The fun and the musical
2019 was not a good year for the musical, ending as it did on the fever dream that was Cats. Yes, I know we promised to never speak of that ever again but here we are. Nevertheless, there will be multiple musicals coming at us in 2020, including Lin Manuel-Miranda’s In the Heights and the classic West Side Story. Of course, not all fun films are musicals and (vice versa) so this last section is dedicated to all those films I couldn’t find a clever subheading for.
The Witches
Perhaps the only thing better than a new version of Roald Dahl’s classic is one from Robert Zemeckis, the director behind such films as Back to the Future and Who Framed Roger Rabbit. With a co-script credit for producer Guillermo del Toro, it is said to be closer to the novel than the 1990 version – even with a location change to 1960s Alabama. Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, Stanley Tucci, and Chris Rock star.
Bill & Ted Face the Music
The totally news that Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter would be returning for a third Bill and Ted film – 29 years after Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey – was totally non-heinous. In development since at least 2010, issues with financial backing held this back. Yet as Reeves’ star continued to rise again thanks to the John Wick series, it was only a matter of time before Hollywood nostalgia took a bodacious turn.
In the Heights
How does a bastard, orphan, son of a — wait: that’s the wrong Lin-Manuel Miranda musical. Before the success of Hamilton, the polymathic Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes were winning awards for this musical set in the Hispanic-American neighborhood of Washington Heights in New York City. Crazy Rich Asians and Step-Up series director John M. Chu will bring the heat this US summer with Anthony Ramos stepping up to the lead role that Miranda originated.
West Side Story
Something’s coming. If anybody was going to attempt to remake one of the most beloved stage and screen musicals of all time, it’s going to be Steven Spielberg. So, if you’re feeling pretty, choose your side – Jets or Sharks – and snap your fingers as a sign that you’re ready for battle.
