After years of planning, the film Wicked will bring the hit Broadway show to theaters. Gregory Maguire’s Wicked is a revisionist take on L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz novels and the musical Wicked is based on the book. The Wicked Years is a series of books written by Maguire.
In this telling of the tale, the titular Wicked Witch of the West—Elphaba—and Oz’s past and present are front and center. It gives the original, simplistic story more depth and complexity while explaining many things that were left out of the books and the movie (like why is there just one road?).
Wicked
In 2003, Stephen Schwartz collaborated with Winnie Holzman to create the book, which is in the form of a play and brought the novel to Broadway as the composer and lyricist. Wicked follows the storyline of the book by examining the witches from both before and after the events in The Wizard of Oz.
With its focus on the witches Elphaba and Galinda, the musical places the well-known Oz narrative in perspective while also introducing new themes like prejudice, trust, and forgiveness. Given the musical’s phenomenal popularity, a film version is likely in the works.
Wicked Release Date
On November 27, 2024, the Wicked film will be released, featuring Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh, and Cynthia Erivo. Many of the three stars’ admirers have spoken highly of the picture. Ever since the film was announced, fans have bombarded social media with messages expressing their eagerness to see it.
The film is still one of the most eagerly anticipated of recent times, despite having a release date of 2024. To maintain high standards and preserve numerous musical pieces from the original legendary Broadway show, the adaptation will be divided into two parts.
Wicked Cast
Jonathan Bailey, the heartthrob of Bridgerton, will portray Fiyero, while Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo will front the cast as Glinda and Elphaba, respectively.
The three actors have impressive musical backgrounds, so we can’t wait to hear their performances. On a smaller note, Keala Settle from The Greatest Showman will be joining Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh as The Wizard and Madame Morrible, respectively.
The official cast list for the Wicked film is as follows:
- Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp
- Ariana Grande as Galinda Upland
- Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero Tigelaar
- Jeff Goldblum as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz
- Ethan Slater as Boq
- Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible
- Marissa Bode as Nessarose Thropp
- Bowen Yang as Pfannee
- Bronwyn James as ShenShen
- Keala Settle as Miss Coddle
- Aaron Teoh as Averic
- Colin Michael Carmichael as Professor Nikidik
- Adam James as Galinda’s father
Wicked Plot
Although Chu has been mum on the subject, it is safe to assume that the musical and the film adaptation of Wicked will share many storyline points and musical numbers. While attending university and living together, Elphaba and Galinda (later transformed into Glinda) are the protagonists of the musical Wicked. Until Galinda, who is popular and blonde, develops a fondness for Elphaba, a girl with green skin, the other students mock her.
Unexpected characters from The Wizard of Oz join the plot as Galinda and Elphaba start to drift apart. The first film will most likely focus on the college-aged women’s voyage to the North and West Witches, while the second will likely revolve around Dorothy.
At its conclusion, Wicked draws connections to The Wizard of Oz and expands upon it with additional material. Although it begins later in the story, the musical Wicked uses time travel to set the scene. To be successful, Wicked will need to find a way to convey its unconventional story structure.
Wicked Creators
Steven Speilberg and J.J. Abrams were among the directors who were considered for this film. But the title went to Jon M. Chu, who has a track record of adapting Broadway shows for the big screen. He wrote the screenplay for the film In the Heights, which won a Tony Award.
Starting with Marc Platt, this film’s producers are A-listers. Producer David Stone of Swallow, Brian Popkin of the renowned film Requiem: If the Walls Could Talk, and Platt of La La Land are the most well-known members of the group. Nathan Crowley, known for his work in The Greatest Showman, would be in charge of production design. Chu and Alice Brookes, the film’s cinematographer, had worked together on In the Heights before.
Wicked Trailer
Currently, Wicked is still in the process of casting its A-listers, so there isn’t enough footage to warrant a trailer as production has not started. The film has only made available a teaser poster displayed at the 2022 Licensing Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada, featuring a large W on a vibrant green backdrop.
Where to watch Wicked?
The two halves of the Wicked film will only be available in theaters, and come on, these halves deserve the largest screen imaginable.
Since both Wicked Parts 1 and 2 will be released around Thanksgiving, we may anticipate that they will be huge hits over the holiday season. Get your ticket at your leisure; there will be plenty of time. If you want to find me, I’ll be waiting for the Wicked movie to show in theaters.
Conclusion
Because of the famous people participating and Jon M. Chu’s social media marketing, which keeps the public informed via his own Twitter, Wicked has already gotten a lot of attention on social media. The public is eagerly anticipating its release because of the high level of anticipation surrounding it.