Broadway meets Hollywood in our countdown of musicals that are just begging for a film adaptation! From punk rock anthems to heartbreaking family dramas, we're exploring the stage shows that deserve their moment in the cinematic spotlight.
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00:00Hello, my name is Elder Price, and I would like to share with you the most amazing book.
00:07Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the musicals that have
00:12yet to receive the Hollywood makeover they deserve.
00:15What can I do to get you to look down and give in?
00:21Number 10.
00:22Legally Blonde.
00:23Yes, we know, there's already an iconic movie version of Legally Blonde.
00:28That didn't stop hairspray or Mean Girls.
00:39This 2007 adaptation of the Legally Blonde book and movie lit up the Broadway stage.
00:45We think it could stand to return to the silver screen.
00:47Elle Woods is the irrepressible, pink-loving, blonde-haired Harvard student looking to win
00:52back her fiancé when she accidentally discovers a passion for practicing law instead.
01:10Full of energetic, bubblegum-pop-inspired musical numbers and an eccentric cast of characters,
01:16Legally Blonde would have moviegoers bending and snapping in the aisles.
01:19But who would play Elle?
01:20They could do a whole other reality show to figure that one out.
01:31Number 9.
01:32American Idiot.
01:39Named for Green Day's award-winning concept album, this pulsing punk rock musical tells
01:43the story of three young men growing up in a time and a place where they don't feel at
01:47home.
01:48Their journeys lead them in search of love, meaning, and freedom.
01:57Green Day's hard-driving approach to the jukebox musical is a rallying cry for disaffected
02:02youth and the disillusionment of an entire generation.
02:05Imagining the breakneck pace of its songs with the cinematic possibilities of a movie
02:09is pretty exciting.
02:11The music may be of a certain era, but the themes are timeless.
02:23Number 8.
02:24Heathers the Musical.
02:32High school movies are rarely as sharp or deadly as 1988's Heathers.
02:37The Winona Ryder-led cult flick really puts the dark in dark comedy.
02:41Translating all that teen angst and acerbic wit to the stage actually went surprisingly
02:46well.
02:55While it's never played Broadway, Heathers the Musical has won over legions of devoted
02:59fans with its irreverence, complex characters, and genuinely beautiful score.
03:04The fashion alone would be worth seeing on the silver screen, but hearing those face-melting
03:0880's-inspired songs in a theater would be a mind-blowing experience.
03:12Until then, we'll be waiting with our popcorn, slurpees, and corn nuts in hand.
03:24Number 7.
03:25Ragtime.
03:26E. L. Doctorow's sprawling turn-of-the-century novel was adapted as a film in the 1980's,
03:38but the epic and sweeping musical based on Ragtime has yet to see the movie theater screens.
03:43Thinking of how star-studded that massive cast could be is enough to get our minds racing
03:48with ideas.
03:49There might even be a reason why the show has yet to make it to our screens.
03:57Given just how big it is, adapting Ragtime is daunting.
04:01But its heart-rending songs, politically charged themes, and social commentary make it a no-brainer
04:06for a big-budget movie musical.
04:17Number 6.
04:18Spring Awakening.
04:20This Tony-winning musical pits young people against puritanical repression, and musical
04:23theater technique against a demanding rock score.
04:26Spring Awakening had a strong grip on a generation of theater fans.
04:45Full of characters you can't help but love, this is a coming-of-age story with high stakes
04:49and high melodrama.
04:51It's about time that filmgoers got the chance to meet this haughty and hormonal ensemble
04:55of teens.
05:08Although the show's composer, Duncan Sheik, teased a possible film adaptation in 2016,
05:13seemingly nothing came of it.
05:15What's the hold-up?
05:16Until we get a true adaptation, we'll have to settle for the documentary of the Broadway
05:20cast reunion.
05:33Number 5.
05:34Next to Normal.
05:45The Goodmans might initially seem like the perfect family, but that facade falls apart
05:49by the time the first song is over.
05:51Instead, Next to Normal strips them bare.
05:53This Pulitzer-winning musical chronicles what happens when a family's grief becomes overwhelming.
06:06Grappling with a mother's mental health and the life-altering effects of losing a child,
06:11There's a lot of pain in this weighty, rock-forward show, but it's also a deeply funny and achingly
06:16human portrayal of the long road to healing from trauma.
06:19If this ever gets the movie version it deserves, they'll probably be throwing Oscars at it.
06:32Number 4.
06:33Once on this Island.
06:42Inspired by a retelling of The Little Mermaid, this show is a sumptuous fairy tale about
06:46a girl who falls in love with a man outside of her class.
06:50The intimately staged 2018 revival was a runaway success, reintroducing the production to a
06:55whole new generation.
07:01Set in the Caribbean, the show's catchy score is just begging to be made into a film.
07:06Musical fans rejoiced when they heard Disney was adapting Once on this Island for its Disney
07:09Plus streaming service.
07:11That announcement was in 2020, and we're still waiting, just like Timon.
07:22Number 3.
07:23Book of Mormon.
07:31This irreverent and uproariously funny show has entertained audiences since 2011.
07:37From the co-creators of South Park, The Book of Mormon follows Elder Price and his hapless
07:41friend Elder Cunningham as they embark on a mission trip to Uganda.
07:45Unhinged musical hijinks and political strife ensue.
07:55This show is crowded with wall-to-wall bangers that will have you clutching your pearls and
08:00then doubling over in your seat.
08:01It's played all across America, London, and around the world since its Broadway premiere.
08:06The movie theater has to be its next frontier.
08:17Number 2.
08:18Hamilton.
08:19Technically, there is a film version of Hamilton.
08:29Disney released a stunning live recording of the original Broadway cast in 2020.
08:34Producer Lin-Manuel Miranda said this all but put the nail in the coffin for a true
08:37adaptation anytime soon.
08:39But think of the potential!
08:45With its modern, hip-hop-inspired score and stunning numbers, a Hamilton movie could take
08:50full advantage of the period setting and drop us right into Revolutionary War-era America.
08:55Maybe we'd even get a battle scene or two.
08:57The show's known for doing big business.
08:59Let's throw big money at this thing!
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09:29Number 1.
09:30Hadestown.
09:31A haunting and poetic retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, Hadestown brings
09:35new and vibrant life to a story that's been told a thousand times over.
09:39Hades, Hermes, Persephone, and the Fates fill out the story set mainly in the Greek underworld.
09:53Musically, Hadestown is heavy with folk and jazz inspirations that make it a fun and exuberant
09:58show that will also rip your heart out.
10:08Given the show's popularity, there's no denying it has staying power on the stage.
10:12A creative screen translation of this musical could become a major cinematic event.
10:24What musical do you think deserves a big screen version?
10:27Tell us in the comments.
10:28Do you agree with our picks?
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