Honestly, if you grew up in the early 90s, the word "Newsies" probably conjures up a very specific image of a young Christian Bale in a cowboy hat, trying his absolute hardest to maintain a New York accent while singing about Santa Fe. That 1992 movie was, by most traditional metrics, a total flop. It bombed at the box office. The Razzies hated it. Yet, it became this weird, indestructible cult classic that Disney eventually realized was sitting on a goldmine.
Fast forward to 2017. Disney finally did what fans had been begging for since the stage show opened in 2012: they filmed it. But newsies the broadway musical movie isn't just a carbon copy of the original film. It’s something else entirely. It’s a "pro-shot"—a high-definition capture of a live performance—that somehow manages to feel bigger than a standard movie and more intimate than a seat in the mezzanine.
What Actually Happens in the Filmed Version?
If you're coming into this expecting the 1992 plot beat-for-beat, you're in for a surprise. The core is the same: the 1899 newsboy strike in New York City. Jack Kelly, the charismatic leader, rallies a bunch of ragtag kids against Joseph Pulitzer when the price of "papes" goes up.
But the musical movie makes some massive shifts. For starters, the character of Bryan Denton—the reporter who helps the boys in the '92 film—is totally gone. In his place, we get Katherine Plumber. She’s a female reporter trying to break out of the "society" pages, and she also happens to be Jack’s love interest.
Some fans of the original movie hate this. They miss the "bromance" between Jack and Denton. But Katherine brings a different energy. Her song "Watch What Happens" is a frantic, wordy masterpiece that captures the anxiety of trying to do something that matters. Plus, the reveal about her last name (no spoilers, but it rhymes with "Pulitzer") adds a layer of conflict that the original movie didn't have.
The Jeremy Jordan Factor
Let’s be real for a second. You cannot talk about newsies the broadway musical movie without talking about Jeremy Jordan. By the time they filmed this in Los Angeles at the Pantages Theatre, Jordan hadn't played Jack Kelly on stage in years. He’d moved on to TV shows like Smash and Supergirl.
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Disney brought him back specifically for the filming, along with other original cast members like Kara Lindsay (Katherine), Ben Fankhauser (Davey), and Andrew Keenan-Bolger (Crutchie).
There is a specific kind of magic that happens when an actor returns to a role they originated. Jordan’s Jack Kelly is older, a bit more cynical, and his vocals are, quite frankly, ridiculous. When he hits that high note at the end of "Santa Fe" while the camera zooms in on his face, you realize why this version works. You see the sweat. You see the actual effort. In a traditional movie, that's polished away. Here, it’s the whole point.
Why the Dancing Matters More Than the Plot
If you watch this for the historical accuracy of the 1899 strike, you're going to be disappointed. The real strike was more complicated, less melodic, and involved a lot more actual child labor misery.
But you don't watch Newsies for a history lesson. You watch it for the dancing.
Christopher Gattelli’s choreography is basically a contact sport. In the filmed version, the cameras get right in the middle of it. During "Seize the Day," you have thirty grown men doing backflips, spinning on newspapers, and leaping across the stage in perfect synchronization.
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The pro-shot uses a mix of "live" footage (with an actual audience screaming their heads off) and "pick-up" shots. These pick-ups allowed the director, Jeff Calhoun, to place cameras on the stage floor and even overhead. You get angles that a person sitting in the front row would never see.
The Technical Differences You’ll Notice
If you’re a "Fansie" (the official term for the obsessed, don't blame me), you’ll notice that the stage production sounds different from the movie. Alan Menken and Jack Feldman returned to rewrite some of the lyrics and add new songs.
- "The Bottom Line": A new song for Pulitzer that makes him a more formidable, albeit corporate, villain.
- "That's Rich": Medda Larkin's solo. In the movie, she was played by Ann-Margret and sang "High Times, Hard Times." The musical version is much more of a vaudeville showstopper.
- "Something to Believe In": The mandatory romantic ballad. It’s fine. It’s not "King of New York," but it does the job.
The set design by Tobin Ost is also a character in itself. It’s three stories of steel scaffolding that moves, rotates, and serves as fire escapes, offices, and rooftops. In the filmed version, the lighting (by Jeff Croiter) uses deep blues and oranges to make the metal look like a gritty New York alleyway. It’s gorgeous.
Where to Find Newsies the Broadway Musical Movie Now
As of 2026, the distribution of this filmed version is pretty stable, but it's moved around a bit over the years. Originally, it was a "Fathom Event," meaning it played in cinemas for like three nights only. People lost their minds. It made so much money that they kept adding encore screenings.
Now, you can usually find it on Disney+. It’s also available for digital purchase on platforms like Apple TV and Amazon.
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One thing to keep in mind: there are two Newsies entries on most streaming sites. One is the 1992 movie. The other is the 2017 "Broadway Musical" version. Make sure you check the runtime and the thumbnail. If you see Jeremy Jordan’s face, you’re in the right place.
Is It Better Than the Original?
This is the big debate. Honestly? It depends on what you want.
The 1992 movie feels like a movie. It has real locations, a bit more of a "period drama" vibe, and Christian Bale’s raw, untrained energy.
The newsies the broadway musical movie is a spectacle. It’s more polished, the singing is objectively better, and the dancing is on a level that most movies can't touch. It captures the feeling of being in a theater, which is something a traditional film can never do.
If you want to experience the show as it was intended—with the "Fansies" cheering after every pirouette—the pro-shot is the definitive version. It took a cult failure and turned it into a permanent part of the musical theater canon.
Actionable Steps for the Ultimate Viewing Experience
If you're planning to sit down and watch this version for the first time, don't just treat it like background noise. Here is how to actually get the most out of it:
- Check the Sound System: This production was mixed for cinema. If you’re watching on a laptop, use headphones. The bass in "The World Will Know" needs to be felt.
- Watch for the "Swings": Pay attention to the ensemble. Many of these dancers are doing tracks that require them to be in ten places at once. The athleticism is genuinely terrifying if you think about it too hard.
- Compare the "Santa Fe" versions: If you have time, watch the 1992 prologue and then the Broadway version of "Santa Fe." It’s a fascinating study in how a song can be reinterpreted from a quiet internal monologue to a massive Act One finale.
- Look for the hidden cameos: Several members of the ensemble in the filmed version were actually in the original Broadway cast but had moved into different roles for the tour. It’s a bit of a "where’s Waldo" for musical theater nerds.
Whatever you do, don't skip the curtain call. The energy in the building that night was clearly electric, and it’s one of the few times a filmed play actually captures the feeling of a standing ovation.