Forgotten Movie Musicals: What Happened Disney?
These announced musicals never received any more updates past their initial press releases...so what happened?
Just like The Walt Disney Company loves to put out a press release about a new attraction coming to the theme parks and then completely ignore it (we hardly knew ye, Main Street theater), the studio division is just as culpable in a court of law. Over the past few years, numerous musicals have been announced as being “in the works" at Disney, but instead of updates, we’ve only received silence. It’s dismaying, especially as Wicked breaks box office records. Could some of these ignored ideas be revived? Here’s hoping.
- Once On This Island - Announced July 2020 - Coming off of its Tony-Award winning revival, Once On This Island was announced to be in the works for Disney+. Set to be written by Jocelyn Bioh, directed by Wanuri Kahiu, and produced by Marc Platt, it seemed like a recipe for success. The musical follows a girl named Ti Moune who falls in love with a man from the rich side of their island. Adhering to the rules of the four gods that follow her, she yearns for a life bigger than her own. The fable, written by the famed musical team Ahrens & Flaherty, has become a jewel box musical with a long life in high schools and regionally since its 1990 premiere. Fun fact: the original Broadway cast featured two performers who went on to become Muses in Hercules (LaChanze and Lilias White).
- Young Frankenstein Live! - Announced January 2020 - Originally, this live adaptation of the Mel Brooks musical was set to be a follow up to ABC’s The Little Mermaid Live. Mind you, that was a hybrid performance with musical numbers fitting into the animated film, but Young Frankenstein looked to be a full adaptation, a la Grease on Fox and The Sound of Music on NBC. Young Frankenstein follows the plot of the 1974 film in a big budget, The Producers-style musical. As Brooks’ follow-up to his smash hit The Producers on Broadway, Frankenstein failed to meet high expectations and had a brief life in New York City. More recent productions around the world have fixed some of the show’s biggest issues, but alas, the pandemic seemingly stopped any production on this live adaptation.
- Penelope - Announced July 2022 - One of the last classic fairy tales Disney has yet to adapt, Penelope was set to be a live-action adaptation of The Princess and the Pea. With music written by Ingrid Michaelson and Larry O’Keefe, the original movie musical would be written by Robert Sudduth. This was an all-around odd announcement, as it screams “animate me!" Especially after the removal of Gigantic from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ line-up, maybe what Disney animation needs most is a classic fairy tale retelling. Alas, the last we heard of this film’s development was the initial 2022 announcement.
- Phantom - Announced September 2024 - While this was the most recently announced musical project on this list, it has been radio silent since its announcement. Set to be directed and executive produced by Disney Legend Kenny Ortega, the movie would be a young adult take on the classic novel. Of course, the movie would not follow that of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, but an original take on the classic tale. It’s an odd choice, but with Ortega being a huge voice for musicals on film, it’s a risk that just might work. When announced, it was in the early stages, so this one might still have some hope in it.
- The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - Announced April 2021 - Set to be produced by the team from 2019’s Aladdin (Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich), the musical was a runaway hit back in 2005. The story follows a group of awkward teens (played by adults) trying to take home top prize at the regional spelling bee. The musical is most known for its improvisational element, inviting audience members to be part of the spelling bee during the show. For the musical’s Tony Awards performance, the invited audience member was Al Sharpton. The show is a surprising choice for a Disney production considering some of the songs, but the show still has an abundance of heart that fits well with the studio. The silence around this, however, feels like an unfortunate situation of being dead in the water.
- Oliver! - Announced January 2018 - Mind you, this one has a big knock against it as Ice Cube was set to produce as star as Fagin, but has since gotten in hot water for various social media takes. However, the reinvention of the 1963 musical was also set to be written by Danny Strong and directed by Hamilton’s Thomas Kail. Marc Platt, musical producer extraordinaire, was also set to be attached. Oliver! is a classic Lionel Bart musical that was turned into a Best Picture winner. Oliver! has since been revived numerous times all around the world, including a 2023 production at New York City Center. The musical seems like a solid choice for a new adaptation, as it remains known, but has not had the staying power in recent decades (especially stateside).