10 Movies No One Expected To Become Broadway Shows

In recent years, Broadway began shifting its focus to a new way of attracting people to its theaters: adapting popular films into live plays and musicals. By capitalizing on the pre-existing fan bases of the films that inspired them, many of these shows have become huge successes, both critically and commercially. After all, some beloved films seem born to have their stories told on stage.

Some of these movies-turned-Broadway shows, however, were actually big surprises for audiences, including fans of the original films. For many, especially those who are not actively invested in the theater world, It can be difficult to imagine how certain stories could be told on stageboth in a practical sense and in terms of its object. Regardless of how successful they proved to be, these films defied expectations and experienced an exciting new life on the Broadway stage.

10

Big Fish (2003)

The film has a dark tone

Tim Burton’s films often feature crazy stories, larger-than-life characters and inspiring settings; all elements that feel right at home on Broadway. Because of this, it certainly came as a surprise when one of the iconic director’s most grounded dramatic films was reborn on Broadway.

Based on the novel by Daniel Wallace, Burton’s 2003 film Big Fishfollows Will Bloom, a man who sits beside his sick father and listens to him tell various fantastic stories about his life, most of which has definitely been told many times before. Big Fish It may not be the only Burton film to become a Broadway show, but it’s certainly the one that was the biggest surprise.

The film’s dark tone seemed to contrast greatly with the mood of most film-based Broadway shows, which were typically more light-hearted. This contrast was amplified by the decision to turn the film into a musicalone of many important changes made in the process of translating the dramatic fantasy film to the stage.

9

It may come (2000)

A high school story with a limited audience

Typically, when films are turned into Broadway shows, a significant part of the decision to do so involves financially capitalizing on the film’s popularity. The more people who love the original film, the more theatergoers there will be. This factor is part of the reason why the Broadway adaptation of You can come it was so unexpected.

You can come and a 2000 comedy film about the ultra-competitive world of high school cheerleading. Although the film has achieved “cult classic” status, it is still far from the most popular film level.

Its target audience is even more limited due to it being a high school film, significantly narrowing the age range of potential audience members. Furthermore, the Broadway show only premiered more than a decade after its initial release, failing to capitalize on any recent time-based popularity. The highly limited audience did You can come a very surprising choice for Broadway.

8

Phantom (1990)

Ghostly effects are difficult to replicate on stage

In 1990, Plane! Director Jerry Zucker boldly departed from his typical style when making the critically acclaimed romance film, Ghost. THE Five-time Oscar-nominated film follows Sam, a ghost who relies on the help of a medium to continue observing and protecting his beloved girlfriend, Molly, after he is tragically killed.

Although the film was hugely successful, it seemed like a somewhat peculiar choice when the story was brought to Broadway more than twenty years after its initial release. When it was revealed that Ghost would get a new life on Broadway, many fans of the original film were intrigued about how certain elements of the story could be presented live.

After all, performing some of the ghostly effects live would certainly require a lot of creativity and innovation, as the feats would have to be done without the use of editing tricks. However the musical adaptation received mixed reviews overallMuch praise was given to the visual effects created by the lighting and set design, which captured as much of the film’s magic as possible.

7

Elf (2003)

A Broadway show that only makes sense during the holidays

The 2003 comedy ElfStarring Will Ferrell, it is without a doubt one of the most popular Christmas movies of all time. In the film, Ferrell plays Buddy, a human who was mistakenly adopted and raised by Santa Claus and his elves at the North Pole. The touching story of Buddy venturing to New York City to find his real father has delighted audiences for many years.

However, the tender nature of the story did not make it any less surprising when Elf came to Broadway in 2010. First, and perhaps most obviously, Elf It’s a holiday movie. So there would probably only be an interested audience for a few months at most.

Due to the large amount of time, effort and money spent preparing a Broadway show, it seemed like a very unusual choice to create a musical that would have such a limited audience. Furthermore, lots of magic Elf came from the stellar, humorous yet moving performances of its main cast. Fans of the film knew it would be nearly impossible to fully capture the magic of the original cast.

6

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

The film takes place around the world

In 2011, few would have expected a crime drama to be the next film to become a fun, flashy musical on Broadway. Based on the 2002 film directed by Steven Spielberg Catch me if you can defied these expectations by dazzling audiences and critics, even managing to secure four Tony nominations.

The film (and its musical adaptation) tells the story of Frank Abagnale Jr., who managed to receive millions of dollars by posing as people from various prestigious professionsall before turning twenty. Catch me if you can may have been an acclaimed film thanks to its stunning direction and impressive cast (which included Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, and Christopher Walken), but it still seemed like an odd choice to be turned into a musical.

