Future Disney Projects

[copskid949]

Posted: 7/15/19 at 5:11pm

So with the announcement that Disney is adapting Moana directly into a Junior show from a film (something that hasn't been done since 2005, not counting Winnie the Pooh Kids), as well as expanding theme park show Finding Nemo for Junior audiences, what else would you like to see them do? Broadway, Off, Junior, Kids, etc.

Personally, I think Disney has a LOT of franchises that could work well. Princess and the Frog would be my #1 choice for a Broadway show. First black princess, Randy Newman score, voodoo and bayou influences, and Louis would be SUCH a meaty role for an actor who plays the trumpet. It could be genuinely fantastic.

I also think Lemonade Mouth would be a solid choice for amateur licensing, maybe a professional run. Admittedly the DCOM was pretty basic in a lot of its writing, but the book it was based on has a surprising amount of depth and edginess that, combined with most of the film's soundtrack and lightheartedness, could really be some astounding stuff. "Determinate/Here We Go" is an early 2010s call to rebelliousness, "And the Crowd Goes" is a catchy villain song reminiscent of The Beastie Boys, and "She's So Gone" is a solid feminist bop. On top of all of this, it's one of those movies like High School Musical or Camp Rock that still carries a lot of nostalgia. The only difference is, it never got its planned sequel and faded into relative obscurity despite being much more diverse and relevant than either of those films combined. Bringing it back with some fresh beats would boost it to new heights. I mean, people are already back into it thanks to Naomi Scott's turn as Princess Jasmine in the Aladdin film, so why not turn that into profit?

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 7/15/19 at 6:03pm

Lemonade Mouth could definitely work as a musical if they went back to the original book and made it a little more edgier. Other than "Determinate", they could probably stand chucking most of the songs and getting a composer to write a unified score.

[MollyJeanneMusic]

Posted: 7/15/19 at 6:26pm

I actually started a thread about the MTI Jr and Kids shows!  You can find it right here: https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1118077

As for other projects, Princess and the Frog would be an AWESOME musical (and P.S. casting directors - we need Leslie Odom, Jr. as Dr. Facilier.  We need that)!  I could also see them doing a musical adaptation of Tangled, or maybe Enchanted.  As for DCOM musicals, I could see them bringing Teen Beach Movie (Jordan Fisher, anyone?) or Descendants to the stage.

[AADA81]

Posted: 7/15/19 at 10:40pm

Future Disney projects?  Must there be.

I know a lot make money and keep people employed.  However, the perception of Broadway as a theme park like Disneyland is real.  That means the familiarity quotient for every show is emphasized, i.e., the tourist dollars that make up over 60% of ticket buyers.  Healthy for business (especially the Disney juggernaut that eats up everything) but stinks for artistic endeavors.  Calling O'Neill, Williams and Miller.

[copskid949]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 1:20am

AADA81 said: "Future Disney projects? Must there be.

I know a lot make money and keep people employed. However, the perception of Broadway as a theme park like Disneyland is real. That means the familiarity quotient for every show is emphasized, i.e., the tourist dollars that make up over 60% of ticket buyers. Healthy for business (especially the Disney juggernaut that eats up everything) but stinks for artistic endeavors. Calling O'Neill, Williams and Miller."

I totally understand that. To be perfectly honest though, as long as Disney is around and people are buying tickets, they’ll still do shows. Might as well hope for them to do more artistic endeavors instead of what they did with Frozen. To be perfectly honest they have some gorgeous tales under their belt that got pushed under the behemoth that is themselves. Things like Frog and Lemonade Mouth may not have made a huge impact at the end of the day as films, but it would be great to see that work be more successful in another medium.

On that note, how does everyone feel about Meet the Robinsons?

[MollyJeanneMusic]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 9:28am

Meet the Robinsons would be an AMAZING musical!  I don't know how much of a demand there is for science fiction on Broadway, considering Be More Chill's lack of success, but get a good writing team and spend some time on those sets and I think you've got yourself a winner.

[BroadwayGuy12]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 10:22am

AADA81 said: "Future Disney projects? Must there be.

I know a lot make money and keep people employed. However, the perception of Broadway as a theme park like Disneyland is real. That means the familiarity quotient for every show is emphasized, i.e., the tourist dollars that make up over 60% of ticket buyers. Healthy for business (especially the Disney juggernaut that eats up everything) but stinks for artistic endeavors. Calling O'Neill, Williams and Miller."

Since Disney arrived on Broadway in 1994 with Beauty and the Beast, they have produced 8 shows directly under the Disney brand (9 if you count Aida). Also since 1994, works written by Williams have been produced on Broadway 14 times, Miller 14 times, and O'Neill 11 times. Disney productions and "artistic endeavors" are able to coexist. Broadway has 41 theaters; there's room for everything.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 10:30am

Seeing as Princess And the Frog was viewed as quite a flop for the studio, I can't imagine they'd touch that with a 10 foot pole.

Disney is plenty busy. All the FOX stage productions (Moulin Rouge, Mrs. Doubtfire, Devil Wears Prada, Working Girl, Anastasia, and others) are now being overseen by Disney/Tom Schumacher. Disney is developing Princess Bride and a version of Bedknobs & Broomsticks for stock/amateur licensing. And there are revivals of Beauty and the Beast and Aida being planned.

