Happy Feet Returns: New Project Taps Back 14 Years After the Last Film

Well, it looks like the Happy Feet penguins are coming back—this time, to the stage. If you thought the only way to get your dose of tap-dancing emperor penguins was a rewatch of the 2006 movie, think again. After more than ten years of silence, there's some movement (and by movement, I mean actual tap-dancing) in the franchise.

The Big Move: Happy Feet Musical In the Works

According to Entertainment Weekly, there's now a full-blown stage musical adaptation of Happy Feet in development. For a franchise that last surfaced with Happy Feet Two back in 2011, that's a serious comeback. Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures is running the show, and if you're curious, they're also the folks behind stage adaptations of The Lost Boys and Dog Day Afternoon. They've even got Crazy Rich Asians and Practical Magic musicals brewing. Apparently, there's no such thing as an unadaptable film anymore.

Who's Behind All These Dancing Penguins?

Some heavy-hitters are assembling for this one, so it's not just another throwaway adaptation. Here's who's at the helm:

• Dori Berinstein (producer) – She has Tony Awards and worked on Legally Blonde, The Prom, and Thoroughly Modern Millie. So, she knows how to put on a spectacle.
• Michael Arden (director) – Another Tony Award winner, taking the reins to guide Mumble & Co. to Broadway.
• Douglas Lyons (book writer) – He wrote Chicken and Biscuits, so expect a sense of humor and some snappy writing.
• Basil Twist (puppet designer) – He’s doing the work to make actual penguins tap-dance onstage. If you caught The Addams Family or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Broadway, you’ve seen his work in action.
• Ayodele Casel (choreographer) – Tap-dance legend, which fits. Also, Lauren Yalango-Grant & Christopher 'Cree' Grant (associate choreographers), who are working on The Lost Boys stage version too. It's a tap extravaganza in the making.

But What About the Music?

The original film threw just about every big pop hit you can think of into the mix—Prince, Queen, Stevie Wonder, Elvis, the Beach Boys, the list goes on. The stage version's not dialing that back; expect a mash-up of tracks from the film and some new pop anthems, much like what you'll find over at Moulin Rouge on Broadway. So yes, you’ll probably leave the theater singing something.

Why Now?

Happy Feet was a big deal back in 2006—Oscar for Best Animated Feature, $384 million at the global box office (if you care about that sort of thing), and a voice cast that included Elijah Wood, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Robin Williams, and Brittany Murphy. But after Happy Feet Two in 2011, things have been pretty quiet.

So why bring it back now, a decade-plus later? My guess: the brand’s still got some name recognition, dancing penguins are hard to dislike, and theatrical tech has finally caught up enough to make singing, tapping puppet-penguins look more awesome than awkward. Plus, there are worse ways to fill a two-hour slot on Broadway.

Don't Expect Tickets Any Time Soon

One small catch: there’s no theater, no opening date, and no word yet on casting. For now, it’s just a creative team with some big plans and a lot of choreography to prep. We’ll have to wait and see if Mumble makes it to the stage—or if he’ll get stuck in development limbo with the rest of Hollywood’s “great ideas.”

'To be able to bring these amazing characters and this world to the stage is a dream come true,' says producer Dori Berinstein. (Okay, that’s the vibe—not the exact words. But you get the idea.)

For now, I’ll keep my eyes peeled for updates—and maybe brush up on my tap dancing, just in case.