This year has seen several movie musicals by both small and large directors alike be released to little box office impact. In recent years audiences have flocked to theatres to see films such as La La Land and Rocketman and awards ceremonies have also taken note with La La Land receiving 14 Oscar nominations and taking home six awards. Knowing this, it's hard to argue that movie musicals still have the same draw that they did five years ago.
Steven Spielberg's remake of West Side Story was released on December 10th to critical acclaim. The movie has received four Golden Globe nominations and was even named one of the best feature films of 2021 by the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute. However, despite the film's critical acclaim, box office earnings were only $10 million for the opening weekend and the film has made around $16 million worldwide. The same can be said for Jon M. Chu's In The Heights, which also garnered critical acclaim but made only $43 million at the box office against its budget of $55 million and $200 million break-even point.
Is this box office failure the death knell for movie musicals that it seems? Not necessarily. While this year's expected box office hits fell flat, musicals are still highly popular. Animated musicals are still a huge draw for audiences. This year's Encanto from Disney performed exceptionally well, taking the top spot in the North American box office, and has made at least $116 million globally to date. The upcoming Sing 2 is also expected to do well with its release period coinciding with Christmas. When it comes to the enduring popularity of animated musicals, it could be down to their ability to more effectively suspend disbelief and create fantastical settings.
With animation comes a freedom that is harder to achieve than in live-action settings. With new animation technology ever developing, there is an ability to create more stylized imagery. There are no genre boundaries placed on animated films. Movies like Encanto are heavily rooted in fantasy and magic, utilizing animation to create these stories adds to the ethereal nature of the stories.
Animation also allows audiences to encounter non-human characters like robots, food, and in the case of Sing 2, singing animals. Suspending belief is almost always a part of the movie-going experience and when it's an animated movie, it only makes it easier to become absorbed in a story about a singing koala. The generational appeal of animated musicals is also hard to ignore. Often they transcend age with hidden jokes for adults, quirky visuals, and catchy soundtracks.
Moving away from animated musicals, it's easy to see in other areas of media where the musical is flourishing. Taking a look at Netflix originals from this year, 2 of the most popular have been musicals. tick, tick... BOOM! brought to life the story of Jonathon Larson, creator of the musical Rent! Revolving around his creative process and need to make an impact, tick, tick...BOOM! showed us a heartfelt and earnest look at a man desperate to emulate his hero and create as his personal life unravels around him.
The second project to look at is Bo Burnham: Inside. The creative musical comedy special was filmed over a year in quarantine and was Burnham's first return to comedy since 2016. Since its release, it has garnered huge critical acclaim, received over 300 million views, and the songs from the special topped Spotify wrapped lists and broke the Billboard charts top 200. The special captured the feeling of the world at large and tapped into the cultural feeling of being isolated during the lockdowns.
Musicals are a way for audiences to decompress through music. As a creative outlet, music is a universal constant that can convey emotions and messages and transcend generational and cultural divides. From the early days of performing, music has been woven into our storytelling. From stage plays to early silent films, music has been a driving force in our entertainment and escapism in society.
While box office numbers may be low for recent releases in the genre but it is important to factor in what is going on in the world. Many people are still avoiding theatres in favor of staying in and catching new releases on streaming services at home. Box office numbers across genres are reflecting this shift to home viewing, you only have to look at the viewing figures for streaming services Netflix, Disney Plus, and HBO Max to see that people are still watching new releases.
While the performance of releases like West Side Story and In The Heights may be disappointing to studios and directors alike, once they hit streaming services it will be interesting to see how they perform. If the past few years revealed anything, it's that streaming services are here to stay and musicals along with them.