The upcoming Joker sequel starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga is a musical. Joker: Folie à Deux is the next coming of the beloved franchise, but fans had no idea it would be coming to the big screen as a musical movie. This inspired a list of 8 films that should have never been turned into musicals. Check out our list inside.
Lady Gaga recently confirmed her joining the cast. Fans suspect she will portray the infamous Harley Quinn alongside Phoenix as the Joker. The details of the film are scarce, but the musical teaser established that it will certainly include a few musical numbers.
This was not the film we expected, but it has us thinking about the countless films that became musicals. From Tina Fey’s classic teen comedy film Mean Girls to the hilarious comedy starring Mike Meyers Shrek, what possessed these producers to turn to Broadway?
Don’t get us wrong. There are many films turned musicals that did well on Broadway, but the ones on this list were better left untouched. The movies were definitely better.
Check out our list of the worst films turned musicals below:
1. Mean Girls
Mean Girls is a 2004 comedy written by Tina Fey based on the book Queen Bees and Wannabees by Rosalind Wiseman. It’s a dark comedy taking a look at how vicious high school girls can be. The cult classic film stars Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert, and Amanda Seyfried.
The musical version was also written by Fey and it debuted in 2018. Despite being nominated for 12 Tony nominations, the show took home no wins. Wonder why?
2. Matilda
The next iteration of this classic film hasn’t debuted yet, but we aren’t sure it needs to. Netflix announced the making of Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musicalwith an official teaser in June 2022.
We’re not certain we needed to revisit Matilda at all. Only time will tell if fans are feeling this next remake.
3. Rocky
Rocky is recognized as one of the greatest films of all time. Sylvester Stallone notably portrays the rise of local boxer Rocky Balboa.
The Rocky franchise made history as the first film to dish out eight sequels. It was nominated for nine Academy Awards and took the Oscar home for Best Picture of 1976.
While it may be one of the best movies of all time, it is not one of the greatest musicals of all time. The musical only ran for six months on Broadway in 2014.
4. Aladdin
What is Aladdin without Robin Williams? The musical just doesn’t hit the same. The story falls flat without Williams’ genius as the genie. Fans say the story just doesn’t translate the same on the Broadway stage.
5. Legally Blonde
Reese Witherspoon’s portrayal of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde catapulted the success of her budding career. The fantastic romantic comedy discusses being misjudged because of your looks, and Elle refuses to be defeated by anyone without compromising who she is as a person. She enrolls in Harvard Law School in hopes to reunite with her ex-boyfriend and quickly discovers she’s not only smart, but also that she deserves much more than her ex.
The stage musical premiered in 2007 and even spawned the reality show, Legally Blonde: The Musical – The Search for Elle Woods on MTV to cast for the new lead in the Broadway show. Unfortunately, no one cared to see it.
6. Frozen
The hit children’s animated film Frozen was all the rage when it debuted in 2013. There were live performances of Disney’s Frozen on ice and on broadway. Did it really need to be pushed to Broadway? There were enough musical moments in the film to last a lifetime. We can’t go anywhere without a kid singing “Let It Go.”
The film is far more impactful than the musical.
7. Shrek
Shrek the musical didn’t add more than present the film as we know it on stage. Critics also claim that the musical lacks the charm of the leads of the original film.
8. The Wedding Singer
The film is carried by the charm and chemistry of its two leads, Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. These two together is what makes any film. However, the musical doesn’t convey that chemistry nor charm. The music is was criticized as uninspired, and the jokes simply fell flat. The Wedding Singer the musical was called low quality by numerous critics.
