Movies › The Prom

The Prom 2020

Movie · 131 min · English · December 11, 2020

Directed by Ryan MurphyWritten by Bob Martin, Chad Beguelin

Starring Meryl Streep, James Corden, Sam Pillow, Nicole Kidman, Keegan-Michael Key

A 2020 American musical comedy film, The Prom was directed by Ryan Murphy and features a screenplay written by Chad Beguelin and Bob Martin. It is based on the 2018 Broadway musical with music and lyrics by Martin, Beguelin, and Matthew Sklar. The movie includes Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman, Keegan-Michael Key, Andrew Rannells, Ariana DeBose, Tracey Ullman, Kevin Chamberlin, Mary Kay Place, Kerry Washington, and introduces Jo Ellen Pellman in her debut role as Emma Nolan. Supporting roles are played by Logan Riley Hassel, Sofia Deler, Nico Greetham, and Nathaniel J. Potvin.

Development of the film was announced in April 2019. Murphy took on the role of director and also served as a co-producer alongside Alexis Martin Woodall, Adam Anders, Dori Berinstein, and former DreamWorks Animation creative chief Bill Damaschke. Beguelin and Martin adapted their musical into a screenplay, with Beguelin collaborating with Sklar to adjust songs for the film. Sklar also composed the incidental score with David Klotz, while Murphy, Anders, and Peer Åström functioned as music producers.

Casting started in June 2019 and included Pellman, Streep, Corden, Kidman, Key, DeBose, Hassel, Deler, Greetham, Potvin, Rannells, Ullman, Chamberlin, Place, and Washington. Principal photography began in December 2019, but halted briefly in March 2020 due to the pandemic, resuming in July of that year.

The Prom had a limited theatrical release on December 4, 2020, followed by streaming on Netflix on December 11. Critics gave the film mixed reviews, praising its message, musical performances, and ensemble cast, while criticizing its narrative structure, certain stereotypical portrayals, editing choices, and Corden's acting.