Film audiences do not like musicals: fact or opinion? As an avid lover of musical theatre, I am all for film adaptations of stage classics, and in many cases, I would argue that the film version reigns far superior – Mamma Mia, The Sound of Music and Hairspray are key examples. Perhaps this is the result of seeing the films first, meaning any experience in the theatre cannot compare to the magic and joy created on the screen each time these much-loved classics are rewatched. Any film that even features songs is enough to spark my interest. As someone with an appreciation for the genre then, I must admit that I feel apprehensive whenever a film adaptation is announced. Just one poor artistic choice can be enough to leave fans feeling resentful and disappointed that the film version was ever created (hint, hint: Cats and Dear Evan Hansen).
With the much-anticipated release of the smash-hit musical Wicked hitting cinemas on 27th November, it is strange how both early and recent marketing for the film has failed to include any footage of the cast singing the musical numbers. If it were not for its popularity on the stage, it could easily be confused for a darker prequel to The Wizard of Oz rather than a musical. This omission raises concerns: why shy away from highlighting the film’s musical identity when that is precisely what fans are eager to see?
This reflects a broader trend: the rise of movie musicals is often accompanied by a lack of honest marketing. Instead, marketing teams downplay or hide the musical elements of their films, hoping to lure in a wider audience. A key example of this is Wonka. According to research conducted by Deadline last December, the team behind the film intentionally avoided marketing it as a musical because “test-audience focus groups generally hate musicals, and the only way to get people into the theatre with one is to trick 'em. If they get in the door and wind up enjoying themselves, then business is solid for a studio on a musical”. The rationale behind this approach is simple, if somewhat cynical: get people in the door first. By downplaying the musical aspect, if audiences end up enjoying the film, then positive word-of-mouth could compensate for any initial reluctance.
But this approach can backfire. If a film is marketed as one thing and turns out to be another, it risks alienating the very fans who might have supported it while disappointing those expecting a different kind of movie experience. The most prominent recent example of this trend is Joker: Folie à Deux, a film that is arguably a jukebox musical but never admitted it in its marketing. Joker 2 relies almost entirely on the use of pre-existing songs to tell Arthur Fleck’s story and yet, the trailers and promotional materials made very little mention of music. This ambiguity may have contributed to the film’s struggles at the box office, where it fell far short of expectations. For instance, the film currently has a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of just 32% from critics and an identical low score from audiences, thus proving the need for transparency in exactly what audiences are getting.
Recent successes in the movie musical genre demonstrate that when studios embrace this format wholeheartedly, they can achieve remarkable success. For instance, La La Land grossed over $440 million worldwide and won six Oscars. More recently, Barbie, which capitalised heavily on musical elements, was a massive hit, grossing over $1.4 billion globally. In a conversation with Billboard, senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian argued that whilst “a lot of studios run away from putting musical on their films for fear of limiting their audience pool” the musical “is a genre Hollywood should embrace and highlight”, therefore supporting the notion that musicals deserve to acknowledged and celebrated, both from conception through to marketing and box office debut.
By disguising the true genre of movie musicals, producers prioritise commercial success over honesty with audiences. Fans of both film and musical theatre deserve to know what they are paying for. When marketing teams do everything they can to disguise a musical, they risk alienating those who would appreciate the genre, while disappointing audiences expecting something else entirely. Recent successes prove that with enough confidence in the genre, movie musicals can thrive both critically and commercially. There is clearly an audience for these films or they would not be commissioned, so why can’t they just be advertised as such?
Joker: Folie a Deux is in UK cinemas now. Wicked arrives on 27th November.
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