As others have remarked, Disney currently has 2 major hits (Lion King and Aladdin) and one show that's selling well but should be doing better (Frozen). There would be market fatigue if any more animated films got Broadway adaptations while those 3 are running.

[greensgreens]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 10:53am

Meet The Robinsons would be FANTASTIC on stage! I would love for Rob Thomas to write the score, expanding on his song, Little Wonders, that was featured in the film (that . It's about time Rob writes a musical theatre score, I imagine he would fare at least as well as Cyndi did.  :)

[darquegk]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 11:13am

Honest answer? I wish Disney would realize they had access to a good thing, and license "Alien: Stage Edition," since they seem to have embraced the publicity they got from it. Can you imagine the production that immersive company in LA that did "Carrie" could do?

[BwayLB]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 1:39pm

If I were to pick from the Fox catalog I would pick Ferngully, Home Alone, Love Simon and Greatest Showman

[BritCrit]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 1:59pm

BwayLB said: "If I were to pick from the Fox catalog I would pick Ferngully, Home Alone, Love Simon and Greatest Showman"

The Greatest Showman is the one of these four that would be best suited for stage, though Love,Simon could do well in a mid-sized venue a la Dear Evan Hansen... There is speculation about bringing The Greatest Showman to Broadway, but it probably won't get there for a few years yet..

[AADA81]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 2:21pm

BwayLB said: "If I were to pick from the Fox catalog I would pick Ferngully, Home Alone, Love Simon and Greatest Showman"

I'd pick 'The Poseidon Adventure'.

[AADA81]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 2:27pm

BroadwayGuy12 said: "AADA81 said: "Future Disney projects? Must there be.

I know a lot make money and keep people employed. However, the perception of Broadway as a theme park like Disneyland is real. That means the familiarity quotient for every show is emphasized, i.e., the tourist dollars that make up over 60% of ticket buyers. Healthy for business (especially the Disney juggernaut that eats up everything) but stinks for artistic endeavors. Calling O'Neill, Williams and Miller."

Since Disney arrived on Broadway in 1994 with Beauty and the Beast, they have produced 8shows directly under the Disney brand (9 if you count Aida). Also since 1994, works written by Williams havebeen produced on Broadway 14 times, Miller 14 times, and O'Neill 11 times. Disney productions and "artistic endeavors" are able to coexist. Broadway has 41 theaters; there's room for everything."

That may be, but I'm tired of having to skoot past the theaters playing those Disney shows for fear that I'll be mistaken for a patron and then be forced to sit through a matinee of 'Aladdin'.  You have no idea how we non-Disney fans suffer!

[copskid949]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 4:45pm

darquegk said: "Honest answer? I wish Disney would realize they had access to a good thing, and license "Alien: Stage Edition," since they seem to have embraced the publicity they got from it. Can you imagine the production that immersive company in LA that did "Carrie" could do?"

No joke, freshman year of high school I turned in a concept for an in-the-round Alien play for my final in Intro the Theatre, so that high school has my FULL support to get that published somewhere with Fox.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 9:36pm

I'm watching Princess Diaries 2 with my mom right now and I would love for the first one and Parent Trap to be musicals. 

I'm anxiously waiting for Coco and Tangled in the meantime.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 9:44pm

Tangled is on cruise ships

[AADA81]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 9:48pm

RippedMan said: "Tangled is on cruise ships"

Why on earth did you have to say that?  Now I'm gonna want to see a Disney show.  Dang!

Updated On: 7/16/19 at 09:48 PM

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 9:51pm

RippedMan said: "Tangled is on cruise ships"

Yup! So, I'm surprised that Moana, which does not have a stage show, gets a elementary school release before this.

AADA81, let me save your life! The new songs are amazing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyFHjQndReY

[AADA81]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 9:57pm

disneybroadwayfan22 said: "RippedMan said: "Tangled is on cruise ships"

Yup! So, I'm surprised that Moana, which does not have a stage show, gets a elementary school release before this.

AADA81, let me save your life! The new songs are amazing.

Oh, if you must, you must ....

Updated On: 7/16/19 at 09:57 PM

[sethepstein12]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 11:48pm

disneybroadwayfan22 said: "I'm watching Princess Diaries 2 with mymom right now and I would love for the first oneand Parent Trapto be musicals.

I'm anxiously waiting for Coco and Tangled in the meantime."

I've wanted The Parent Trap forever, but I imagine the logistics are way too difficult

[DoTheDood]

Posted: 7/17/19 at 12:03am

sethepstein12 said: "I've wanted The Parent Trap forever, but I imagine the logistics are way too difficult"

Kids actors are hard enough, but god finding like, what, at least 6 pairs of identical/close enough looking twins to have enough replacements? I'm getting a headache just thinking about that.

[copskid949]

Posted: 7/17/19 at 12:27am

DoTheDood said: "sethepstein12 said: "I've wanted The Parent Trap forever, but I imagine the logistics are way too difficult"

Kids actors are hard enough, but god finding like, what,at least 6 pairs of identical/close enough looking twins to have enough replacements? I'm getting a headache just thinking about that."

Plus it would be SUCH a niche show to license out to amateurs. If you think it’s hard finding that amount of twins in the Broadway circuit, imagine trying to find a singular pair of talented performers who pass for identical twins in a small community theater. But GOD would it be cool! “Let’s Get Together” is a serious jam and I will attest to that forever.