Which theatrical movie will feature Chappell Roan's music first?

If you’re like me, you’ve spent the whole summer dancing down at the pink pony club, discovering your kink is karma, embracing your inner super graphic ultra modern girl, and trying like hell to hit that “I TOLD YOU SOOOOO” high note in “Good Luck Babe!” Yes, Chappell Roan truly is an icon for our time. Her music is spectacular. The way she’s so open about her mental health struggles is incredible. On a personal note, her stage persona and wardrobe…she looks exactly like how I’ve always wanted to look. I sometimes feel like an outcast in the queer woman community wearing extravagant eye makeup, big bold colorful lipstick, and maximalist outfits. Chappell Roan’s default stage lewk finally makes my dream gender goals a physical reality. I can’t thank her enough for that.

Despite Chappell Roan’s ubiquity in the modern music scene, there’s one artistic domain she’s still relatively M.I.A. in: movies. Not in terms of acting credits. Roan’s made it clear she has no interest in major acting gigs right now! Instead, this absence concerns the glaring omission of Chappell Roan needle drops from modern movies. Looking at Roan’s IMDB, so far her music has only appeared in two long-forgotten streaming films. The first was March 2022's HBO Max movie Moonshot using her 2020 song "Love Me Anyway". The other use of a Roan tune in a movie came with the 2024 Netflix animated kid's movie Thelma the Unicorn. Considering this feature was about a miniature pony who disguises herself as a pink unicorn, Roan's vocals showed up in Thelma the Unicorn through the song..."After Midnight".

You might be thinking "Lisa, isn't it a little quick for Roan's songs to show up in movies?". In truth, though, Hollywood's dragging its feet on making use of Roan's tunes. Brightburn dropped Billie Eilish's "Bad Guy" just two months after that song dropped. Olivia Rodrigo's "Brutal" showed up in two Netflix original films (Do Revenge and The School for Good and Evil) roughly a year after that single debut. A year after Roan's The Rise and Fall of a Midwestern Princess, those tunes are M.I.A. in mainstream cinema. C'mon Hollywood! I know you hate lesbians and all queer folks, but how can y'all resist these catchy tunes??? Must we regurgitate "Born to be Wild" or "Unfortunate Son" needle drops once more in mainstream cinema??

Let’s get down to brass tacks here: Roan’s songs are bound to appear in a major theatrical movie sooner rather than later. But what will be the first theatrical motion picture to utilize Roan’s tunes? That’s what I’m here to explore. Ahead, I’ll break down a slew of major movies coming out in the rest of 2024 and rank them from “least likely” to “most likely” to feature a Chappell Roan needle drop. Perhaps within this list, we’ll find the movie that will allow audiences to hear Roan’s beautiful vocals crooning “Naked in Manhattan” in IMAX speakers. Grab your headphones, press play on The Rise and Fall of a Midwestern Princess (you know you were gonna re-listen to the whole thing today anyway!), and let’s dive into how Roan could factor into 2024’s remaining major new releases.

Gladiator II

Internet dweebs with no lives went into a racist fury hearing a rap song in the Gladiator II trailer. There’s no way Paramount Pictures brass have the gall to further tempt fate by utilizing a song from a queer woman like Chappell Roan on the Gladiator II soundtrack. Plus, this is a period piece and a darker movie, so it’s doubtful Roan’s tunes would fit the ambiance. That having been said, “Naked in Manhattan” would make a perfect accompaniment to a scene where Pedro Pascal and Paul Mescal resolve their differences through smooching.

How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies

International box office sensation How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies is coming to North American theaters in September. Anyone hoping this acclaimed title will be a surprise victor in the race to get a Chappell Roan song in a theatrical release movie needs to temper their expectations, though. Before Grandma Dies has already opened in its home country of Thailand and several other major territories. If Roan’s songs were featured in the film at all, they would’ve already been in the news.

Red One

Red One has the most painfully heterosexual trailer of 2024. Everything about this trailer suggests the actual movie eschews all the bright colors and outlandish production defining classic Christmas movies. Yuck! A feature this painfully straight will have no time for Chappell Roan tunes.

Pushpa 2: The Rule

Pushpa 2: The Rule is a big crowd-pleaser sequel set to hit theaters in December 2024. It's already been confirmed that various original tunes are being written for the feature by Chandrabose. This means there's little chance the soundtrack will make room for Chappell Roan.

Joker: Folie au Deux

Another pre-2020 period piece, another major late 2024 sequel that won’t have room for Chappell Roan tunes. Joker: Folie au Deux will be a musical, but the various musical numbers are reportedly 1960s-1970s hit songs. No chance of Chappell Roan here. Also, director Todd Phillips is famous for R-rated comedies that reveled in transphobia. His films are where dude-bro’s say “that’s gay” to someone listening to Chappell Roan, not exciting uses of Roan’s tunes.

Mufasa: The Lion King

Those realistic CG lions can’t emote, there’s no way they’re belting out Chappell Roan songs.

Nosferatu

The only way Robert Eggers could get me more hyped for Nosferatu is with a promise that Count Orlok will enter every scene to an ominous rendition of “Hot to Go". That’s not happening, though, but a trans lesbian who loves the first three Eggers movies can dream!

A Complete Unknown

This Bob Dylan biopic will not have room for a Chappell Roan song. Also, director James Mangold is the king of dad movies. I’m not sure Roan fits into his aesthetic.

