When the end of the year awards cycle really gets revved up, there’s bound to be a movie musical or two that decides to make its way to the stage. The spectacle, the pagentry, and usually the cast is too attractive a prospect to not at least try and make some play to grab some nominations, and wow the crowd in the process. That couldn’t be more true with Netflix’s latest Ryan Murphy directed project, The Prom, as the Broadway musical has attracted a hell of a cast that features Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, and more. But as you’ll see in the first trailer for the film below, it also looks like this movie remembered something extremely important: having a lot of fun in the process.
The Prom follows Emma Nolan (Jo Ellen Pellman,) a high school student who just wants one thing: to take her girlfriend, Alyssa (Ariana DeBose) to prom. It’s something so simple, and yet she’s been banned from doing so, as she lives in Indiana, and the president of the PTA (Kerry Washington) said so. Cue a cadre of Broadway celebrities, (Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Andrew Rannells and James Corden), who set out to boost their flagging fortunes with this “good cause,” but turn out to learn something valuable themselves when the going gets tough.
If you’d ever wondered what a big budget version of an episode of Glee would look like, The Prom pretty much has you covered. Ryan Murphy’s latest collaboration with Netflix not only has a song in its heart, but it’s also an uber-colorful product to look at. And it doesn’t even look like the largest, most vibrant set pieces are being given away in what’s more of a teaser than a dead giveaway. So there’s plenty for audiences to look forward to, whether they’re familiar with the book written by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin; both of whom adapted The Prom into its cinematic incarnation.
As Broadway theaters are shuttered until at least next May, and Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story was pushed to next December, theater fans are going to be looking for something that tides them over until those doors are open again. The Prom is only the latest offering that Netflix can offer in that respect, as they previously added original adaptations of shows like the Kerry Washington starring drama American Son and most recently the Ryan Murphy produced film version of The Boys in the Band. While it’s not as edgy as some of the other Ryan Murphy projects we’ve seen hit Netflix this year, The Prom absolutely feels like it’s a project in the man’s wheelhouse. And with the talents of Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, and the all-star cast that join them cranked to full volume, it’s hard not to have fun watching what happens next.
The Prom makes its way to the dance floor in limited theatrical release in December, with the streaming debut set for December 11th. Though, should you be in the mood to see something new at a theater near you, it’ll help to check out our 2020 release schedule, so you can make your plans for the rest of the year accordingly.
