Wickedraised the bar for musical films with its successful theatrical run, becoming one of thebest movies of 2024and one of the highest-grossing movies of the year.Wicked’s box office successcould lead to more musical films premiering in theaters in the near future. One groundbreaking Broadway hit that should receive a film adaptation isLin-Manuel Miranda’s 2015 musicalHamilton,which depicts the life of Alexander Hamilton and his impact on American history.
WhileWickedhas been around on Broadway far longer thanHamilton, the latter’s popularity and high quality demands a big-budget film adaptation on par with directorJon M. Chu’s vision ofWicked. It has already displayed its blockbuster potential on Disney+ with2020’sHamiltonfilm, so combined withWicked’s stellar performance in theaters, a film adaptation of Miranda’s musical is all but guaranteed at this point.
Wicked’s Performance Increases The Chances Of A Hamilton Musical Movie
Disney May Want To Follow Wicked’s Success In Theaters With A Hamilton Film
When a film does well enough in theaters,other Hollywood studios typically try to cash in on this success with comparable productions. ConsideringWicked’s record-breaking box office numbersand incredible reviews, it wouldn’t be a surprise if studios tried to compete by taking other popular Broadway musicals likeHamiltonand turning them into movies. Such a decision couldn’t come at a better time.
After Seeing Wicked, Watch This Hugely Underrated Wizard Of Oz-Inspired Series Starring Zooey Deschanel & Alan Cumming
Syfy’s Tin Man (2007) is the perfect mini-series to watch after seeing Wicked Part I. Tin Man is an underrated retelling of The Wizard of Oz.
Hollywood has shied away from embracing musicals in recent years, as films likeJoker: Folie à Deux,Wonka, andMean Girlswere hardly marketed as musicals.This perplexing trend can be attributed to the lackluster theatrical performances of modern musical films, including 2019’sCats, 2021’sWest Side Story,In the Heights, andDear Evan Hansen. Though the musical genre has experienced its challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic,Wickedhas all but broken the stigma surrounding it and could spark a resurgence that leads toHamiltongetting the Hollywood movie treatment.
Disney Already Knows How Big A Movie Adaptation Of Hamilton Could Be
If The Hamilton Live Stage Recording Was Huge, Imagine How Big A Real Film Adaptation Would Be
Disney+ achieved massive success by releasing a live stage recording ofHamiltondirected by Thomas Kail. This 2020 film depicts a performance of a musical with its original Broadway cast at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in Manhattan.Hamilton had incredible viewership numbers on Disney+and premiered to a storm of praise. It received nominations for two Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, nominations for twelve Primetime Emmy Awards, and winning the American Film Institute Special Award at the 2020 AFI Awards.
A popular musical likeHamiltonreceiving this much acclaim as a live recordingproves how big it can be as a blockbuster film.However, to satisfy fans of the source material, aHamiltonfilm would need to rival the original musical in terms of story, acting, musical performances, and overall style. It’s a bold, demanding undertaking, but it could pay off extraordinarily well if done correctly.
What Lin-Manuel Miranda Has Said About A Hamilton Movie Adaptation
Miranda Has Debated On Whether Or Not A Hamilton Film Will Come So Soon
FollowingWicked’s success in theaters and comparisons made to his own musical, Lin-Manuel Miranda discussed thepossibility of developing aHamiltonfilm adaptation. In an interview withEntertainment Tonight,Miranda expressed his reluctance to adapt his musical into a film so soon, especially after the release of the live Hamilton film:
“You know, for me, I’ve always said I’m so proud of how Thomas Kail is able to capture Hamilton at the Roger. Everyone in the world can see that on Disney+, and it would take a really good vision from a director to convince me that Hamilton could be adapted, because these things aren’t easy! Wicked took twenty years, it took a long time! [Hamilton’s] 10th anniversary is next year. So, give it ten years.”
Based on Miranda’s comments, it may be a while before Disney recreatesHamiltonas a musical blockbuster for the big screen. It’s understandable that he hopes to wait for such a film, as rushing into making aHamiltonmovie to piggyback offWicked’s success would risk creating a lackluster adaptation.Considering how Disney+’s live recording ofHamiltonperformed after premiering almost five years prior, it isn’t easy to justify making another film that recreates the story so soon. With all things considered, waiting is the best option.
Nevertheless, the success and praise surroundingWickedhave madeHamiltonfans eager to see Miranda’s musical adapted for theaters.Disney will likely listen to this hype and greenlight the production of aHamiltonmovie, regardless of timing. Whether or not it is too soon to produce such a film,Hamiltonhas cemented itself as one of Disney’s most popular musical properties with its reception on Broadway and on streaming, making it the perfect choice to compete withWickedin theaters.
