Coming Soon: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is one of the most popular stage musicals out there. Based on the account of Joseph and his family in the book of Genesis, the musical has been doing the rounds since 1982. And now it might be heading to cinemas as an animated feature. The movie is being made by Elton John’s production company, Rocket Pictures.

There’s not a lot to go on at this stage. We don’t know when it will be released, who’s doing the voices, or even what style of animation they’ll be using. It’s not even clear what involvement Elton John will even have. Will he be providing original music, like he did with Road to El Dorado or Lion King? It seems unlikely, considering Joseph is already packed full of songs. You can read the full report over at The Hollywood Reporter.

While I like the songs in Joseph, the plot doesn’t work for me. When you divorce the story from the bigger picture of God’s salvation, Joseph’s story doesn’t have much of a point. He got sold into slavery, then he has some dreams, then he’s reunited with his family. It doesn’t feel like there is any real conflict or resolution, just stuff happening. Have I missed something?

Have you seen Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on stage before? What did you think? Would it make a good movie?