The 7 Best Broadway Movies to Watch After Wicked
Broadway has long provided a healthy source of inspiration for Hollywood movies, with countless directors looking to New York’s premiere theater district for potential cinematic adaptations.
Fortunately, many of these subsequent films have effortlessly lived up to the hype of the original theatrical productions they’re based upon, paving the way to universally well-received musicals capable of withstanding the test of time.
With Wicked recently arriving in theaters, we thought we’d take a look back at some of our favorite movies based on beloved Broadway musicals over the years, each of which we’d heartily recommend checking out.
The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
The 2004 adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera is not without its problems, deviating significantly from its source material and taking unnecessary liberties with its underlying script. In spite of this, director Joel Schumacher adequately captures the Gothic atmosphere of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s original stage production, right down to its macabre musical numbers and dreamlike tone. Add in some uncharacteristically strong vocals from Gerard Butler, and you have the makings of a singularly terrific romantic horror film.
Les Misérables (2012)
Miscast Russell Crowe aside, Les Misérables is a fittingly epic take on Victor Hugo’s celebrated French novel. Transporting viewers to the social and political upheaval of the French Revolution and beyond, Les Misérables highlights the tremendous hardships faced by people in the early 19th century, punctuated by starvation, financial hardships, and unjust political regimes in power. Featuring spellbinding performances from Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, and Eddie Redmayne, it’s an astounding period musical that brings Hugo’s portrait of post-Napoleonic France to the big screen.
Chicago (2002)
Murder, jazz, steamy romantic love triangles, and Richard Gere? Oh, my! Adapted from the Bob Fosse musical of the same name, Chicago mixes biting humor with plenty of infectious musical performances, creating a spectacle out of a Prohibition-era murder trial. With all three performers exceptionally well-cast in their lead roles, Chicago succeeds as a rip-roaring, perversely comic Broadway musical, leaving viewers tapping their feet to the musical beat throughout.
Tick, Tick… Boom! (2021)
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s contributions to the world of Broadway speaks for itself, as evidenced by his momentous productions of In the Heights and, to a larger extent, the historical hip hop musical, Hamilton. Yet even then, it’s worth taking note of Miranda’s more recent mainstream successes, like his stellar directorial work on 2021’s Tick, Tick… Boom! A gut-wrenching biopic centered around Rent creator Jonathan Larson, Tick, Tick… Boom! focuses on the turbulent years of Larson’s early career, characterized by professional frustrations, relationship issues, existential dread over aging, and constant insecurity over his chosen career path.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Unsurprisingly, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street might very well be the most depressing Broadway adaptation to arrive in theaters yet. Faithfully based on Stephen Sondheim’s celebrated musical, Sweeney Todd also finds director Tim Burton at his darkest and liveliest, consistently tapping into the downbeat spirit of its eponymous character. With Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter giving it their all as a pair of vengeful Victorian serial killers, once seen, Sweeney Todd isn’t easily forgotten, living on in the furthest reaches of our most twisted imaginations.
In the Heights (2021)
Before Hamilton launched him to mainstream popularity the world over, Lin-Manuel Miranda arrived on the scene with his endearing love letter to New York City, In the Heights. Nearly two decades later, Miranda’s breakthrough work provided the inspiration for 2021’s In the Heights, fully solidifying Miranda’s place as the modern generation’s successor to Stephen Sondheim or Andrew Lloyd Webber. Propelled forward by Miranda’s telltale blend of contemporary hip hop, salsa, and soul, it’s a wonderfully upbeat musical drama focusing on the power of dreams and the personal sacrifices it takes to see them through to reality (even if it means bidding farewell to the people and places you’ve come to know and love).
West Side Story (2021)
We’ve mentioned Sondheim a few times already, but you simply can’t mention the master’s name without bringing up his 1957 classic, West Side Story. Providing the inspiration for not one, but two beloved films over the years, each version of West Side Story remains worth seeing for one reason or another. However, there’s something positive to be said about the 2021 iteration of the musical, brilliantly brought to life by the legendary Steven Spielberg. With Sondheim’s lyrics leaping off the screen with the grace and beauty of Ariana DeBose’s dance numbers, every moment of West Side Story is pure Broadway artistry at its most unforgettable.
