Hollywood to Broadway: Hit ’80s & ’90s Movies Turned Musical

Originally published on June 12, 2026. This article discusses the film to stage musical adaptations of The Lost Boys, Beetlejuice, Death Becomes Her, Back to the Future, and Evil Dead.

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When you think of a Broadway musical, you may think of expensive productions, fancy patrons in high box seats, and dramatic solos that will bring you to tears. You may also think of Cats, which is too much to unpack right now, honestly. But musicals aren’t defined by any one genre or style — there are comedies, tragedies, jukebox shows (the ones that use existing albums for their song list like Mamma Mia! and Jagged Little Pill), and more.

Recently, more and more unexpected movies have even been receiving the musical treatment. Different than a movie-musical, these musical productions have reached into hit ’80s and ’90s pop culture, especially in the realms of sci-fi and horror, to give audiences a different way to enjoy their favorite films.

We’re not talking about unauthorized parody musicals of films like Scream, Saw, and The Craft (which have also been growing in popularity across the theater scene). These are bona fide hits that have become serious contenders for prestigious awards like the Tonys — and have also taken on a new life with fans of all generations.

Here are four hit films that made it to Broadway, plus one that didn’t which you might have missed:

• Beetlejuice
• Back to the Future
• Death Becomes Her
• The Lost Boys
• Evil Dead

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Beetlejuice

• Opened: October 14, 2018 at the National Theater in Washington, D.C.
• Starring: Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice), Sophia Anne Caruso (Lydia) Kerry Butler (Barbara Maitland), Rob McClure (Adam Maitland)
• Popular Numbers: “The Whole Being Dead Thing,” “Say My Name,” “That Beautiful Sound”
• Fun Fact: Because of the musical’s popularity, Alex Brightman voiced Beetlejuice in an episode of Teen Titans Go!

Did you know this bio-exorcist can belt out a tune? Beetlejuice: The Musical The Musical The Musical took the theater scene by storm during its tryout in 2018 before opening on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theater in April 2019. It has since amassed a large and dedicated fandom, was brought back to Broadway multiple times, and has gone on national tour.

The musical’s madcap antics manage to exhume even bigger laughs from the ghostly comedy classic film. The Maitlands die and want the Deetzes out of their house, so they hire the afterlife’s leading demon to get the job done.

Handbook for Adapting the Recently Deceased

While much of Beetlejuice: The Musical The Musical The Musical is faithful to the original film, it adds compelling layers to the character dynamics; the memory of Lydia’s dead mother Emily Deetz is much more central to the story as Lydia looks for her in the Netherworld. Additionally, the character of Delia is more of a ditzy life coach who (mostly) really cares for Lydia, while Beetlejuice deals with his own mommy issues (sort of) and occasionally breaks the fourth wall.

If you were always shocked by the fact that Keaton’s Betelgeuse only had about 17 minutes of screentime in his original film, you certainly don’t want to miss a performance of this musical — it’s even more of the Ghost with the Most!

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Back to the Future

• Opened: March 11, 2020 at the Manchester Opera House in Manchester, England
• Starring: Olly Dobson (Marty McFly), Roger Bart (Doc Brown), Hugh Coles (George McFly), Aidan Cutler (Biff Tannen)
• Popular Numbers: “Future Boy,” “Put Your Mind To It,” “Deep Divin'”
• Fun Fact: The show was originally only open for 6 days before having to close production due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s time to change musical theater history,” says the tagline for the musical adaptation of Back to the Future. Of course, the stage production could only adapt one third of the iconic film trilogy, so it sticks to the first movie’s plot.

Originating in Manchester for a brief 6 days before having to shut down production, Back to the Future: The Musical eventually got to rev back up to 88 mph when it opened in London’s West End and later on Broadway. The musical was actually first intended to debut in 2015, the year Back to the Future Part 2 takes place in, but personnel changes caused production delays.

Is it a Jukebox Musical?

This humorous, self-referential adaptation of the beloved ’80s film was helmed by original members of the film’s crew — with music and lyrics by Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard and a book by Bob Gale. Back to the Future combines a body of original songs with a few of the hits featured in the film, including “The Power of Love,” “Earth Angel,” and “Johnny B. Goode,” of course.

The plot of the stage production is largely the same, with some songs providing additional spotlight for characters like Goldie Wilson and Jennifer Parker. The musical also axes the terrorists in favor of saying that present Doc Brown is dying of acute radiation poisoning from his experiments.

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Death Becomes Her

• Opened: May 19, 2024 at the Cadillac Palace Theater in Chicago, Illinois
• Starring: Megan Hilty (Madeline Ashton), Jennifer Simard (Helen Sharp), Christopher Sieber (Ernest Menville)
• Popular Numbers: “Let’s Run Away Together,” “Hit Me,” “Alive Forever”
• Fun Fact: Excerpts from the songs “Hit Me,” “Tell Me, Ernest,” and “Let’s Run Away Together” have gone viral on TikTok as popular lip-sync tracks.

