Stage Musicals That Would Make Great Movies

List of Broadway shows and stage musicals that should be adapted into movies. With the release of new film versions of popular stage hits like "Rock of Ages" and "Les Miserables," the question arises of which Broadway productions would make the best new movies. The list can include either newer musicals that have never before been adapted for film (like "Book of Mormon" or "Wicked") as well as classic musicals that have had previous adaptations, but would be great to see again, updated, with a new cast (like "Brigadoon" or "South Pacific.") This is sort of a reverse of another Ranker list, looking at movies that would make great Broadway shows.

Movie musicals, particularly those adapted from popular theatrical productions, have long been a standard of Hollywood filmmaking. Many of the most iconic and beloved American films are drawn from productions for the stage. Though in the early days of moviemaking, cinemas often housed original musical productions that had been designed for the screen (such as 1929's Best Picture winner "The Broadway Melody"), in later years, films adapted from stage musicals became even more prominent and popular. An additional genre was the "musical biography" or retrospective, also known as a "jukebox musical," which would look back at the life and career of a famous writer or performer - or even a popular era in music - and weave in popular hits. Classic examples include "The Great Ziegfield" and "Yankee Doodle Dandy," and shows like "Rock of Ages" and "Jersey Boys" continue the tradition.

Some of the most popular stage adaptations in movie history include "Grease," "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," "Evita," "Oliver," "Annie" and, of course, 1986's "Little Shop of Horrors." (A film based on a musical based on another film!)