With the movie version of the Mean Girls musical closing in theaters and moving to streaming, and Wonka now heading to streaming and DVD, I was thinking about these two films, especially Mean Girls. Both were moderate successes financially but seeing Mean Girls turn a profit has me asking a question. Are we going to get more movie musicals based on stage musicals that are based on a movie? A mouthful of a question but one I wanted to ask, so let's explore and look deeper into what this could mean for the future of movie musicals.
The approach I want to take is weighing the pros and cons, balancing both, and then making my decisions. Already I know that Broadway musicals are going to get adaptations in film whether they are themselves adaptations or not, Shucked already has a film in the works, and Wicked's movie is fast approaching at the time of this post. So this is purely on movies that become musicals, and then become musical movies purely, and so far Mean Girls, Matilda and The Color Purple are the only pieces of media we can use as an example. I am not counting the Disney live-action remakes because even though many started as animated movie musicals, then became Broadway musicals, and then back to the movies since they started as musicals. I am talking about something that was not a musical and began as a film, then was adapted for the stage and then back. Now with the preliminary qualifiers set, we can have a clear view to dive into this concept.
Looking at the pros, it does help people see the musical in case they miss it for whatever reason. If it is made well then it can be something viewed easier and more frequently than that of a live stage show. With something like Mean Girls there were cut songs, scenes with visual flare, and different performers than that of the stage version, thus giving incentive to check it out. In terms of finances seeing movies in theaters, renting them at home, or catching them on a streaming service is way less risky than the prices of even a balcony seat. These could be good testing grounds for people to see if they like the base plot and the music, to see if they like the changes implemented, this could even sell people on the stage versions if they wish to see more. This could convince people to see live theater if these are made well, or even if they are not made well but have stand-out moments to pique the audience's curiosity to see it live. There are many low-risk and high-reward upsides to making a movie based on the musical adaptation of a movie which can lead to buying the film, seeing it again, streaming the music, or even seeing it live to see what the film changed. I did not see the Mean Girls musical on stage, but the film had me considering it the next time I am given the chance. But as good as all of this sounds, this could prove to be a double-edged sword as well.
One problem is the lack of originality, to use an example from earlier, like the Disney live-action remakes, people will question the need or relevance of this. Mean Girls was advertised much like The Color Purple as a reimagining of classic films, and not shown off as musical. They looked to be reboots and the public's opinion on reboots, understandably rises and falls. Asking why something needs to be made when the original is already considered good, why the studio didn't make something new with their resources, and why try to cash in on something that had its time are all valid criticisms. Audiences have been questioning making movies that were not into musicals into such for a while, because even when we get a well-made show that is on par as a new form of something beloved or even surpasses the source that is in a sea of shows that are not quite up to snuff. For every Legally Blonde or Back To The Future, there's a Groundhog Day or School Of Rock, for every Matilda and Spongebob there's a Spicer-Man Turn Off The Dark. Then there are some like Pretty Woman, Mean Girls, or The Wedding Singer which have great moments but are just overall okay in the end. And not saying that original musicals can't be just okay, or have flops, trust me, and even then opinions can change with the wind, but in terms of this, maybe sometimes a story needs to just end on the stage. Would a Back To The Future musical movie, advertised as a reboot, trick audiences into seeing it work? Part of the problem which I have discussed at length is the way movie musicals are being shown to the public at the moment, and how there needs to be honesty. I feel that people would treat a musical adaptation the way people treat reboots, which is some will hate it, some will love it, but in the end, many will deem it unnecessary. Musicals could be used now instead of reboots to make a new reimagining different enough to make a property marketable.
In the case of something like Matilda which like Mean Girls was originally before being put in theater was made for streaming, and many people liked it. When I watched Mean Girls, I could tell it was made for streaming services with its size, scale, and budget. And perhaps that could be a good middle ground, making movie musical adaptations for streaming services, showing that they can be different and work. Letting someone see it for themselves from the comfort of their own home with the ability to stop whenever they want to, instead of tricking them into a one-time movie ticket purchase for their money. Earning their money honestly by advertising something as is and seeing how someone's curiosity can lead them to form an opinion. I think in the realm of streaming services movie studios should keep trying this, so we can get more cool and different adaptations like Matilda. Perhaps The Color Purple would have not lost as much money if it was made for MAX with a reasonable budget. What do you think? Do you want to see more?
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