We’ve got all the details.

The penguins are coming! *Happy Feet *musical being developed for the stage (exclusive)

We've got all the details.

By Dalton Ross

Dalton Ross is a writer and editor with over 25 years experience covering TV and the entertainment industry. *Survivor* is kind of his thing.

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March 31, 2026 11:00 a.m. ET

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Mumble (voiced by Elijah Wood) in 'Happy Feet'. Credit:

Put your dancing shoes on, because ** can exclusively report that George Miller’s animated hit film *Happy Feet* will be bopping and swaying onto the stage in the form of a new theatrical musical now in development.

The original 2006 film featured a voice cast including Elijah Wood, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Robin Williams, and Brittany Murphy. It told the story of a young emperor penguin named Mumble (Wood) who is ostracized due to his lack of singing ability, yet then overcomes obstacles and adversity through some extraordinarily enthusiastic tap dancing. (Again, he’s a penguin.)

The movie was a major hit, winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature while earning over $384 million worldwide (with $198 million of that coming from the United States). It also spawned a 2011 sequel titled *Happy Feet Two.*

Gloria (voiced by Brittany Murphy) and Mumble (voiced by Elijah Wood) in 'Happy Feet'.

Its next stop will be as a musical for the stage, and there is an impressive group bringing it there. Tony Award-winning producer Dori Berinstein *(Legally Blonde, The Prom, Thoroughly Modern Millie) *has assembled a team that includes Tony Award-winning director Michael Arden (*Maybe Happy Ending, Parade*) and book writer Douglas Lyons (*Chicken & Biscuits, Fraggle Rock*).

As for how the penguins will be brought to life on stage, that remains to be seen, although puppet designer Basil Twist (who has worked on Broadway before on *Pee Wee Herman’s Playhouse, The Addams Family, *and* Charlie & The Chocolate Factory)* is part of the creative team.

Obviously, choreography will be key in a show about a dancing penguin, and heading that up will be Ayodele Casel (*Funny Girl*) and the duo Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher “Cree” Grant (who have also been working on another new film-to-stage adaptation in *The Lost Boys).*

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The *Happy Feet* film featured an eclectic soundtrack of hits originally performed by the likes of Prince, Elvis Presley, Stevie Wonder, Queen, and the Beach Boys, and it looks like much in the same way *Moulin Rouge* on Broadway took some songs from the film while adding a slew of other pop-culture classics, the new *Happy Feet* will also see a mix of tunes both old and new.

No word yet on when or where the *Happy Feet* musical will first hit the stage, but it is the latest theatrical project from Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, which also has current Broadway shows *The Lost Boys *and* **Dog Day Afternoon**,* as well as upcoming adaptations of *Crazy Rich Asians *and* Practical Magic.*

Might a stage version of another George Miller Warner Bros. film be next? *Furiosa: The Musical*, anyone?

- Theater & The Arts

- Theater & Arts Genres

- Musical Theater

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Musical”