and Speilberg’s recent West Side Story reboot finding great success, musicals have returned to the mainstream. With Spirited delighting audiences over the holidays with its original soundtrack and plans for a Wicked duology in the future, it does seem like musicals are becoming viable once more. So let’s take a look at this resurfacing trend, and what films to check out if you’re a theater buff already.

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Musicals have found their way into film and television for decades, practically since the beginning of the medium. In the 1990s and early 2000s, musical episodes were popular fillers on long-running series, with Buffy the Vampire Slayer featuring an iconic episode of this kind in 2001. There have always been shows that feature musical numbers running, mainly on the Disney Channel and other children’s networks, but it’s exciting to see the trend returning to mainstream television once more. As musical theater has become part of popular culture again with Lin Manuel Miranda’s work at the forefront, it’s no wonder we’re seeing more musical films in the mainstream.

After the success of Hamilton and the rise of musician biopics, the return of musical shows being adapted into feature films is a natural progression. Rocketman and Elvis have delighted fans of the artists themselves, as well as acting as jukebox musicals in their own right. Then In the Heights released, followed by Tick, Tick, BOOM!, the Enchanted sequel Disenchanted, and talks of a Glee reboot… With so many musicals released recently in the film world, it does seem like the genre is making a comeback.

While we can typically expect a musical or two to release each year thanks to giants like Disney and Pixar, the rise in mainstream musical films has led to a much larger amount coming out in the last few years. Musical films are a genre of their own typically, but at times the genre rises in popularity enough to break into television shows that are not typically musicals. See the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, for example. These newer musicals in film tend to play with the format and experiment, oftentimes breaking the fourth wall, acknowledging that they are in a musical, and subverting popular musical tropes such as characters being interrupted when they attempt to break into song.

So long as musical theater shows continue to succeed on and off Broadway and entertain more of the public, it’s safe to assume we will see more and more musical film adaptations in the future. What some of those films might be, we already know, and we’re very excited to see what new directions the medium goes in as more experimental musicals pave the way for creative adaptations of film.

Musicals to Watch Out For

To kick off the new year, two exciting musicals were released in December. Spirited is a retelling of A Christmas Carol starring Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell featuring an original musical that is filled with humor. Matilda the Musical was released on Netflix in late December as well, becoming an instant hit for the streaming network.

Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid will be coming to theaters in May with new music from Lin Manuel Miranda and Alan Menken. We’re also anticipating the release of The Color Purple musical adaptation in December 2023. Additionally, Wonka is set to release in 2023 as well and will feature musical numbers just like the original movie.

Beyond these films, Wicked is in production currently and is set to be a duology, with Part 1 releasing in December 2024. Mean Girls will be coming to the big screen again as well, this time in its hit musical form. The rights to many other musicals have been acquired for future production as well, from Be More Chill to a reboot of Little Shop of Horrors.

With so many upcoming musical movies to look forward to, it’s safe to say this genre is coming back to the mainstream for now. If you’re a fan of musicals, keep an eye out for more announcements! A list of upcoming musical films can be found on the Playbill website, featuring a number of big hits and exciting reboots. With many of these musical films seemingly coming out of nowhere, we’re excited to see what new ones take the stage in 2023 and beyond.