Written By: Delaney Cordes, Staff Writer
POPULAR: Book and Broadway musical phenomenon “Wicked” has its movie debut in theaters.
“Wicked” is one of the few pieces of media that has had the chance to receive both a theatrical and film adaptation. What started as a novel written in 1995 by Gregory Maguire entitled Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, was later picked up by author Winnie Holzman and composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz, where they created the cultural phenomenon Broadway musical, WICKED in 2000. Besides Maguire’s book, there were also many movies like “The Wizard of Oz” and “The Wiz” which include more characters and a similar storyline, just with different interpretations. And now, over 25 years later, director and producer Jon M. Chu has taken his spin on the musical and book to put together a spectacular movie that perfectly captures the art and beauty of “Wicked” that the musical theater fans have been in love with for years.
Chu’s version of WICKED stars actresses Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as Galinda (later Glinda) Upland and Elphaba Thropp. The two take audiences through the relationship between the main characters, starting from when the movie opens up to the defeat of the Wicked Witch of the West (Elphaba). It gives a view into how Glinda the Good became friends with the evil witch when they were in school, and how their relationship got off to a rough start. Elphaba, an outcast due to her abnormal green skin color, meets the popular girl Galinda when they are beginning their semester at Shiz University. The first half of the two-hour and 40-minute long movie displays the growth of their friendship in becoming roommates and later friends. With the addition of side characters, Elphaba and Glinda adventure through challenges such as saving the oppression of animals in Oz and ultimately visiting the Wizard in the Emerald City.
Besides Grande and Erivo, the movie also features Prince Fiyero played by Jonathan Bailey; Elphaba’s sister Nessarose Thropp played by Marissa Bode; Ethan Slater as munchkin Boq Woodsman; Michelle Yeoh stars as Madame Morrible – the Headmistress at Shiz University; and Jeff Goldblum filling the role of The Wizard of Oz.
What’s so special about the release of this film is that not many of the newer generation saw the musical and the magic that goes on in the magical school of Shiz and the characters that are a part of that. Considering that the Broadway show came out over 20 years ago, some people are seeing this movie blind with no prior knowledge of the popularity of the musical. However, the outcome of the film “outperformed [the] expectations” of the box office, with it being the third-largest opening weekend of 2024 (Screen Rant). Although the title of this film is WICKED, at the beginning of it, fans find out this is only the first half of the musical. Part two is set to be in theaters in November 2025, one year from part one’s release. According to The Direct, the next half of the movie “promises to delve deeper” into the Scarecrow, Dorothy, and the Tin Man who are more well-known due to the classic movie, “The Wizard of Oz” with Judy Garland.