Praised as improving upon the original film in nearly every way, the Death Becomes Her musical surprised audiences and critics alike. After opening in 2024 at the Cadillac Palace Theater in Chicago, it headed to Broadway the same year. A national touring production will begin in fall 2026.

Humorous and high-energy, the musical adapts even the campiest of elements from the original with some modern updates. Madeline steals Helen’s fiancé Ernest and causes the other woman to have a psychotic break, sending her to a mental hospital. The potion peddler is also changed to the mysterious Viola Van Horn (based on Isabella Rossini’s Lisle von Rhuman from the film). Beyond that, it’s a slapstick and song-heavy romp through two women’s fight against aging and the challenges that come along with being clinically dead but technically alive.

Don’t Get it Twisted

Of course, one of the most iconic elements from the original Death Becomes Her film is the special effects as the women are mortally wounded and their dead bodies encounter a variety of issues holding together. The stage production is filled with fun practical executions of these elements — from clever stunt doubling as Madeline falls down the staircase to the shotgun hole in Helen’s stomach, it’s all here in some way. The musical even won a Tony Award in 2025 for Best Costume Design, thanks to the lavish gowns and sequined dresses that were designed to mirror each character’s fatal features.

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The Lost Boys

• Opened: April 26, 2026 at the Palace Theater in New York City, New York
• Starring: LJ Benet (Michael Emerson), Ali Louis Bourzgui (David), Maria Wirries (Star)
• Popular Numbers: “Have to Have You,” “Belong to Someone,” “Lost Boy”
• Fun Fact: The show’s book was co-written by David Alan Hornsby, an actor best recognized for playing “Rickety Cricket” in the comedy It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

One of the two most-nominated works at this year’s 79th Tony Awards, The Lost Boys: A New Musical has proven that vampires truly never get old. The Lost Boys only opened on Broadway within the last 3 months but has already amassed a large and passionate following. It’s also dominated the awards scene, taking home the Tony Award wins for Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Ali Louis Bourzgui), Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Shoshana Bean), Best Scenic Design of a Musical (Dane Laffrey), and Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Jen Schriever and Michael Arden).

Based on the beloved ’80s movie of the same name, the musical stays mostly faithful to the original plot while elevating Emerson family matriarch Lucy into a larger role. The Lost Boys themselves are also now a band, fronted by singer David, with Paul on drums, Marko on guitar, and Dwayne on bass. Star also gets more of a chance to grapple with her half-vampiric nature than Jamie Gertz did in the film. Notably, Grandpa Emerson and Laddie the child vampire have been cut entirely.

It’s Fun to be a Vampire

The musical features some pretty big, bombastic moments — especially the Santa Carla boardwalk concert — with music written by The Rescues and even featuring a guitar solo by co-producer Slash on the demo track for “Have to Have You.” It also makes clever use of its Palace Theater space with rigging and wires to help our gang of vampires achieve flight throughout the show. One reviewer even called it, “a magic show in disguise,” seeing how seamlessly these vampires moved from screen to stage.

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Evil Dead

• Opened: August 13, 2003 at the Tranzac Theater in Toronto, Canada
• Starring: Ryan Ward (Ash Williams), Jennifer Byrne (Linda), Jenna Coker-Jones (Cheryl)
• Popular Numbers: “Do the Necronomicon,” “Join Us,” “Look Who’s Evil Now”
• Fun Fact: The Evil Dead musical is famous for having a “splatter zone” for its blood effects. Yes, audiences do get wet (and sometimes stained)!

While Evil Dead: The Musical hasn’t ever had an official Broadway theater run, it is an extremely long-running hit that has had off-Broadway performances and tours around the world. Some have even hailed it as a successor to The Rocky Horror Show for its campy humor and engaging performances. And if your local high school’s theater department is cool enough, an age-appropriate adaptation featuring “none of the swearing, all of the blood,” is available to license for productions.

Before Evil Dead: The Musical hit the stage for the first time, it even received the blessings of Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell. Since then, it has toured throughout Toronto, Montreal, Seoul, Tokyo, Las Vegas, Madrid, and more. Its official off-Broadway run took place in 2006. (Off-Broadway refers to any professional theater in New York City with a capacity of 100-499 seats, smaller than Broadway theaters.)

Deader and Wetter

The musical adapts The Evil Dead for its first act and Evil Dead II for the second act (and also throws in a little Army of Darkness), complete with a chorus of Deadites forming the ensemble. Ash, Linda, Scott, Shelly, and Cheryl are all part of the core cast along with Annie and even the evil taxidermy moose/deer!

What the show is best known for, though, is its “splatter zone,” which warns audiences they can and will get hit with fake blood and red-dyed water effects. Some venues have sold white T-shirts as official performance merch — whether they stay white through the performance depends on where you’re seated.

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Have you seen any of these musicals for yourself? What movie would you like to see get the Broadway treatment next?

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