For one thing, the film felt too all-encompassing to be contained on one stage, taking place all over the world and over several years. Furthermore, despite the comedic moments, the film employed an overall dramatic tone, which many feared would be diminished by the inclusion of too much upbeat music.

5

Life of Pi (2012)

The story depended on the presence of a Bengal tiger

The original film, directed by Ang Lee, was a huge success and the story certainly deserved to be retold. The surprise around Life of PiThe Broadway adaptation was more about the logistics of presenting the story live. Clearly, it would not have been a wise decision to have a live tiger in a Broadway theater.

Among the most recent examples of Broadway shows based on films is Life of Piwhich opened on Broadway in 2023, 11 years after the film’s release. Life of Pi it says the incredible story of a 16-year-old boy named Pi who miraculously managed to survive more than two hundred days at seaall while trapped in a small lifeboat with a hungry Bengal tiger.

However, the story of Life of Pi it could not be told without the presence of the fearsome animal. Because of this, potential audiences were initially quite confused about how this adaptation could happen. Fortunately, thanks to the mesmerizing set and some innovative puppetry techniques, Broadway was able to find a suitable way to recreate the incredible story.

4

Back to the Future (1985)

How to recreate a flying, time-traveling DeLorean?

Few films from the 1980s are as iconic as Back to the future. THE 1985 science fiction comedy film has been entertaining audiences for decades with its clever writing, stunning effects, and lovable characters. The film follows Marty McFly, a teenager who must help his parents fall in love after accidentally traveling through time and altering the past.

Even with his huge fan base, however, many viewers were quite shocked when a Back to the future musical was announced. While Back to the future has all the humor and emotion that audiences love to see in shows, as well has many elements that normally do not belong on stage; perhaps most notably, a flying, time-traveling DeLorean.

Some of the iconic effects used in Back to the futureespecially those in the climactic scene, didn’t seem like they could do it proper justice on stage. Audiences were very skeptical, both about the effects and whether anyone could do justice to Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd’s iconic performances.

3

Rocky (1976)

The film’s tone and theme didn’t feel right for the stage

RockyThe 1976 film that launched Sylvester Stallone’s career is one of the most iconic sports films of all time. The inspiring story of Rocky Balboa (Stallone) resonated deeply with audiences and surprised critics, captivating An impressive ten Oscar nominations, including a Best Picture win.

Due to its huge success, it wasn’t too shocking when Rocky It was followed by numerous sequels. The big surprise, however, came years later, when it was revealed that Rocky would be turned into a Broadway musical. For many, Rocky seemed like a bizarre choice to turn into a musical. Both the tone and theme of the film seemed to clash sharply with the stories typically portrayed on Broadway.

Furthermore, fans of the film were perplexed by the idea of ​​how the pivotal boxing match could be reenacted on stage night after night, especially knowing the brutal and bloody nature of the fight. The musical achieved some success, earning four Tony nominations and one win.

2

A Christmas Story (1983)

There would only be an interested audience during the Christmas season

Although A Christmas Story has been a family favorite during the holiday season for many years, but it hasn’t had as significant an impact on Broadway. Based on the writings of Jean ShepherdThe 1983 comedy tells the story of a 1940s family trying to have a merry Christmas together, as seen through the eyes of a young boy, Ralphie.

A Christmas Story got the same mixed reaction as other holiday-centric Broadway adaptations over the years. Even with the film being as popular as it was, Turning a Christmas movie into a Broadway musical seemed like a pretty questionable decision.

Even if the creators had to put the same care and dedication into the production as they would any other show, it would only have an interested audience for a month or two. The predictably limited run made A Christmas History an unexpected choice for Broadway.

1

King Kong (1933)

Probably the most unexpected film to be adapted into a musical is King Kong. Although the historical monster film gets credit for presenting one of the most iconic creatures in cinemait’s hard to imagine any element of the film that lends itself to a musical. The first (and most glaring) reason for the surprise surrounding the musical’s announcement is that the titular character is a nearly 30-foot-tall monkey.

Theater and film fans struggled to understand how this creature could be adequately portrayed on stage. Even putting aside the logistics of Kong itself, it was difficult to understand the thought process behind bringing King Kong to Broadway. At the time the adaptation was being made, the film was already eighty years old, with a story that was quite outdated in many ways.

The original version was also notably a non-musical film, as were almost every other film in the monster genre. All things considered, bringing King Kong to Broadway (and even as a musical) it was a decision that took everyone by surprise.