LOS ANGELES — Some of the high notes of the upcoming movie calendar are the many musicals heading to the screen: Warner Bros.’ Joaquin Phoenix-Lady Gaga star in “Joker: Folie à Deux” (Oct. 4), Netflix’s tuneful crime drama “Emilia Pérez” (in limited release Nov. 1), Universal’s adaptation of the Broadway musical “Wicked” (Nov. 22), Netflix’s princess quest “Spellbound” (Nov. 22), Disney’s animated “Moana 2” (Nov. 27) and a CGI prequel, “Mufasa: The Lion King” (Dec. 20).
And this lengthy list doesn’t yet include buzzy music-related movies now on the fall film festival circuit that still might nab release dates in the coming months: Pablo Larraín’s Maria Callas biopic “Maria,” starring Angelina Jolie, Joshua Oppenheimer’s apocalyptic feature “The End,” Anderson .Paak’s South Korean-set story “K-Pops” and Rebel Wilson’s directorial debut, “The Deb.”
It’s rare for a three-month span to offer such volume and variety in the musical genre: animated adventures and live-action titles, family-friendly fare and grittier, offbeat dares. Only one is an adaptation of a well-known stage show. (Well, technically, half a stage show, since “Wicked” will be split across two installments and the pictures released a year apart.)
So what’s behind this year’s deluge of song and dance? Just as 2002’s “Chicago” became a hit after the Sept. 11 attacks and 2016’s “La La Land” served as a salve after Trump’s election win, this form has been particularly popular during or after unprecedented times. In terms of our current landscape — for example, a global pandemic, a nationwide recession, a pivotal presidential election — this year’s entries might offer audiences the onscreen resolutions they crave.