After what seems like ages of advertising and promotion, the new Wicked movie is finally entering theaters. Wicked premieres in theaters on Friday, November 22nd.
What You Need To Know
The film is an adaptation of the Broadway musical, Wicked, which is an adaptation of the 19955 novel by Gregory Maguire. Wicked is a prequel to the original Wizard of Oz, following the stories of young Elphaba and Galinda who later become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good. The story dives deep into the young women’s origin stories and explores the intimacies and sensitivities of friendship. But don’t let the outstanding musical performances and choreography fool you, Wicked provided just as strong a critique of prejudice, oppression, and fascism as its original story. If you want to learn more about the musical read about it here.
The director is splitting the musical into two movies; this is the first. Stephen Schwartz gave up attempting to fit the entire musical into one film after feeling as though “it would be impossible to wrestle the story of ‘Wicked’ into a single film without doing some real damage to it. As we tried to cut songs or trim characters, those decisions began to feel like fatal compromises to the source material that has entertained us all for so many years”. Now, the first movie premiering Friday will follow the first half of the storyline ending after Elphaba’s performance of “Defying Gravity”. Wicked Part Two is set to be released on November 26, 2025.
The film stars Tony-winning Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda. The two combined are a powerful force whose blended voices command the theater. The rest of the cast is played by Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Ethan Slater as Boq Woodsman, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard. The casting directors were not afraid to pull talent across all sectors of performance from Hollywood to Broadway.
There isn’t as much CGI as you think. Early critics of the film have been pleasantly surprised. Many assumed much of the magic of the film would rely heavily on special effects, but that is not the case. The film is much more grounded. Creative directors opted for above-and-beyond set designs (yes, Oz is an entirely built set), intricate costumes, and practical effects to preserve the feeling of a theater musical rather than a blockbuster film. If you’re curious, here’s a list of all the filming locations used in the movie.
How To Prepare
Learn the songs! Why watch a musical if you don’t know the music? Wicked is known for having some of the most well-known and unforgettable songs in the theater world including “Popular”, “Dancing Through Life” and obviously “Defying Gravity”. Although I don’t recommend singing along in theaters it is undeniably fun to mouth the words under your breath. But, please for the love of Oz do not listen to the movie soundtrack just yet. You have to save it for the theater. Listen to the original Broadway musical casts instead.
Watch Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked on Peacock starting November 19th. This Peacock special gives behind-the-scenes looks into the making of the film featuring interviews with the cast, director, and composer. It details the processes behind the cast and crew’s creative choices and gives a deep dive into the set and design of the film. I think watching this special will give you a deeper understanding and appreciation for the story and all it took to adapt Wicked from musical to movie.
My Review With No Spoilers– 9/10
Wicked is truly a love letter to the musical. Not having seen the original play, but having researched and talked to friends who have, I find it difficult to believe that hardcore fans will not be satisfied with the film. The movie sticks faithfully to the play and original story and adds where fans would want to see more from the play.
If nothing else, Wicked is showy– or I prefer show-stopping. While some may say the creative directors took the design and choreography to an unnecessary level of over-the-top that borders on exhausting and self-important, I argue that the extravagance of the film is exactly what it needed. The pro of Wicked becoming a movie is that directors can elevate the musical’s numbers beyond what theater allows and turn them into even greater spectacles with the power of effects and cinematic editing. It creates the perfect allure for the audience, drawing each watcher into the extravagance of Oz, blinding them with splashy performances and glamor to the real horrors happening behind the curtain.
The film’s success can be almost wholly attributed to the Wickedly talented, one and only, Cynthia Erivo. Cynthia meets every musical, acting, and emotional challenge of the story with exceptional talent.
Beyond her vocal power, Cynthia proves herself as an acting powerhouse. She breaks away from the original Idina Menzel version of Elphaba and brings to life an interpretation of Elphaba who is courageous and driven, but sensitive and compassionate almost to a fault. Erivo gives us a performance that makes us to feel a little closer to Elphaba than we have before. Without this intimate quality of Elphaba’s character and the command Erivo had over her performance, the story would have easily gotten lost in the sauce of all the flashiness happening elsewhere. Really, while Grande and Bailey’s performances were wonderful, it was Erivo who managed to keep the film grounded and without her, all would be lost.
Where Wicked loses a point for me is Chu’s time dedication and general creative interpretations of the darker themes of the film like oppression and fascism. Even in times when the plot is deadly serious handling abuse, prejudice, and potential genocide, there are awkward displays of cinematic grandeur and misplaced jokes that leave the message of the film feeling formless. In a time where these darker themes feel increasingly relevant, Chu’s mishandling of their execution disappoints me very much. It comes across as insensitive and irresponsible. At times, the movie leans too far into the extravaganza and consequently sacrifices some of the meaning of the story.
Nevertheless, Wicked is a fantastic feat of storytelling, heartfelt performances, and wowing visuals. It was a breathtaking cinematic experience that anyone would enjoy whether you are a diehard fan of the musical or you’ve never heard of Wicked in all your life. I saw the film a week ago I still think about it every day. It is an unforgettable experience that will stick with me for years to come. Don’t miss your chance to experience it for yourself. Wicked is in theaters today.