Mean Girls joined the rare club of movies that became musicals and then became musical movies. It’s a very small list that includes The Color Purple, Hairspray, Matilda, and Little Shop of Horrors. However, I want this list to grow. There is an abundance of entertaining movies that could become exciting musical movies. Specifically, many teen comedies could be amazing musicals.
The updated film performed well at the box office and, despite some mixed feelings, it generally had positive reviews. Hollywood needs to increase and capitalize on this momentum. Now is the perfect time to greenlight more movie musicals that started as teen comedies.
The Breakfast Club
It feels like every popular movie (or cult favorite) has done or will do a stage version. The Breakfast Club is no exception. There have been several unofficial versions in musical and play form. However, there hasn’t been an official musical of it. That is a shame because the premise is perfect for a musical.
There could be so many angst-filled solo songs. Every main character could explain their high school story with one. Plus, so many beautiful duets could happen. There could be plenty of confrontational, romantic, or comedic musical numbers. Because The Breakfast Club is a comedy, a few characters could lean into that with their songs. Imagine Brian being the comedic relief with plenty of funny lines and lyrics. And, of course, the movie musical has to end with the entire cast singing “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds. The classic has all the elements needed for an exceptional musical movie.
Do Revenge
Do Revenge, or as I like to call it the perfect millennial Gen Z movie, is basically Mean Girls for psychos. Many of the best movie musicals have a little bit of camp to them. They’re fun because they lean into and appreciate the ridiculousness of their stories. The Netflix film could be quite inventive and funny in musical form. Imagine a song where Eleanor and Drea sing angelically at the beginning of it but switch back and forth between that and hard rock tones. This song could tell their stories and set up their devious plans. Do Revenge could be Sweeney Todd for the Gen Z crowd, but without the human meat pies.
Can you imagine a “I don’t do cocaine” song? Let’s envision it sung in an operatic style with funny commentary from Erica’s friend. Please, someone write this musical today. I don’t just need it, the world needs it. Don’t let the fact that Do Revenge only came out a few years ago stop someone from winning a Tony and an Oscar.
10 Things I Hate About You
I love ‘90s and early aught teen comedies but I don’t know if many of them would be enthralling as musicals. However, I think 10 Things I Hate About You is an exception to this belief. It would work very well in a musical format. The plot and characters’ complexities make adding music feel natural. Grease has many aspects that could help inspire the development of a 10 Things I Hate About You movie musical.
The perils of high school life work very well as a musical when the characters, songs, and plot harmoniously create something captivating. The 1999 hit already has all those parts, it just needs songs now. The “I Hate You” speech from Kat could easily start a very mesmerizing ballad and declaration of love. Cameron could have so many wooing songs to and about Bianca. Patrick could sing a song similar to “Creep” by Radiohead at some point in this musical. This is one of the best movies of the ‘90s for a reason. That’s because its material speaks to an audience, and it could speak even louder with some songs.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Honestly, all the best John Hughes' movies could work as movie musicals, especially with their infamous jerk characters to add potentially comedic songs. But Ferris Bueller’s Day Off has such a fun premise that a movie musical version would thrill and entertain. Let’s have songs instead of Ferris’s fourth-wall-breaking monologues. The musical film could open with a song that explains his plans and introduces the key characters.
A Ferris Bueller’s Day Off movie musical could effortlessly blend big production numbers with small solo performances. It can work as a grand-scale production such as In The Heights and West Side Story. I want to see people dancing in the streets as Ferris walks down them.
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before could be a cute romantic musical movie. The kind that transports viewers to the land of teenage dreams and fake dating schemes. I see it existing on the same scale of cuteness as Hairspray. We all need Lara Jean to panic and sing about all her letters going out. We also need A High School Musical-esque montage of Peter Kavinsky stressing about life.
Then add a Genevieve mean girl diddy about Lara Jean needing to stay away from her ex-man. Let’s also add a tear-inducing duet with the Covey sisters singing about the power of sisterhood. The film already perfectly captures the sweetness of first love without going too cheesy. A musical movie, in the right hands, could do the same.
Heathers
Heathers has already gone from movie to musical, so it just needs to take a note from the Mean Girls playbook and become a musical movie. The musical part is already there, so the work is basically done. Some production company just needs to buy the rights. Then hire the director, writer, and other crew. Then start casting. Easy.
I love the Heathers movie but have yet to see the musical. However, I imagine that it is just as fun as the original. Therefore, I’d love to see it play out on screen. Heathers the musical movie could be a real hit with the right cast.
Bonus: The Perks Of Being A Wallflower
The Perks of Being A Wallflower is not a teen comedy. However, I believe in its ability to transform into a great movie musical; it would fall into the Dear Evan Hansen realm. The type of musical with a dark story but that includes many comedic things and explores deep topics, such as mental health, profoundly.The Dear Evan Hansen movie may have received some backlash, but the musical itself is an outstanding modern musical that tackles some heavy topics entertainingly and touchingly.
The Perks of Being A Wallflower musical movie could do the same. The book and movie are already exceptional on their own, but if more teen films become movie musicals, this one definitely deserves some consideration.
Remakes and reboots happen all the time, whether we want them or not. Therefore, if some of my favorite teen comedies are going to be remade, let them take the musical movies route. It worked pretty well for Mean Girls.
