Musicals have steadily been returning en masse to the big screen. While musicals were more popular in the Golden Age of Hollywood, many films nowadays have drifted towards big-budget franchise movies. However, several successful musical films have been released over the past few years, including Les Misérables, The Greatest Showman, La La Land, and Into The Heights.
Last year, Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story was a hit with both critics and fans. Some even thought his take surpassed the original 1961 film. The film's success showed that even classic musicals from back in the day deserve their own modern update to reach contemporary fans.
10 The Music Man Can Use Its Current Star Power On Broadway For A New Adaptation
The Music Man revolves around con man Harold Hill, who goes from town to town selling musical instruments and band uniforms. He claims to be a great musician and that he will train the new band, but he is not a musician and skips town before the "training" commences. Things change when he ends up in River City, Iowa, and falls for librarian Marian Paroo.
Written by Meredith Wilson, the Broadway musical was a smash hit in 1957, leading to the popular 1962 film starring Robert Preston and Shirley Jones. The Music Man has not been on the big screen since. If a new adaptation is to be made, Hollywood may not need to look far. The musical is currently a smash hit on Broadway with Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster in the lead roles.
9 Guys And Dolls Has Been Close To Getting A Remake For Years
Guys and Dolls stars Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra as gamblers looking to cash in on bets in 1950s New York City. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, and the 1950 musical won the Tony Award for Best Musical. It was famous partly for the feud between stars Brando and Sinatra, as Sinatra coveted Brando's lead role. Brando was primarily cast due to being the biggest movie star at the time.
Guys and Dolls has had talk of a remake for years. As far back as 2013, Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt were rumored to take on the lead roles. Bill Condon, no stranger to musicals with Dreamgirls and Beauty and the Beast, was hired to direct in 2019. However, no updates about the film have been released since.
8 Carousel Has Been Difficult To Get Off The Ground
Carousel, a musical Time Magazine dubbed "the best musical of the 20th century," follows carousel barker Billy Bigelow who falls in love with Julie Jordan. Their love complicates their livelihood as they find themselves unemployed, leading to an unexpected tragedy. The film reunited Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones as the leads, as they both starred in Oklahoma! the year before.
Another passion project of Hugh Jackman's, it has not been able to get off the ground for several years. Hopefully, the success of musicals as of late, particularly Jackman's The Greatest Showman, can finally help get this long-gestating project off the ground.
7 Oklahoma! Could Have Several Paths To Adaptation
Oklahoma! follows two cowboys that do their best to woo the women they love while fending off rivals in this classic musical. Set at the turn of the century when Oklahoma was nearing statehood, the musical last hit the big screen in 1955, starring Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones; in her breakout role.
Oklahoma! has had a few revivals on Broadway, a more drastic one coming in the 2019 revival that included changing some characters and actress Ali Stroker becoming the first wheelchair user to win a Tony Award. A contemporary remake can incorporate elements that would not be feasible at the time of the 1955 version and provide an opportunity to fix some of its problematic aspects.
6 My Fair Lady's Success On Broadway Can Entice A New Adaptation
My Fair Lady is based on a 1913 play of the same name. The musical is about Eliza Doolittle, who takes speech lessons from Henry Higgins to pass as a lady. Higgins soon falls in love with Eliza. The musical won six Tony Awards, and the 1964 film starring Audrey Hepburn won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Back in 2008, a remake was planned under Columbia Pictures. By 2014, the film was canceled altogether. The musical, at one point, held the record for the longest run on Broadway, something that could entice major backing for a contemporary remake.
5 Fiddler On The Roof Was One Of The Longest-Running Broadway Shows
Fiddler on the Roof concerns milkman Tevye, a Jew who tries to keep his Jewish traditions intact while dealing with his daughters choosing to marry for love. The story takes place against the backdrop of Imperial Russia in the early 1900s. The 1971 film adaptation was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won three.
A musical that had an extremely long run on Broadway, Fiddler ran for over three-thousand performances; surprisingly, it has not had a remake in over fifty years on the big screen. In May 2020, it was announced that MGM was planning a new adaptation.
4 The Wiz Can Open The Door For Adaptations To Be More Inclusive
The Wiz is an adaptation of The Wizard of Oz featuring an all-Black cast. It follows the same story as The Wizard of Oz but uses the context of African-American culture. Starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson, the film was considered a failure at the time before becoming a cult classic in later years.
After the not-so-great reception of NBC's The Wiz! Live back in 2015. Some feel that The Wiz would benefit from another crack in film. In today's climate of inclusivity, it would be great to see another adaptation of the musical with an all-Black cast to retell the story for a contemporary audience.
3 42nd Street Could Appeal To Hollywood's Self-Interest
42nd Street is about a group of artists putting on a Broadway show at the height of the Great Depression. The 1933 film is based on the 1932 novel of the same name, and became a Broadway musical in 1980, winning two Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
Surprisingly the stage musical has yet to be remade since 1933 in film. One thing that can appeal to a remake is that Hollywood loves making movies about "the business." Films such as Birdman, Ed Wood, The Artist, and Singin' in the Rain all center around making a movie or putting on a show and were wildly successful movies. 42nd Street also cut a same-sex relationship from the original novel, as it would never be able to be released in the 1930s, something a contemporary adaptation can rectify.
2 Oliver! Can Cover Class Disparity In Today's Climate
Oliver! is adapted from Charles Dickens' classic novel Oliver Twist. Nine-year-old Oliver falls into a group of thieves on the streets of London in the early 1800s. The 1968 film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, winning six, including Best Picture.
A contemporary remake of the film can cover current class disparity in the world today. A unique take on how many orphaned children sometimes slip through the cracks and lose their way can send a powerful message to viewers. A sequel, Dodger! – following Twist's friend Artful Dodger – could also be developed.
1 The Sound Of Music Could Follow The Path Of Mary Poppins
The Sound of Music is regarded as one of the most popular musicals of all time. Set in 1938, the young Maria takes a job as a governess for the Von Trapp family while she decides if she wants to be a nun or not. The 1965 classic film starred Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, and won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Some may be hesitant to remake something regarded as an absolute classic film, but one would need to look no further than another of Andrews' films: Mary Poppins. Mary Poppins Returns, a sequel to the 1964 film, was released in 2019, with Emily Blunt taking over the titular role. The film received rave reviews, and Blunt was deemed a worthy successor to Andrews for her performance. There is no reason that a remake of The Sound of Music, if done properly, can't achieve the same success.