2021 was the year of the movie musical, with film releases like In the Heights, tick, tick…BOOM! and West Side Story, just to name a couple. This year, there are a few others to keep an eye out for, like 13 and Matilda the Musical! Check out when these will be released, and a few other movie musicals coming up.
Movie Musicals Coming Soon
13: The Musical

Based on the Jason Robert Brown musical that introduced us to names like Ariana Grande and Elizabeth Gilles, 13: The Musical is coming to Netflix this August in a new film adaptation. The cast includes acting veterans like Debra Messing, Josh Peck, and Rhea Perlman alongside a cast of young newcomers playing the young NYC teens. Make sure to load it up on your Netflix queue when it premieres on August 12, 2022. A teaser of the film is featured here.
Pinocchio

There’s a new screen adaptation of Pinocchio on the way! Starring Tony Award nominee and entertainment legend Tom Hanks as Gepetto and Tony Award winner Cynthia Erivo as the Blue Fairy, the live-action adaptation of Pinocchio will premiere on Disney+ September 8, 2022, featuring beloved songs like “When You Upon A Star” and “I’ve Got No Strings” as well as new songs by Glen Ballard. Watch the teaser trailer here.
Matilda the Musical

An adaptation of the musical written by Denis Kelly and with a musical score by Tim Minchin is heading to Netflix. Directed by Matthew Warchus, who directed the stage musical, and originally based on the Roald Dahl novel, Matilda the Musical tells the beloved story of Matilda Wormwood, an extraordinary girl, with a vivid imagination, who dares to take a stand to change her story with miraculous results. Starring Emma Thompson as the villainous Miss Trunchbull, the Netflix musical movie will premiere this winter. Watch the teaser trailer here.
The Little Mermaid
and just like that..that’s a wrap ❤️after auditioning for this film when i was 18 just about to turn 19 , to now finishing filming through a pandemic when i turned 21 ..we have finally made it…💖i feel so grateful to have experienced this film in all of its glory.. pic.twitter.com/UtbyX5tS6a
— Halle (@HalleBailey) July 12, 2021
The Color Purple

Based on the musical adaptation that premiered on Broadway in 2005 and was revived to great acclaim in 2015, The Color Purple will come to the big screen in December 2023. Starring Fantasia Barrino as Celie and Danielle Brooks as Sofia, reprising the role they played on Broadway, The Color Purple cast includes names like Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, Taraji P. Henson, and H.E.R. Make a “joyful noise” when the movie musical is released December 20, 2023.
Wicked
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Movie Musicals In Development
While these are the movie musicals with official casting announcements and release dates set, there are multiple musicals with film adaptations rumored or confirmed to be in development.
It was announced last summer that Bill Condon would direct a new film adaptation of Guys and Dolls but little information has been released since. Disney has also announced multiple musical projects including film adaptations of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Once on This Island.
Thomas Kail, best known as the Tony Award-winning director of Hamilton, is also attached to some film adaptations. While it’s been a few years since both were announced Kail is set to direct remakes of Oliver! and Fiddler on the Roof. Danny Strong is set to pen the screenplay for Oliver!, which will star Ice Cube as Fagin, and Steven Levenson will write the screenplay for Fiddler on the Roof.
Chris Evans made headlines recently when he addressed the remake of Little Shop of Horrors that was rumored to be in development, with him starring alongside Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, and Billy Porter. Evans speaking with MTV News said he was set to begin filming in 2020, but the project ended up being scrapped during the COVID-19 pandemic. Maybe with enough fans pleading, the project could be picked up once again!
Mean Girls is also set to hit screens once again, this time bringing the musical adaptation to film audiences. It was announced in September 2021 that husband-wife duo Arturo Perez Jr. and Samantha Jayne will direct Mean Girls the Musical which will be produced by Lorne Michaels and Tina Fey, with the Broadway creative team on board featuring a screenplay by Fey, music by Jeff Richmond, and lyrics by Nell Benjamin. No information has been released since but we can’t wait to see who will make the “world burn” on screen.
Other notable movie musicals in the works include Be More Chill, The King and I, Flower Drum Song, Follies, Gypsy, Merrily We Roll Along starring Beanie Feldstein and Ben Platt, Porgy and Bess, and Spamalot.
We can’t wait for these musicals to come to screens both big and small, but until they do, check out our streaming guide for all the theater you can watch now!