It’s a tale as old as time, popular stories flooding into other art forms.
We most often see this with movies and books, but this year, there is a rise in Broadway musicals becoming movies.
This fall, both avid movie goers and the occasional watchers should be ready with their popcorn and drinks to see the most modern version of two extremely loved tales.
The new renditions of Beetlejuice and Wicked are here and are sure to bring the heat.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice hit theaters on Sept. 6. And Wicked releases Nov. 22.
The original Beetlejuice was the 1988 film, but reached an even greater audience once it hit broadway. Since the first time I saw a recording of the musical, I was hooked even more than when I saw the movie.
The Beetlejuice characters in 1988 were dark, classic Tim Burton characters. So, seeing this come to life with songs and dancing was the start of a very unique Broadway genre.
The story has been one of the greats for decades now, and there is a new adaptation of both the older movie and the musical.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice stars Michael Keeton, Winona Ryder, Jenna Ortego, Danny Devito, and other familiar faces.
There are a few returning stars to the film like Keeton, Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara. But, there are also some newcomers to the scene.
Tim Burton said in an interview he basically “had to wait for Jenna Ortega’s birth to make the sequel.”
The movie gave me the perfect mix of a modernized version of the story while still keeping the same feel and looks as the originals.
There was a strong 80s vibe for the entirety of the visuals. The gore factor was there, and so was the theatrical factor coming from especially the musicals.
There was clear influence from the Broadway edition because the movie definitely had appeal to younger generations, like Gen Z, with talk of new technology, and Ortega’s character, who is a 16-year-old girl.
The musical Beetlejuice has a much larger focus on family than the 1988 film. And the same is said about the new Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
The whole movie is a revolving door of the characters sacrificing themselves for the ones they love, while keeping the message from the 1988 film that the afterlife isn’t truly the end.
Wicked is the other 2024 film, sure to make a splash in the world of movies.
The story was first showcased in the 1995 novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. This is a backstory of the Wicked Witch character from the extremely loved story, The Wizard of Oz.
After the novel reached popularity, Wicked made its Broadway debut in October of 2003.
The story explores the very complex relationship between Elphaba, who is the Wicked Witch, and Galinda, known as the Good Witch.
This musical quickly became one of Broadway’s “bests” because of the award winning soundtrack, beautiful costume work, and one of Broadway’s most iconic performances, Defying Gravity.
This show and the themes of female friendship, discrimination, and standing up for what you believe, quickly reached audiences across the globe.
Wicked is currently Broadway’s number one selling show, and is in its 21st year running.
The movie Wicked stars an extremely popular singer Ariana Grande as Glinda, and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba. Jeff Goldblum is playing the Wizard. And they are alongside Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Michelle Yeoh, and other reputable actors and actresses.
Since I saw the trailer for this movie, I knew I would plan to be there on opening day.
I’ve seen multiple recordings of this on Broadway and read the 2015 adaptation of the book, and both are spectacular.
The trailer plays the iconic Defying Gravity, showing great influence from the song on Broadway, making me even more excited to watch this later this month.
It’s extremely difficult to take something that has been done before, and taken extraordinarily well by the public, and live up to those standards.
Making modern versions of Beetlejuice and Wicked is extremely ambitious, as both stories have already been done so well and have such large fanbases.
From the dark but whimsical Beetlejuice Beetlejuice to the powerful and emotional Wicked, theaters are sure to be packed this fall to witness even further magic on the screen.