Wicked: Part One

Another musical movie (like Joker: Folie au Deux) will have too many pre-established tunes to get through to needle drop 2024's hottest singer. On the other hand, this might be the most likely 2024 movie to feature an original end credits Roan tune. Still, this is a list of needle drops of pre-existing Roan songs, so Wicked: Part One goes toward the bottom.

Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 2

There’s an outside chance Kevin Costner lost his mind after Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 flopped and decided that a foolproof way to get audiences to show up for the sequel was to embrace Chappell Roan music. Some of the more rural vibes of Roan’s tunes could technically fit a Western…but don’t count on “Pink Pony Club” appearing here in Horizon: An American Saga- Chapter 2. That would be way too fun and exciting a creative decision for the Horizon movies.

Here

Here, the latest Robert Zemeckis movie covers an expansive amount of time in the history of humanity. Even so, it’s doubtful any of the eras explored will feature Chappell Roan ditties.

Terrifier 3

I don’t think the Terrifier movies have anywhere near enough money to acquire a Chappell Roan song. Also, keep my beloved Chappell Roan away from those middling Terrifier movies.

Smile 2

This Smile sequel is all about a pop star. In theory, that means it inhabits a domain that would naturally feature a Chappell Roan ditty. However, it’s more likely a low-budget horror movie like Smile 2 focuses on original tunes from its fictional pop star protagonist rather than shelling out money for “After Midnight”.

Transformers One

Having some incarnation of Arcee dances her heart out to “Red Wine Supernova” would be trans girly cinema nirvana. However, Transformers One has already started screening for members of the press and if there was a Chappell Roan needle drop tucked away in here, that news would’ve broken eons ago.

The Wild Robot

DreamWorks Animation movies are infamous for their uber-relevant needle drops and love of modern pop culture references. The new Chris Sanders movie The Wild Robot, though, appears to inhabit a more timeless visual and storytelling aesthetic. That would seemingly preclude any Chappell Roan needle drops. If this was Madagascar 4, there’d be a big ending dance party set to “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl”. The Wild Robot, though, appears to be taking DreamWorks movies in a different direction.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

It’s not impossible to imagine Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, with its modern setting and teenage protagonist, briefly featuring a Chappell Roan song. However, it’s also difficult to imagine such melodies fitting into director Tim Burton’s gothic expressionistic style. The marketing has also emphasized the title’s nostalgic approach by utilizing songs like “Right Here Waiting”. It’s doubtful that the approach will include time for “After Midnight”.

Kraven the Hunter

Probably not Kraven the Hunter, but man oh man, wouldn’t it be fun for this to have the same kind of end credits as There’s Something About Mary? That 90s comedy had its credits set to bloopers and footage of the cast singing “Build Me Up Buttercup”. Let Kraven the Hunter end with credits filled with bloopers and footage of Alessandro Nivola, Christopher Abbott, and Ariana DeBose lip-syncing to “Hot to Go!”

Venom: The Last Dance

Given that the previous Venom movies utilized some unexpected needle drops and cursory nods to the queer community (“I’m out of the Eddie closet!” was an actual line in the second movie), it’s not inconceivable Chappell Roan could make her way onto Venom: The Last Dance’s soundtrack.

Nightbitch

Marielle Heller’s Nightbitch has a modern setting and a story all about the messy realities of being a mother. These qualities and especially the frank look at feminine identity could make it a perfect backdrop for a Chappell Roan needle drop.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

This is it. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the most likely place in the upcoming theatrical 2024 cinema for a Chappell Roan needle drop. Notice I didn't say the "best" place for Chappell Roan songs to premiere in theatrical cinema. The ideal debut place would be, of course, an Angela Robinson movie starring Ayo Edebiri, Hunter Schafer, and Sherry Cola as polyamorous lovers who are also bank robbers. However, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is easily the most logical film from the rest of 2024 that could house a Chappell Roan song. The first two Sonic films featured all kinds of recognizable tunes from Queen, Mark Ronson, Run-DMC, and more. In a franchise full of modern pop culture references, Chappell Roan's songs feel like an inevitable presence in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

There are clearly scarce few opportunities for Chappell Roan needle drops in theatrical cinema for the rest of 2024. Some of that comes down to Hollywood’s aversion to modern needle drops. Some of it’s down to Chappell Roan’s music being unapologetically queer. Mainstream Hollywood movies like queer women being as chaste as the Anyone but You lesbians, not uber-horny like Roan's lyrics. Some of it’s also down to how long it takes to make movies. So many 2024 blockbusters, like Kraven the Hunter, were supposed to arrive in 2023. Whatever the reason, there's no denying how fun it would be for Roan's music to become as prominent in 2024 theatrical cinema as Smash Mouth ditties were in 1998-2006 cinema.

Still, Roan’s excellent discography doesn’t need Hollywood validation to be amazing. The instantly transportive jangling of piano keys at the start of "Pink Pony Club". Those spoken words towards the end of "Red Wine Supernova" bursting with excited romantic fervor. The boundless enthusiasm coursing through every inch of "Hot to Go!" are just a few of the countless aspects of Roan's music that have made 2024 a whole lot more bearable. These tracks will always carry tremendous importance for queer listeners all over the world. In some ways, getting ignored by mainstream Hollywood studios makes her songs feel more like a "little secret" between queers. These tunes are defined by their drag show appearances, the way they bond queer folks together, and their function as a thems rebellion in the name of pursuing your own identity They're not existing in the shadow of a superhero movie cringingly using them to appear "cool". Inevitably,

Chappell Roan songs will populate theatrical movies. Perhaps they'll even show up in theatrical movies starring CG hedgehogs. However, they don't need those appearances to be validated as great art. Roan's tremendous artistry has already done that and then some.