After more than two decades of anticipation, Wicked: Part One is finally here! Based on the massively successful Broadway musical of the same name, Wicked tells the story of the witches of Oz long before Dorothy comes to Oz. Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo ) is a girl born green and treated differently because of it. During her time at Shiz University, she is forced to room with a girl named Galinda, later Glinda (Ariana Grande). The two become best friends until Oz proclaims Elphaba the Wicked Witch of the West. The original production of the musical celebrated its 20th Broadway anniversary in October 2023 and has spawned multiple stagings around the globe. Its success on Broadway was followed by five other productions in the U.S. running alongside the New York company. The big-screen version has already garnered glowing reviews, and is looking to win big at the box office.
With the show as popular (a pun for Wicked fans), why did it take so long to bring it to the big screen? The answer is about as complex as the witchy backstory Wicked tells. From an adaptation that nearly proceeded the Broadway run to postponement thanks to a clan of singing cats, to the COVID-19 pandemic Wicked‘s journey to the big screen was as turbulent as a farmhouse in a twister.
‘Wicked’ Was Originally Almost a Movie Instead of a Musical
Based on the best-selling novel by Gregory Maguire, the first attempt to bring Wicked to the big screen proceeded the musical adaptation. According to a story covered by SFGATE, Universal Studios had purchased the rights to Maguire’s novel in hopes of turning it into a live-action film. Producer Marc Platt was already well into developing the project when he received an “impassioned plea” via a call from composer Stephen Schwartz.
Schwartz, known for his hit musical Godspell and his work with Disney, had been told about Wicked by a friend while he was on a trip to Hawaii. He told SFGATE, “It was like a little bell went off in my head.” Upon learning Universal was already developing an adaptation, Schwartz begged Platt to consider turning the project into a stage musical. “I knew I had to do it. And I knew it had to be a musical,” Schwartz said, per SFGATE. Platt agreed with Schwartz and moved ahead with the stage project as a joint production with producer David Stone and Universal. Wicked made its world premiere in 2003 with a preview run in San Francisco before moving to Broadway and becoming a cultural phenomenon. Indeed, Wicked was a hit with audiences and was well on its way to becoming a cultural phenomenon, even if theater professionals didn’t agree.
‘Wicked’ Overcame the Odds To Become a Cultural Phenomenon
Wicked quickly became a fan favorite when it opened on Broadway, but critics had a hard time embracing the musical. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Broadway critics took issue with just about everything from Wicked’s plot to its music to its spectacle. While this would spell death for most shows, Wicked proved to be critic-proof. The show consistently sold out and became an immediate classic with audiences. It also garnered several Tony Award nominations. Per the Chicago Tribune, Wicked was nominated for 10 Tonys, including Best Musical. The show was expected to sweep the ceremony, and while Idina Menzel walked away with the award for Best Actress, the Broadway community was rocked when the show lost most of the evening’s top prizes, only receiving two awards in addition to Menzel’s win for Best Costume Design and Best Scenic Design.
Shockingly, the musical, Avenue Q—an R-rated show that can best be described as Sesame Street for adults—beat Wicked for the night’s top honor. Many in Wicked’s production team looked at the loss as a great upset, and the theater community was certainly perplexed, as Wicked was considered far more “Tony material.” As recounted by theater documentarian, Brendon Henderson, Avenue Q ran an aggressive For Your Consideration campaign that urged Tony voters to “Vote with Your Heart.” Showering voters with gifts, including a new single written around the campaign’s slogan, the show ended up sweeping many of the categories Wicked was poised to take. While this sort of loss could have spelled death for the show, and ultimately the film adaptation, much in the same way Wicked was critic proof, the Tonys had no effect on the show’s box office and it continued to sell out. It should be noted that Avenue Q’s campaign caused the Tonys to set a stricter set of rules when it came to campaigning. As for Wicked, it continues to be a top seller on Broadway and around the world, which helped ensure that the movie’s future would remain possible after the Tonys upset, even if it meant audiences would have to wait a few decades for the picture to come to fruition.
