Another hit Broadway musical is making its way to the big screen, asWickedarrives in theaters on November 22. Directed byCrazy Rich Asians' Jon M. Chu,Wickedis the first movie in a two-part extravaganza that expands on the original production. The musical is an adaptation of Gregory Maguire’s novel of the same name, which in turn is a creative retelling ofL. Frank Baum’s novelThe Wonderful Wizard of Ozfrom the perspective of the Wicked Witch of the West (played by Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda the Good (Ariana Grande).
Wickedreveals that the Wicked Witchwas born as Elphaba, and her relationship to “evil” is far more complicated than audiences might expect. In fact, she and Glinda (whose given name was actuallyGalinda) were actually friends at Shiz, and the twists and turns of their dynamic make up a large part of the narrative. The remaining characters, many of whom intersect with originalWizard of Ozfigures in fascinating ways, is played by top-tier talent such as Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, and more.
“Astounding!": Judy Garland’s Daughter Reviews Wicked In Lengthy Social Media Post
Judy Garland’s daughter, Lorna Luft, praises the Wicked movie in a lengthy review that highlights the performances, direction, and production design.
ScreenRantinterviewed Chu abouthis vision for Oz inWicked, how he approached the expanded story in order to make “Defying Gravity” the emotional highlight, and why fans will have the delightful experience of actually seeing Dorothy on the Yellow Brick Road.
Jon M. Chu Loved Working With “Troublemakers” To Create The World Of Wicked
“This is a moment where we have to show why cinema is still important and take audiences to the most spectacular epic proportions.”
Screen Rant:Wickedhas such a sumptuous visual vocabulary. Can you talk about creating the world of Oz and what your guiding principles were for that visually?
Jon M. Chu: Well, there’s so much inspiration for Oz. Not just the images that I have in my head, like the Yellow Brick Road and the colors and the rainbows and the things like that, but also the W.W. Denslow drawings. The original L. Frank Baum and Denslow drawings are so great when you start to dig into those — half the characters in Emerald City come from those drawings, and the animals.
We tried to pull animals that have been mentioned in those books. I think in the books they mentioned that it was connected all by waterways, which gave us the idea for Shiz. Of course, I was working with Nathan Crowley, who’s an amazing production designer. He’s a troublemaker. [Laughs] He loves to build, and he really pushed me. He was like, “No, we’re going to build that water.” I’m like, “Are you sure? Are they going to let us?” He’s like, “We’re already starting.” I’m like, “God, they’re going to yell at me.” I love working with troublemakers.
And we were like, “This is it. This is Oz.” Very few filmmakers get to go build Oz, and this is a moment where we have to show why cinema is still important and take audiences to the most spectacular epic proportions. At this moment, this is an urgent story to tell of what it feels like to upend the [narrative] and question, “What does a hero look like? What does the villain look like?” Everyone was all in, and we went after it like that.
Wicked Director Reveals His Favorite Additions To Elphaba’s Story In Part 1
“Those little differences make us root for her in a way that reshifts the whole balance of the show.”
Screen Rant: It’s fascinating to me how faithful this is to the first act of the musical, despite being the length of the whole play. What was your favorite addition or moment that you got to excavate with more subtlety?
Jon M. Chu: There are micro adjustments across the board because, in order for one movie to feel satisfying and not just half a movie, we had to move backwards from what “Defying Gravity” would do. “Defying Gravity” couldn’t just be a closing number; it had to tie up what we were rooting for this whole time.
In a weird way, Glinda opens the show and is almost the host of the night, and then she closes it at the end. And this one, you don’t get that, so we really had to focus this around Elphaba in a weird way. We drop into a crime scene — not the narrator but the scene of the crime, and we’re going to come back to this — but it’s going to be about this person here.
Seeing her childhood was really helpful, and then also the perspective shift. In the stage show, you are sitting there, and you are on the side of the audience. You’ve walked into this theater, and this green girl drops in, and she’s the joke. In this movie, Cynthia was like, “I’m not the joke.” And you’re like, “You’re right.” In a movie, the audience has to buy into the musical world. We’re convincing the audience in those first 10 minutes that this is the way the world works, then the normal green girl walks in and is like, “Did I just walk into a freaking musical?”
Everyone sings, but in that moment in “The Wizard and I,” everything quiets down, and she starts to sing her little whispers. You’re like, “Oh my gosh, she can sing. She can sing better than any of these people.” To me, those little differences make us root for her in a way that reshifts the whole balance of the show to allow “Defying Gravity” to be the thing that we want.
Screen Rant: Another subtle shift is that we actually see Dorothy, and she’s not behind a screen. Obviously, that will be more important in Act 2, but can you talk about how that might deviate from the show?
Jon M. Chu: Well, I won’t talk too much about what we show or don’t show in movie 2. But in movie 1, it was important to let Dorothy be how you want her to be. I didn’t want to step on your images of whatever version of Dorothy you wanted her to be.
But the presence is important because that plays a significant role in what will happen and how they intersect. That was sort of how we played with it. But you’ll have to see movie 2 to know how far we go with her.
More About Wicked Part 1 (2024)
Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Emmy, Grammy and Tony winning powerhouse Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, Broadway’s The Color Purple) as Elphaba, a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power, and Grammy-winning, multi-platinum recording artist and global superstar Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart.
The two meet as students at Shiz University in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda’s unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power, while Elphaba’s determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences on her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
Wicked
Cast
Wicked adapts the Broadway musical into a two-part film, following the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, born with green skin, and Glinda, a popular aristocrat, in the Land of Oz. As they navigate their contrasting paths, they evolve into Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
