The Prom, the star-studded movie adaptation of the Tony-nominated Broadway musical finally debuts on Netflix on December 11. Originally created by Chad Beguelin, Bob Martin and Matthew Sklar, the story centers the struggle of a queer teenager. The Ryan Murphy starter is the filmmaker’s latest Netflix project following Ratched, The Boys in the Band, and Hollywood.
In 2019, the original Broadway play received a total of 6 Tony nominations, including the Best Musical. However, since Broadway is closed indefinitely because of the ongoing pandemic, Netflix and Murphy try to fill the void through this delightful film. On a personal level, Murphy says the musical speaks to him, and that he could relate with the show’s protagonist.
“I wished that when I was growing up, I did not feel so alone in my life. Like Jo Ellen’s character, I am also from Indiana. It was a very similar feeling where I was searching for a community and a place to belong, and I just love that the musical was actually about something. It was about the fight to be seen, and be included in the conversation,” Murphy explained.
What is The Prom all about?
Here’s the official synopsis of the movie courtesy of Netflix:
Dee Dee Allen (three-time Academy Award winner Meryl Streep) and Barry Glickman (Tony Award winnerJames Corden) are New York City stage stars with a crisis on their hands: their expensive new Broadway show is a major flop that has suddenly flatlined their careers.
Meanwhile, in small-town Indiana, high school student Emma Nolan (newcomer Jo Ellen Pellman) is experiencing a very different kind of heartbreak: despite the support of the high school principal (Keegan-Michael Key), the head of the PTA (Kerry Washington) has banned her from attending the prom with her girlfriend, Alyssa (Ariana DeBose).
When Dee Dee and Barry decide that Emma’s predicament is the perfect cause to help resurrect their public images, they hit the road with Angie (Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman) and Trent (Andrew Rannells), another pair of cynical actors looking for a professional lift. But when their self-absorbed celebrity activism unexpectedly backfires, the foursome find their own lives upended as they rally to give Emma a night where she can truly celebrate who she is.
Who is in the cast of The Prom?
The high-profile performers including newcomers featured in the film are the following:
- Meryl Streep as Dee Dee Allen
- James Corden as Barry Glickman
- Nicole Kidman as Angie Dickinson
- Keegan-Michael Key as Tom Hawkins
- Andrew Rannells as Trent Oliver
- Jo Ellen Pellman as Emma Nolan
- Ariana DeBose as Alyssa Greene
- Kerry Washington as Mrs. Greene
Is there a trailer available for The Prom?
Yes, there is. On November 26, Netflix released its full trailer which revealed spectacular stage numbers aka prom performances from the ensemble cast. The trailer opens with Emma’s dilemma, to which Streep’s character, Dee Dee, proclaims, “We have got to go down there, raise holy hell.” Corden’s Barry agrees and says, “We will be the biggest thing to happen in Indiana since— whatever’s happened in Indiana.”
The trailer ends with Emma saying, “I’m going to take a stand for all of the people out there who love someone in a way the world just doesn’t understand.”
When will The Prom be available to watch?
The Prom is now streaming on Netflix starting December 11, just in time for your holiday binge-watching.