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Movies That Should Be Made Into Broadway Musicals

Updated April 30, 2020 19.9k votes 1.5k voters 60.2k views264 items

List RulesOnly movies that would work as musicals.

A list of movies that should be adapted for the Broadway stage. Each year, at least one or two popular Broadway shows are turned into films. 2012 alone saw the release of a film based on the stage show "Rock of Ages," along with plans to turn the "Wizard of Oz" prequel "Wicked" into a movie. But another trend has been also been kickstarted - adapting popular films into Broadway shows. Disney has been doing this for years with the successful runs of "The Lion King" and "Beauty and the Beast" on stage, and other recent Broadway hits such as "The Producers," "Spamalot" (adapted from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"), "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" and "Shrek" have bolstered the idea that audiences want to see popular characters from other media turned into stage spectacles. ("The Producers" was even turned BACK into a new film after having tremendous success as a play.)

"Back to the Future" is the most recent iconic film to be discussed as a potential stage show. But what are some other movies that would work well presented live on a stage, with songs? Vote for the films you'd like to line up to see on the Great White Way, and if you have a brilliant idea for a new adaptation, suggest it at the bottom of the page and see what the rest of Ranker thinks of your pick! (For the flip side, vote on a list of Stage Musicals that Would Make Great Movies.)

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The Princess Bride
Billy Crystal, Robin Wright
Released: 1987
Directed by: Rob Reiner
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Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson
Released: 1971
Directed by: Mel Stuart
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Dirty Dancing
Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey
Released: 1987
Directed by: Emile Ardolino
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Hercules
Danny DeVito, James Woods
Released: 1997
Directed by: Ron Clements, John Musker
Hercules is a 1997 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Feature... more
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The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Demi Moore, Kevin Kline
Released: 1996
Directed by: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise
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The Nightmare Before Christmas
Paul Reubens, Catherine O'Hara
Released: 1993
Directed by: Henry Selick
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Titanic
Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet
Released: 1997
Directed by: James Cameron
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Back to the Future
Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd
Released: 1985
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
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Young Frankenstein
Gene Hackman, Mel Brooks
Released: 1974
Directed by: Mel Brooks
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270
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The Muppets
Katy Perry, Lady Gaga
Released: 2011
Directed by: James Bobin
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Labyrinth
Jennifer Connelly, David Bowie
Released: 1986
Directed by: Jim Henson
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Pulp Fiction
John Travolta, Bruce Willis
Released: 1994
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
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All That Jazz
Jessica Lange, John Lithgow
Released: 1979
Directed by: Bob Fosse
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Walk the Line
Reese Witherspoon, Joaquin Phoenix
Released: 2005
Directed by: James Mangold
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Saturday Night Fever
John Travolta, Fran Drescher
Released: 1977
Directed by: John Badham
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Flashdance
Jennifer Beals, Lee Ving
Released: 1983
Directed by: Adrian Lyne
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The Blues Brothers
Carrie Fisher, Aretha Franklin
Released: 1980
Directed by: John Landis
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Pete's Dragon
Mickey Rooney, Shelley Winters
Released: 1977
Directed by: Don Chaffey
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Blazing Saddles
Mel Brooks, Gene Wilder
Released: 1974
Directed by: Mel Brooks
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Across the Universe
Salma Hayek, Evan Rachel Wood
Released: 2007
Directed by: Julie Taymor
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Purple Rain
Prince, Apollonia Kotero
Released: 1984
Directed by: Albert Magnoli
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Star Wars
Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
Released: 1977
Directed by: George Lucas
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Almost Famous
Zooey Deschanel, Kate Hudson
Released: 2000
Directed by: Cameron Crowe
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Tangled
Mandy Moore, Ron Perlman
Released: 2010
Directed by: Nathan Greno, Byron Howard
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Enchanted
Amy Adams, Susan Sarandon
Released: 2007
Directed by: Kevin Lima
Enchanted is a 2007 American musical live-action/animated fantasy romantic comedy film,... more
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