What movies do you think would make good musicals?

[JohnHMCWYG]

I'm a film musical fan while many others prefer seeing them onstage. Due to bad experiences I had in the city during my youth, I don't feel comfortable in NYC, so I see movie musicals instead.

Something I find interesting is that many movies are turned into musicals. Some movies seem like obvious choices while others aren't.

So, what movies do you think would make good musicals?

For example, I think that "Scarface" (the Al Pacino version) would be a good opera. It has all the drama and action that can be found in operas. The blood and tears shed, the lives gone wrong...All very theatrical. I think that it could work out well.

So what ideas do all of you have?

Sincerely,

John Kilduff

[CaptNemo]

I was really thinking more along the lines of live action Disney movies that could be turned into musicals:

The Love Bug
The Shaggy Dog
That Darn Cat
The Absent-Minded Professor
Darby O'Gill
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Toby Tyler
Tron
Treasure Island
Pirates Of The Caribbean (duh!)
The Haunted Mansion (provided they completely dump the story from the 2003 movie)

[NotaGeek]

Although they are fun, I am personally tired of seeing movies made into musicals. There are far too many talented music writers out there to fall back on ANOTHER movie made into a musical for quick cash.

IMHO I think that Broadway and London's West End should search out original musical scores and find something to rival the award winning musicals of the past. Can you imagine if Les Miserables never got the chance to enter production because people were too busy trying to make Scarface into a musical since people are already familiar with the story line?
:soapbox:

[WDWFREAK101]

I think that horror movies would make good musicals. It would add that comedy part into it. I could just imagine Robert Turner from Disturbia to just suddenly break out into song! Lol!

[LibertyTreeGal]

Off the top of my head, LA Confidential.

On the other hand, I just had a hilarious picture of a Gladiator Chorus line with hairy legs kicking away .....

"Swords and shields, can get you killed, unless they're yours..."

[JohnHMCWYG]

I'd like to see "Spaceballs" turned into a musical. If it were to be done, though, I think that the music should be done in an 80s style. The movie featured soundtrack contributions from Bon Jovi, Berlin, The Pointer Sisters and Sammy Hagar-era Van Halen, so maybe the score could synthesize elements of dance, R&B and hard rock.

It could be done, I think.

Sincerely,

John Kilduff

[J9]

IMHO I think that Broadway and London's West End should search out original musical scores and find something to rival the award winning musicals of the past. Can you imagine if Les Miserables never got the chance to enter production because people were too busy trying to make Scarface into a musical since people are already familiar with the story line?
:soapbox:

I agree, although Les Miz isn't the best example since it was adapted from a novel. Book, movie, what's the difference? There's very few "new ideas" on Broadway anymore. Think about it - Cats is from a book of Poems, Phantom, Les Miz, Wicked, and the Scarlet Pimpernel are novels, all the Disney shows and Shrek, Legally Blonde, etc are movies, Aida was an opera, and so on and so forth. Even Avenue Q is really a reimagining of Sesame Street! Who's to say the next great musical won't be an adaptation?

With that said, I know there have been rumors going around for almost 20 years now, but it's gotten new legs - apparently Claude-Michel Schonberg said in an interview this past December that a Les Miz movie is in high level pre-production. I'll believe it when I see it, but all of the non-musical movie versions have left much to be desired. Granted to book and the musical are too different things, but even as a book adaptation, previous movies have not been good. I hope a musical version finally gets made!!!