Wicked | |
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Directed by | Jon M. Chu |
Screenplay by | Winnie Holzman |
Based on | |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Alice Brooks |
Edited by | Myron Kerstein |
Music by | Stephen Schwartz |
Production company | Marc Platt Productions |
Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
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Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $145 million |
Wicked (also known as Wicked Part One) is an upcoming American musical fantasy film directed by Jon M. Chu and written by Winnie Holzman. It is the first of a two-part film adaptation of the stage musical of the same name by Stephen Schwartz and Holzman, which in turn was based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Gregory Maguire. The film stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, with Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, and Keala Settle in supporting roles. Set in the Land of Oz before and continuing after Dorothy Gale's arrival from Kansas, the film revolves around Elphaba Thropp, a green-skinned woman, and explores the path that leads her to ultimately become the Wicked Witch of the West, all while forming an unlikely friendship and later rivalry with Galinda Upland, who would go on to become Glinda the Good.
In 2012, Universal Pictures announced the film's development with Marc Platt as a producer. After a long development and multiple delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chu was hired to direct, with Erivo and Grande cast in their respective roles in 2021. Principal photography began in December 2022 in England, but was paused from July until November 2023 due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Filming eventually resumed and concluded in January 2024.
Wicked is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on November 27, 2024. The sequel, simply entitled Wicked Part Two , is set to be released on November 26, 2025.
In 2003, the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, a revisionist exploration of the characters and setting of L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz , was adapted as the Broadway musical Wicked . The musical was produced by Universal Pictures' stage division and directed by Joe Mantello, with musical staging by Wayne Cilento. The Broadway production has inspired long-run productions in Chicago, London, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, as well as Germany and Japan. It was nominated for ten Tony Awards, winning three, and is the 4th longest-running Broadway show in history, with over 7,500 performances. The original Broadway production starred Idina Menzel as Elphaba and Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda.
In a 2009 interview, Maguire stated that he had sold the rights to ABC to make an independent non-musical TV adaptation of Wicked. It would not be based on Holzman's script. [8] On January 9, 2011, it was reported by Entertainment Weekly that ABC would be teaming up with Salma Hayek and her production company to create a TV miniseries of Wicked based solely on Maguire's novel. No further information, such as casting, had been revealed yet. [9]
Chenoweth and Menzel were mentioned as possible film leads. Lea Michele and Amy Adams were also rumored to be potential leads. Potential writers included Winnie Holzman and Stephen Schwartz, while J. J. Abrams, Rob Marshall, James Mangold, and Ryan Murphy were mentioned as possible candidates for director. [10] In December 2012, following the success of Les Misérables , [11] [12] Marc Platt, also a producer of the stage version, announced the film was going ahead, [13] later confirming the film was aiming for a 2016 release. [14] After a long development, Universal announced in 2016 that the film would be released in theatres on December 20, 2019, with Stephen Daldry directing. [15] By 2024, Holzman was credited as the sole writer. [16]
In May 2017, Schwartz stated that the film would feature "at least two" new songs. [17] On August 31, 2018, Universal put the film on hold, due to production scheduling, and gave the film adaptation of Cats the release date formerly held by the film. [18] On February 8, 2019, Universal announced a new release date of December 22, 2021, for the Wicked film. [19] On April 1, 2020, Universal put the film on hold once again due to Universal shifting release dates amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and gave Sing 2 the 2021 release date. [20] On October 20, 2020, it was announced that Daldry had left the production due to scheduling conflicts. On February 2, 2021, it was announced that Jon M. Chu will take over as director. [21] [22] In August, Alice Brooks was confirmed as the film's cinematographer, after working with Chu before on the film version of In the Heights . [23]
In November, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo were cast as Glinda and Elphaba. [1] Grande had previously performed "The Wizard and I", a song from the musical, in the NBC special Wicked 15th Anniversary. Erivo previously had performed "I Couldn't Be Happier", a song from the musical, in the PBS special Wicked in Concert. [24] In June 2022, Chu confirmed the hiring of Nathan Crowley as production designer. [25] On September 21, 2022, it was reported that Jonathan Bailey had joined the cast as Fiyero. [5] In October 2022, it was announced that Jeff Goldblum was in final talks to star as The Wizard. [26] Goldblum completed talks by December, [4] when Ethan Slater, Michelle Yeoh, Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Keala Settle, Aaron Teoh and Colin Michael Carmichael were added to the cast. [2] [3] [6] In April 2024, it was revealed at the 2024 CinemaCon that Peter Dinklage had been cast as Dr. Dillamond. [27]
About preparing for the role of Elphaba, Erivo said to Variety , while expressing her desire to see the stage version on Broadway again before filming: "I'm relearning everything ... I want to go and see it again. ... When I get to New York at some point I'll pop in and see the show again, that'll be my fifth time." She also said at that time that discussions were underway on what the film will look like, particularly its production design and visual style, and confirmed the hiring of Paul Tazewell as costume designer. Her request to him for Elphaba's costume when she becomes the Wicked Witch of the West involved "a Jean Paul Gaultier collection with a 'new world, kind of gilded age' feeling". [28]
Principal photography was set to commence in June 2022 at the Sky Studios Elstree facilities in the United Kingdom. [29] In July 2021, Stephen Schwartz indicated there were plans to film in Atlanta that year. [30] On April 26, 2022, Chu announced the adaptation will be filmed in two parts, Wicked and Wicked Part Two , saying: [31]
As we prepared the production over the last year, it became 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. We decided to give ourselves a bigger canvas and make not just one 'Wicked' movie but two! With more space, we can tell the story of 'Wicked' as it was meant to be told while bringing even more depth and surprise to the journeys for these beloved characters.