Many Tried to Make ‘Wicked’ into a Movie
Per Variety, Wicked had been slated for December 20, 2019. But in August 2018, Deadline reported that Wicked had been put on hold with Universal giving its release date to the infamous adaptation of Cats, itself a musical movie that took decades to bring to the screen. While Cats creator, Andrew Lloyd Webber, coped with the disaster that was the film adaptation of his famous musical, Wicked was given yet another new release timeline for 2021. But then came a more unpleasant surprise than a field of poppies. The COVID-19 pandemic hit, and, like many other films, production on Wicked ceased. Deadline reported that Wicked would no longer be released in 2021 and, for the first time, the film had no release date or progress of which to speak. Making the film’s future even more bleak was Daldry’s departure from the project. Wicked would find its own wizard of sorts in a long-time fan, turned esteemed director.
Jon M. Chu Has a Long History with ‘Wicked’
Development finally started back up when Deadline again reported on the film in 2021 with the announcement that Jon M. Chu had been brought on as director. Interestingly, Chu had a love for the project that dated back to before the show hit Broadway. As Chu told the New York Times, he’s been waiting to direct Wicked for 20 years. Chu first saw the show in San Francisco during its pre-Broadway preview run. “I remember thinking, this is the most cinematic show I’ve ever seen,” Chue recalled. “Someone’s going to make a great movie out of this.” Though he was a film student at the time, he always hoped to be that director. “I’ve been chasing Wicked for 20 years. Periodically, he would have his agent call Universal to see about the job, and each time, the response received was: “There’s a director attached, but if anything happens, we’ll let you know.” Finally, there came a glimmer of hope, when Universal inquired about his availability for an undisclosed project. He asked: “I asked them, does it rhyme with Pick-ed?” And indeed it did. But delays and departures weren’t the only reason behind the film’s long-stalled development.
Marc Platt recalled: “turning down many, many directors. But it wasn’t because they weren’t wonderfully talented. I just wasn’t ready to make a movie.” But when the time was finally right, Platt reached out to Chu. However, Chu still had his doubts. Without any previous meetings with Platt, Chu began to theorize that “[…] they don’t think we’re going to make this movie! But that’s what they don’t know about me. I make movies. I know how to get a movie made. It’s like a superpower of mine.” Chu quickly proved himself by helping to helm the script, which had been through several drafts, most of which were far too long. “The first question was: one movie or two? I told them, we can’t debate about this every meeting, so let’s make a decision and commit. If we want to change it later, that’s fine.” Indeed, Chu proved to be the leader the film. Under his careful eye, it was announced that Erivo and Grande would don the iconic witch hat and bubble respectively. The film would face one more trial due to the SAG-AFTRA strike of 2023, though Chu assured audiences that it would not affect the film’s release date. Production wrapped on the now two-part adaptation in January 2024. With such a warm reception thus far, the long-awaited adaptation is eyeing awards glory.
‘Wicked’ Is Looking to Win Big at the Oscars
Wicked may not have won big at the Tonys, but it is looking to turn its award history around at the 2025 Oscars. Could Wicked go from a highly anticipated film to Oscar darling? Only time will tell, but it would certainly be a happy ending to an over-decade-long saga. Wicked‘s journey to the big screen was a long one. From its initial inception to director changes to a delay caused by Cats, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic and a strike, audiences must have visited The Wizard of Oz himself to ask for patience. But, finally, the first entry in the two-part saga is here! The picture’s stunning reception and exciting prospects promise a bright future for the film’s legacy and proves it was well worth the wait.
Wicked is now playing in theaters across the U.S.
The story of how a green-skinned woman framed by the Wizard of Oz becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. The first of a two-part feature film adaptation of the Broadway musical.
- Release Date
- November 22, 2024
- Cast
- Cynthia Erivo , Ariana Grande , Michelle Yeoh , Jeff Goldblum , Jonathan Bailey , Ethan Slater , Marissa Bode , Bowen Yang , Bronwyn James , Keala Settle , Peter Dinklage , Aaron Teoh , Grecia De la Paz , Colin Michael Carmichael , Adam James , Andy Nyman , Courtney Mae-Briggs , Sharon D. Clarke , Jenna Boyd
- Runtime
- 160 Minutes
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