One of the most beloved Broadway shows will make its debut in theatres after long anticipation on Friday, Nov. 22.
The new Wicked film’s foundation starts with L. Frank Baum’s book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its 1939 film adaptation. Followed by Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West which paved the way for the Wicked musical that first debuted on Broadway in 2003, the lineup was believed to be a tough act to follow.
Instead, Wicked pays homage to the musical shifting the story slightly from stage to screen by adding depth through creative set designs, character portrayals and additional scenes.
“The show is its own thing. The show is its own legend. I think this film is both an homage to the show and the book. We also get to create something really new and slightly different to what you’d be used to seeing,” Cynthia Erivo, Elphaba in Wicked movie, said in an interview with Collider.
Director of Wicked Jon M. Chu decided to split the movie into two parts in 2022. At a whopping two hours and 40 minutes, the movie greatly exceeds the time of the musical adaptation’s first act, which is only about 1 hour and 30 minutes and is longer than the entire musical itself by 10 minutes.
Although the numbers may appear daunting, the extended time of the Wicked movie allows for a more detailed exploration of the musical’s first act. New scenes include sorcery sessions with Elphaba and Madame Morrible which were only mentioned to happen in the musical.
One big concern surrounding Wicked was its color grading. When the trailer was first released, fans quickly flooded TikTok to comment on the lack of color. Comments included that some shots of the film were backlit, washed out or didn’t have the same color grading as The Wizard of Oz, which was originally filmed in technicolor.
Even though the color grading differs from The Wizard of Oz, the film isn’t as undersaturated and underexposed as comments on the trailer suggest. There is an abundant use of color throughout the entire movie from Galindas signature pink to the deep greens of Emerald City.
Unlike the musical, the movie struggles with having a silly tone and a serious one. Maguire’s Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West had a serious tone that was left out of the musical, which has a lighter sillier tone. With the extra time in the movie, Chu uses more in-depth characterization and plot from the book causing the serious tone of the novel to clash with the silly tone of the musical.
Erivo and Ariana Grande embody their roles as Elphaba and Galinda. Given the movie’s more serious tone, both actors add more depth to each character like Elphaba’s concern for animal rights and Galinda’s kindness.
As for the music, both Erivo and Grande give remarkable performances. There were some slight changes to the songs but they match each actor’s portrayal of their characters and don’t mock the original score.
Besides the acting and singing, the movie is notable for its intricate set designs. There is a heavier use of CGI due to the nature of the story, but fantasy-like sets of Munchkinland, Shiz University and Emerald City stand out with their steampunk elements that make viewers feel as if they are a part of the land of Oz.
There are questions about how Chu will decide to take on the second act as it is 30 minutes shorter than act one with less popular songs than “Defying Gravity” and “Popular.” Wicked part two is expected to come out on Nov. 21, 2025.
