My Top 5 2020s Movies That Should Become Broadway Musicals
The cast of Sinners performing “I Lied To You” at the 98th Academy Awards (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
This decade has been filled with movies that pushed the boundaries of their genres, and several of those films feel ripe to have their emotions amplified and their stories transformed into vivid musical theater experiences on the Broadway stage in the near future. Here’s a list of my top five films from the 2020s that I can imagine making the leap to Broadway, along with dream creative teams and casts who could bring their worlds and songs to life.
1 - Sinners (2025)
Directed by Ryan Cooler
Yes, it’s not officially classified as a musical, but Ryan Coogler’s modern masterpiece—a daring fusion of Southern Gothic, period drama, gangster film, supernatural horror and clear musical moments—already contains the rich, theatrical ingredients needed for a Hamilton-like smash hit on the Great White Way. Picture its memorable song-and-dance moments—“Pale, Pale Moon,” “Travelin’,” “Pick Poor Robin Clean,” “Will Ye Go, Lassie Go?,” and, naturally, the fan-favorite “Rocky Road to Dublin” alongside the Academy Award–nominated “I Lied To You”—fully staged and amplified in an in-the-round environment like the Circle in the Square Theater, with choreography that leans into the story’s eerie, rhythmic heart and an immersive set that blurs reality and the supernatural.
On casting, I’d be thrilled to see the now–Oscar-winning role of the Smokestack Twins taken on by Leslie Odom Jr. and Brandon Victor Dixon, with the inventive twist of having them switch roles daily so each performer can inhabit both sides of the twins and reveal new shades of the characters over time. For Sammie, Delta Slim and Remmick, I can’t imagine better choices than Miles Caton, Delroy Lindo and Jack O’Connell respectively—each brings the gravitas and nuance necessary to translate those complex film performances into live theater. Danielle Brooks, Alex Newell or Da’Vine Joy Randolph would all be sensational as Annie; James Monroe Iglehart or David Alan Grier could bring the right mix of comic timing and heart to Cornbread; Joy Woods would make a striking, soulful Pearline; and Isa Briones would be an inspired pick to assume Hailee Steinfeld’s role of Mary.
Put simply: mount this show now. With the right creative team, choreography and a cast like this breathing life into those haunting, toe-tapping numbers, audiences are ready to “sink our teeth” into it and experience the film’s powerful blend of music and myth on stage.
2 - Barbie (2023)
Directed by Greta Gerwig
When the cultural phenomenon Barbie hit movie screens in 2023, it was like lightning in a bottle. The colors, the clothes, the monologues, and of course, two moments that made the film feel as if it could easily translate to the stage — “Dance the Night” and “I’m Just Ken.” Then, enter Ryan Gosling performing the latter song at the 96th Academy Awards, and the idea that Barbie and Ken’s journey of self-discovery belonged on stage suddenly started buzzing everywhere. I think it could work much like the SpongeBob SquarePants musical did: enlist multiple recording artists (in Barbie’s case, contributors such as Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish & Finneas O'Connell, Kevin Parker, Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt) to craft a diverse, memorable score, and design sets and costumes that recreate the vivid contrast between BarbieLand and the real world that made the film so striking on-screen.
3 - Elvis (2022)
Directed by Baz Luhrmann
The life of the “King of Rock and Roll” was vividly and energetically brought to the screen by Baz Luhrmann, using roughly the same lavish bells-and-whistles he employed in his earlier work (1996’s Romeo + Juliet and 2001’s Moulin Rouge!), anchored by a magnetic, scene-stealing performance from Austin Butler. Luhrmann has very recently announced that a stage adaptation is officially in the works, so it’s no surprise to see it included on my list.
For a stage production, I can easily imagine them approaching it in ways similar to the Tony Award–winning Moulin Rouge! stage adaptation, even though Luhrmann’s trademark frenetic editing and rapid visual collage would necessarily be absent from the live theatrical experience. Large-scale, shiny set pieces, integrated screens, inventive lighting and elaborate choreography could more than compensate, bringing spectacle and emotion to the fore. Casting the real-life figures will be particularly delicate work; hopefully the creative team finds performers who can embody Elvis Presley, Col. Tom Parker and Priscilla Presley with both convincing authenticity and careful attention to historical nuance.
4 - The Fabelmans (2022)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
The semi-autobiographical look at the early life of director Steven Spielberg, seen through the eyes of the fictionalized teenage filmmaker Sammy Fabelman, is tender, emotional, and at times deeply inspirational, with several stand-out scenes and performances that linger in the mind long after the credits roll. Imagine this movie reimagined for the stage as “Fun Home meets Sunday in the Park with George,” but with the craft of filmmaking placed squarely at the center as the art form that drives the narrative.
For a theatrical adaptation, I can easily envision the inventive use of screens projecting what Sammy conceives and films for his “movies within the film,” while clever scene changes and lighting shifts maintain the story’s momentum and cinematic feel. Musically, the score could blend John Williams’ intimate, personal motifs from the original soundtrack with touches of Stephen Sondheim’s lyrical complexity and Jeanine Tesori’s warm, character-driven harmonies. A final Sammy solo in the vein of Pasek and Paul—joyous, cathartic, and full of possibility—after his encounter with John Ford would serve as a triumphant closer (extra credit if the production recreates that final fixed-horizon shot as a staging moment). One scene that lends itself beautifully to a theatrical centerpiece is the camping-sequence moment when Mitzi dances in front of the car headlights; staged as a solo dance, it could be a luminous showcase for an actor who can evoke Michelle Williams’ graceful, nuanced movement just as memorably as Spielberg captured it on film.
5 - CODA (2021)
Directed by Sian Heder
The English-language remake of the French film La Famille Bélier went on to win three Academy Awards including Best Picture, and its feel-good story about the only-hearing child of a deaf family captured the hearts of virtually everyone who has seen it. Deaf West Theater is already at work on bringing this film to the stage, but here are some practical ideas that I think could help them finally get it to fruition.
First off, you obviously need to bring back Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur (who won the Oscar for his performance) and Daniel Durant, because seeing them reprise their roles live would restore the same emotional anchor that helped the film earn its prestige. A minimalist set design would keep the story as the primary focus, allowing audiences to connect more deeply with the characters and their personal journeys. And of course, make sure the climactic performance of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” remains intact, as it is central to the film’s emotional payoff.
