After the box-office success of musicals like Wicked and Moana 2, Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical collaboration with Eisa Davis on a remix of The Warriors should be the next Miranda film adaptation. 2024 has been a good time for movie musicals, with plenty of successes found on the big screen. Even beyond the historic heights of Wicked and Moana 2, films as diverse as Emilia Pérez, Spellbound, Mean Girls, Joker: Folie à Deux, The End, and Mufasa: The Lion King highlight how versatile and varied the genre has proven to be in modern film.

This leaves the door open for plenty of other big musical adaptations, with other Lin-Manuel Miranda's 2024 musical collaboration with Eisa Davis reimagined the 1979 film as a concept album that's reportedly heading to the stage. However, the visual elements and chaotic scope of the story, coupled with the enduring strength and influence of the original, makes it ideal for a new film adaptation.

Lin-Manuel Miranda's Warriors Remix Deserves A Movie

Warriors Is A Compelling Reimagining Of A Cinematic Cult Classic

Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis' reimagining of The Warriors makes for a great concept album, and could serve as a soundtrack to a fantastic modern remix of the original cult classic if it came to the big screen. Released in October 2024, the Warriors concept album reimagines Walter Hill's 1979 film The Warriors as a hip-hop themed musical in the vein of Miranda's previous musical works In the Heights or Hamilton. Both plots focus on the titular street gang, one of seemingly countless groups from around New York City brought together by the powerful ganglord Cyrus.

The Warriors was released to some controversy in 1979 due to the subject-matter, but earned over five times its budget at the box office ($22.5 million against a budget of $4 million, unadjusted for inflation).

Cyrus argues that the gangs should unite into a force could fully control the city, only for the bloodthirsty Luther to murder Cyrus in cold blood. Blaming the Warriors for his actions, Luther is able to turn the entire city against the Warriors as they struggle to return to their home in Coney Island. However, the musical take on the premise embraces new elements, including a gender-flip of the main characters and modern tweaks on the gangs they confront over the course of the story. The musical is a vivid recreation that's practically begging for a visual remake as a movie.

The Stars On Lin-Manuel Miranda's Warriors Remix Would Be Amazing In A Movie

Warriors' Cast Boasts Stage Stars And Legends Of Hip-Hop

Warriors boasts an impressive cast in the main roles and beyond, suggesting that a full cinematic adaptation could attract some major names from across the realm of music and film. The Warriors themselves include several performers who've worked with Miranda before on Hamilton, including Sasha Hutchings as Cowgirl and Jasmine Cephas Jones as Swan. Other musicians lend their own unique touches to the Warriors. Notably, the concept album brings in plenty of notable actors and musicians to ing roles, effectively fleshing out the world.

Kim Dracula's rock sensibilities make him a natural fit for the unpredictable Luther, while Colman Domingo, Billy Porter, Marc Anthony, Joshua Henry, and Utkarsh Ambudkar all lead their respective gangs with plenty of personality despite their relative minor focus. Lauryn Hill brings a surprising warmth to Cyrus, making her fate all the more harrowing and effective. Other figures from across the story are played by legendary rappers like Busta Rhymes, Cam'ron, Nas, Chris Rivers, Ghostface Killah, and RZA. If a prospective film could recreate the cast of the concept album, it'd be a strong star-studded take on the premise.

The Warriors Remixes A Cult Classic For Modern Day

Warriors Brings Plenty Of Modern Energy To The Cult Classic

What makes Warriors an interesting reimagining of the original film is the way it remixes several elements for modern sensibilities. Flipping the titular group (as well as Cyrus) into women gives the story a strong subtext as they fight their way back to Coney Island through a diverse slew of male-dominated groups. The concept album also introduces more openly LGBT subtext to the story by keeping Swan's main love interest Mercy female, all while giving the latter character more agency and motivation to remain central to the plot.

All of these modern elements fit neatly into the largely similar narrative, which follows the Warriors as they make their way across New York...

The story reimagines the police as less of an oppressive organization and more as a force of nature, reflecting modern views on over-policing in cities. All of these modern elements fit neatly into the largely similar narrative, which follows the Warriors as they make their way across New York and struggle to reach home even as they lose of the group along the way. The musical features plenty of moments that call for chaotic visuals that reflect different modern and retro styles, like the aftermath of Cleon's death or the gang's encounters with the Baseball Furies and the Bizzies.

Wicked & Moana's Success Could Open The Door To Warriors

Plenty Of Modern Successes Prove Audiences Want More Female-Led Musicals

The 2024 box office has proved that female-led musicals can lead to impressive results. Wicked and Moana 2's record-setting box offices highlight that audiences for musicals is strong. Musicals that directly tackle societal themes like Emilia Pérez have been earning award nominations, highlighting how they can explore deeper issues with modern culture. Even other remixes like Mean Girls have been able to attract huge success, underscoring how there's an itch for that kind of project. Warriors would be an ideal way to those ranks with a larger emphasis on hip-hop, even while it retains its Broadway roots.

Although Mirana has expressed hesitation about making Warriors a movie (as reported by NPR), there are plans to bring the concept album to the stage. As reported by Broadway World, Miranda has confirmed that he and Davis are planning to bring the musical to the theatre. The sheer scale of the project makes it ideal for a film adaptation, bringing a grimy but colorful version of New York City to vivid life. Warriors has more than enough action, romance, and thrills to justify a feature-length film version, and could fully reintroduce one of the best Hollywood cult-classics to modern audiences.

Forty-Five Years Later, The Warriors Is Still Relevant (And Lin-Maneul Proves It)

The Warriors Is An Enduring Story That's Begging For Modern Reimaginings

The Warriors is a beloved cult classic for a reason, with its influence still directly felt in films like John Wick: Chapter 4 and shows like What We Do in the Shadows. It's gritty without feeling humorless, brimming with bizarre little touches that never undercut the dangerous elements of the story. Even nameless minor characters are compelling, while the central group's dynamics play off one another well. The film's themes of finding community amidst chaos and fighting against the odds of an entire world feel particularly resonant in the modern day.

Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis composed an impressive modern riff on the classic story, itself a remake of a novel and Greek historical text that highlights the universal power of the story. Exploring it from the musical's inherently new perspective as a female-centric street-level story could make for a compelling modern epic. A film adaptation would be the perfect way to showcase the sheer scope of the story while keeping the brutal edges and heartfelt elements that defined the original movie intact. Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical take on The Warriors is shockingly good, and deserves the biggest showcase possible.

Source: NPR, Broadway World