Since the turn of the millennium, films such as
Chicago
(2002) and
Phantom of the Opera
(2004) have reinvigorated the popularity of the screen musical. This edited collection, bringing together a number of international scholars, looks closely at the range and scope of contemporary film musicals, from stage adaptations like
Mamma Mia!
(2008) and
Les Miserables
(2012), to less conventional works that elide the genre, like Team
America: World Police
(2004) and Quentin Tarantino’s
Kill Bill
(2003/04). Looking at the varying aesthetic function of soundtrack and lyric in films like Disney’s wildly popular
Frozen
(2013) and the
Fast and the Furious
franchise, or the self-reflexive commentary of the ‘post-millennial rock musical’, this wide-ranging collection breaks new ground in its study of this multifaceted genre.