From Wicked Part 2: For Good this autumn to the long wait for Merrily We Roll Along, we take a look at the musicals headed to the big screen.

Movie musicals make for true event cinema and bring the joys of the genre to audiences around the globe. Read our guide to the latest offerings, what you can look forward to soon (or in a couple of decades time, in the case of Merrily We Roll Along!) and what’s in development. What are you looking forward to most?

Out now or coming soon

Wicked Part 1 / Wicked Part 2: For Good

Audiences worldwide were dazzled by Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, and Jonathan Bailey in the first instalment of Jon M Chu’s vision of the wonderful land of Oz, so waiting for Part 2: For Good is quite the challenge! After Elphaba defies gravity for the first time, things take a darker turn… can her friendship with Glinda survive?

Cast: Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba), Ariana Grande (Glinda), Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero), Michelle Yeoh (Madame Morrible) et al

Creatives: Jon M Chu (director), Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox (screenplay), Stephen Schwartz (music and lyrics)

Release date: Part 1 is streaming on Apple TV; Part 2 will be released in cinemas in November 2025

Mufasa

As with Wicked, Mufasa provides an origin story for a notorious villain. Scar, formerly Taka, couldn’t always have been so cruel, right? Sure enough, he and the orphaned Mufasa loved each other dearly and chose to become brothers until jealousy ruined their relationship. The film, with songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, was released over the Christmas period and is now available to stream.

Cast: Aaron Pierre (Mufasa), Kelvin Harrison Jr (Taka), John Kani (Rafiki) et al

Creatives: Barry Jenkins (director), Jeff Nathanson (screenplay), Lin-Manuel Miranda (music and lyrics)

Release date: Available to stream on Disney+

Emilia Pérez

This Spanish-language musical crime film by French arthouse director Jacques Audiard has had a Marmite-y reception, to say the least, and has received a considerable amount of criticism for its use of stereotypes. Nevertheless, it has been nominated for 13 Oscars and is the most nominated non-English-language film to date.

Cast: Zoe Saldaña (Rita), Karla Sofía Gascón (Emilia Pérez/Manitas), Selena Gomez (Jessi) et al

Creatives: Jacques Audiard (director, screenplay), Camille Dalmais (songs)

Release date: Streaming on Netflix

Snow White

Someday a remake will come… Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was Disney’s first full-length animated feature in 1937 and now it finally gets a live-action version. West Side Story’s Rachel Zegler stars as the princess who creates a new home for herself with seven eccentric and lovable companions. Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it’s off to the cinema we go!

Release date: 25 March 2025

Cast: Rachel Zegler (Snow White), Gal Gadot (Evil Queen), Andrew Burnap (Jonathan), Martin Klebba (Grumpy) et al

Creatives: Marc Webb (director), Greta Gerwig and Erin Cressida Wilson (screenplay)

Release date: 25 March 2025

Kiss of the Spiderwoman

Jennifer Lopez plays the role originated by Chita Rivera in this screen adaptation of the Kander and Ebb musical set in an Argentine prison in 1981, juxtaposing gritty realism with MGM-style musical fantasies. The premiere at Sundance Film Festival received a standing ovation, which makes us all the more impatient for news about the general release.

Cast: Jennifer Lopez (Ingrid Luna/Aurora/The Spider Woman), Diego Luna (Valentin Arregui), Tonatiuh (Luis Molina)

Creatives: Bill Condon (director and screenplay), John Kander (music), Fred Ebb (lyrics)

Release date: TBC

Michael

Biographical musical drama about Michael Jackson, charting his life and career from child star to global icon. Starring Jaafar Jackson, the subject’s nephew through his brother Jermaine. It will be interesting to compare it with the (unrelated) stage hit MJ The Musical.

Cast: Jaafar Jackson (Michael Jackson), Colman Domingo (Joe Jackson), Nia Long (Katherine Jackson) et al

Creatives: Antoine Fuqua (director), John Logan (screenplay)

Release date: Autumn 2025

Moana

A live-action remake of the 2016 Polynesia-set Disney hit, directed by Thomas Kail (Hamilton). Perhaps it could also be one of the next Disney movies to receive a stage production?

Cast: Catherine Laga'aia (Moana), Dwayne Johnson (Maui) et al

Creatives: Thomas Kail (director), Jared Bush, Dana Ledoux Miller (screenplay), Lin-Manuel Miranda (music and lyrics)

Release date: Summer 2026

In production/development

Merrily We Roll Along

Stephen Sondheim’s musical tells the story of three friends over a 21-year period – the twist being that the story is told from the end to the beginning. Known for his audacious experiments with the passage of time, Richard Linklater is filming the project in real time so that we can see the actors age (well, actually, get younger). It’s such an audacious challenge – and good things come to those who wait.

Cast: Paul Mescal (Franklin Shepard), Ben Platt (Charley Kringas), Beanie Feldstein (Mary Flynn) et al

Creatives: Richard Linklater (director and screenplay), Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics)

Release date: TBC

Shucked

UK audiences will get the chance to see this lauded American musical comedy when it plays at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in May. At the final performance on Broadway a year ago, there was a wonderful surprise at the curtain call when the lead producer announced that Mandalay Pictures will be producing a film version.

Cast: TBC

Creatives: Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally (music and lyrics), Robert Horn (screenplay)

Release date: TBC

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

According to The Guardian, a remake of the 1968 classic based on Ian Fleming’s children’s book is in development. Time for the flying car to emerge from the garage and soar again!

Cast: TBC

Creatives: The Sherman Brothers (music and lyrics)

Release date: TBC

Follies

A screen adaptation of Sondheim’s masterpiece was reported to be in “active development” in 2021. It would certainly be glorious with the right cast, director, and design concept – the National Theatre set such a high bar with its 2017 revival.

Cast: TBC

Creatives: Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics)

Release date: TBC

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

Daisy Edgar-Jones was mooted to star as the singer/songwriter, but last year it was confirmed that she’s parted ways with the project. No replacement has been announced yet.

Cast: TBC

Creatives: Lisa Cholodenko (director, screenplay), Stuart Blumberg (screenplay)

A Chorus Line

Richard Attenborough’s 1985 screen adaptation of the heartrendering backstage musical was a real dud. A ten-part Netflix adaptation helmed by Ryan Murphy that tells the auditionees’ stories in further detail was mooted a few years back – it’s a really intriguing idea, so let’s hope it resurfaces at some point.

Cast: TBC

Creatives: Ryan Murphy (director, screenplay)

Release date: TBC

Sunset Boulevard

Now, this has been in development forever. In 1994, Glenn Close opened on Broadway as reclusive diva Norma Desmond and has had her heart set on reprising the role on screen ever since. In 2019, Rob Ashford was reported to be in talks to direct. Will this project ever emerge from its hibernation, like Norma from her mansion?

Cast: Glenn Close (Norma Desmond)

Creatives: Andrew Lloyd Webber (music), Don Black (lyrics)

Release date: TBC