12 Horror Movies That Would Make Great Musicals

Believe it or not, horror-based musicals are a rarity. Sure, there's "Frankenstein – A New Musical," "Little Shop of Horrors," "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," and "Dracula, the Musical," among a few others. But in the scope of musical theater history, those are mere blips on the radar. Considering original horror movies have raked in hundreds of millions of dollars over the last year alone, horror musicals should be a no-brainer. There is a treasure trove of stories that could easily make the transition from film to the stage. Of course, you'd have to make a few tweaks in the storytelling here and there, pare down the locations to a handful, and hire a strong practical makeup effects department. Let's face it, these days, you've gotta have the blood!

Flipping through the decades, '80s and '90s horror has an inherent theatricality to it, owed largely to Gialli and slasher influence. Naturally, those eras would be easiest to adapt into musicals, while giving you plenty of license to expand on the story and add songs, even for the killers. Whether we're talking about a good old-fashioned slasher, a slap-happy whodunnit, or a dark thriller about obsession, horror movies are a gold mine for potential musical iterations. If you don't believe us, we'll show you. Below, we've selected 12 horror films that would make terrific musical adaptations for the stage.

Writer Kevin Williamson has gone on record to say that "Scream" is "coded in gay survival," and there's no better medium to further explore this idea than in a musical setting. With Sidney the prime target, Ghostface has always presented a theatrical flair, from the long black robe to the way he wipes blood from his blade. Not only does the 1996 film have a "Phantom of the Opera" frill, but the deaths are elaborate and melodramatic (Casey Becker's opening kill springs to mind).

There are the obvious musical moments for Sidney — a contemplative ballad as she remembers her mother and a "Not in My Movie" show-stopping closer — plus, Gale and Dewey getting at least one big solo performance. In all its gory glory, "Scream: The Musical" takes cues from that "Once More ... with Feeling" episode from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Perhaps even the characters wonder why they're breaking out into song in the first place, with them trading killer suspicions in an "I've Got a Theory"-inspired patter song and an emotional send-up drawn from "Walk Through the Fire," as Sidney contemplates her role in saving the day. And envision Tatum and Stu breaking out into a performance reminiscent of "I'll Never Tell" and Billy waxing bad-boy angsty with a "Rest in Peace" turn 一 nothing short of epic! 

In the end, a musical adaptation embellishes what is already present in the script, from its inherent queerness to the serrated empowerment edge. It just needs a little musical magic.

With its pulsing emotional core, Todd Strauss-Schulson's "The Final Girls" is quite similar to "Anna and the Apocalypse," a holiday-themed zombie musical. Max and Anna, the heroines of the respective films, learn to deal with their grief through extreme circumstances. In "The Final Girls," Max is sucked into the cult classic "Camp Bloodbath," in which her late mother played the part of counselor Nancy. Still reeling from her mother's death, Max rips into a "Break Away"-type song, finding herself longing to break free from her pain and leave the world she knows behind.

Along with her friends Gertie, Duncan, and Chis, Max must figure out how to escape their slasher purgatory, all the while evading the sharp blade of serial killer Billy Murphy. "Hollywood Ending" makes for a great template for the opening number, introducing the film-within-a-film cast. Another counselor, the very horny Kurt, steps into a reworking of "The Fish Wrap" — I mean, the sexual innuendos practically write themselves. "Turning My Life Around" would give Max that pivotal character moment when she finally conquers her grief, with "Human Voice" setting up the very ending in which the characters quickly realize they are now in the "Camp Bloodbath" sequel.

For all its campiness, "The Final Girls" emotionally pulverizes the viewer, particularly in its use of Kim Carnes' classic hit "Bette Davis Eyes." Through a sweeping pop/rock approach, there are plenty of chances to tap into heavy themes about death and grieving in song form.

"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" sets the dark and macabre atmosphere from the outset, its dark and moody "Prelude: The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" twisting the musical screws. The 1980 horror/comedy "Fade to Black" carries a similar tone and supplies a strong, warped backbone apt to be fleshed out for the stage. Its deliciousness comes from Eric Binford, a terribly awkward, smug, and film-obsessed young man who goes on a murder spree dressed up as his favorite icons.

Each costume reveal, from Dracula to Hopalong Cassidy and The Mummy, is ripe for a grand musical number. "The Barber and His Wife," "Pirelli's Miracle Elixir," and "The Worst Pies in London," among other songs, give Eric room to play and showcase real vocal prowess. Each murder committed fuels Eric's slow descent into madness, his grip on reality loosening, as he launches into songs akin to "Epiphany." He hides away in his delusions as a way to not only escape his life but fulfill a deep, unexplainable yearning inside of him.

Eric soon reaches a point of no return and climbs high atop Mann's Chinese Theatre, soundtracked with a "Final Sequence"-type song. He reenacts a scene from "White Heat" but is shot by the police and tumbles to his death onto the ground below. With a brooding closer titled "The Ballad of Eric Binford," the show tangles together its themes of entitlement, obsession, and mental health into a wonderfully knotty knot.

In 2008, an opera loosely based on the 1986 David Cronenberg film premiered in Paris before making its way to L.A. The music was composed by Howard Shore and the libretto written by David Henry Hwang. It was met with rave reviews, as the Los Angeles Times called it a "monster smash." Surprisingly, "The Fly" has yet to see a proper musical adaptation. Fashioned like "Little Shop of Horrors," a fresh iteration could lean into the absurdity of the story through glossy pop hooks and flashy set design.

On the cusp of a major scientific breakthrough, Seth Brundle bemoans his work in creating his teleportation devices a la "Skid Row (Downtown)" and "Grow for Me." All the while, Veronica Quaife struggles as a journalist in finding her next big news story. Much like Seymour and Audrey in "Little Shop," the two strike up a fevered romance, trading off verses in a "Suddenly, Seymour"-pinned musical number. When Seth mistakenly teleports with a fly, their DNA become intertwined, and soon he devolves into a fly-human hybrid.

With the story growing darker, so does the music, veering into "Suppertime" territory. And even Stathis gets a moment in the spotlight with a tune akin to "Dentist!," as the scorned, obsessive ex-lover. I'd like to think "The Fly" and "Little Shop of Horrors" live within the same sci-fi universe. Both involve outlandish premises that easily lend to bold and loud musicals. It's long overdue we get "The Fly: The Musical" primed for the stage.

Hear me out: "Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation: The Musical." The 1995 Kim Henkel picture is the most outrageous of the franchise and features a gender-bending Leatherface and an unhinged performance from Matthew McConaughey as Vilmer. The cast, also including Renée Zellweger as high school student Jenny, supplies plenty of camp goodness to make a perfect musical adaptation.

From its rock underpinnings and just hilarious conceit, "Bat Boy: The Musical" is a key touchstone for a Leatherface-based musical. "Hold Me, Leatherface" (a rip-off of show opener "Hold Me, Bat Boy") sets both the tone and humor for the show, with heavy rock guitars paired with strong '80s-style vocals. The family unit — comprised of Vilmer, Darla, and Walter — leads the cast of characters, rounded out with other teens like Barry and Heather. Influenced by numbers "A Joyful Noise" and "Apology to a Cow," Leatherface steps into the spotlight with songs of his very own, perhaps "Apology to a Corpse" instead.

The show, containing "A Joyful Noise" and "Comfort and Joy"-inspired songs, follows much of the film's story. Teens get lost and get killed off. Only Jenny survives, ending up in a limousine with a member of a secret society, which plotted to terrorize the public as a vehicle to transcend beyond the physical world. With songs also influenced by Elvis Costello, "Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation: The Musical" is, if anything, lighthearted fare guaranteed to make you laugh at its zaniness.

The 1987 Michael Soavi slasher features a play-within-a-play. The characters are involved with an upcoming production based on a serial killer known as the Night Owl. When rehearsals don't quite go as planned, director Peter demands the group stay overnight to fine-tune a few things. Over the course of the evening, a real-life serial killer escapes from a mental ward and sets his sights on the troupe of players. One by one, they each meet a grisly end in true slasher fashion.

Given the premise, it makes it pretty easy to adapt this for the stage. Borrowing rock musical theatricality from "Spring Awakening," a "Stage Fright" musical leans into arena-style production and arrangements. Songs like "Mama Who Bore Me" and "The Dark I Know Well" are ideal jumping-off points for its own sort of dazzling book and lyrics. Considering the killer wears an owl head, you could riff off "The Masked Singer" and give them a few numbers of their own — in the style of "Totally F***ed" and "The B**** of Living." Musically, all you really need to add is plenty of sexy saxophone solos and maybe some brass instruments.

"Stage Fright" has a grimy feel to it, as well. Despite it being rather ho-hum when it comes to the deaths, a songbook with a pop-rock sensibility would take it to the next level. Can you imagine an owl-headed killer slaughtering someone while ripping into a ballad? Well, now you won't be able to not to!