In June 2022, Stephen Schwartz confirmed that a new song would be written for one of the two films: [32]
We found it very difficult to get past 'Defying Gravity' without a break ... That song is written specifically to bring a curtain down, and whatever scene to follow it without a break just seemed hugely anti-climactic ... Even as a very long single movie, it required us cutting or omitting things that we wanted to include and that we think fans of the show and the story will appreciate. What we have discussed is that changes need to be 'additive,' to use (producer) Marc Platt's term. They need to add something to the story or the characters. They can't just be changes to do something different. I feel confident that by the time the movie is made, if we all continue to have the same degree of input, I could have a conversation with anyone who has a question about any of the changes made from the stage show and justify why I think it's better for the movie.
On July 18, it was revealed that with the filming process settled at the newly-built Sky Studios in Elstree, England, rehearsals would begin in August with principal photography beginning in November. [33] On December 9, Chu confirmed on Twitter that filming had begun. [34]
On September 23, Planning Statement, in support of a planning application submitted on behalf of Western Sky Limited, indicated that outdoor filming would occur at a site being developed at Ivinghoe Turf [35] in Ivinghoe, Buckinghamshire, UK. The original planned shooting dates were between April 6, 2023 and July 14, 2023, with principal photography set to wrap on July 25, 2023, [36] [37] before filming was suspended from July 13, 2023 to November 8, 2023 due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. [38] Filming resumed on January 24, 2024 and concluded on January 26, with Chu then revealing that the vocals of the actors during the musical numbers were recorded live on set. Academy Award-winning production sound mixer Simon Hayes collaborated with Chu on the recordings of the actors' vocals, using a variation of the same recording techniques that were implemented on Les Misérables. [39] [40] [41] [42]
On February 6, 2024, it was confirmed on Twitter that Industrial Light & Magic and Framestore [43] will provide the film's visual effects with Pablo Helman serving as production visual effects supervisor, and that post-production work was in progress, with Chu working remotely with editor Myron Kerstein via communication through the newly-released Apple Vision Pro. [44] [45] [46]
The soundtrack albums for both Wicked and Wicked Part Two will be released by Republic Records/Verve Label Group, Grande and Erivo's respective record labels.
On April 16, 2023, first-look pictures of the film were released through social media, featuring Erivo's Elphaba and Grande's Glinda. [47] [48] Exclusive work-in-progress footage from the film, featuring first listens to Grande and Erivo's respective renditions of "Popular" and "Defying Gravity", was then presented at CinemaCon on April 26, 2023, introduced on stage by Universal Pictures chairwoman Donna Langley. [49] The first trailer for the film premiered during Super Bowl LVIII on February 11, 2024. [50] [51] The film returned to CinemaCon on April 10, 2024 to present new footage and marked the first time the cast and crew appeared together in public to promote the film. Costumes and props were also on display in the lobby of the venue during this event. [52]
Originally announced as one film, Wicked was split into two films in April 2022. The first half, titled simply Wicked, is scheduled to be released theatrically, with engagements in IMAX and Dolby Cinema, on November 27, 2024, by Universal Pictures. It was originally scheduled to be released theatrically on December 20, 2019, December 22, 2021 and December 25, 2024, [31] but on March 14, 2023, it was announced that it would be moved up to its current November release date to avoid competition with Avatar 3 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 , the former of which was later delayed to 2025 after Thunderbolts* , and later Mufasa: The Lion King took its date. [53]
A sequel, Wicked Part Two, is scheduled to be released on November 26, 2025, after previously being set for a December 25, 2025 release. [54]
Glinda is a fictional character created by L. Frank Baum for his Oz novels. She first appears in Baum's 1900 children's classic The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and is the most powerful sorceress in the Land of Oz, ruler of the Quadling Country South of the Emerald City, and protector of Princess Ozma.
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West is an American novel published in 1995, written by Gregory Maguire with illustrations by Douglas Smith. It is the first in The Wicked Years series, and was followed by Son of a Witch, A Lion Among Men, and Out of Oz. In 2003, it was adapted as the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Wicked. The musical is in the process of being adapted into a two-part feature film, with the first film scheduled to be released in November 2024 and the second film in November 2025.
Elphaba Thropp is the protagonist in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, and in its musical theatre adaptation Wicked. The character is identified with the Wicked Witch of the West from L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Shoshana E. Bean is an American singer, songwriter, and stage actress. She has appeared in numerous musicals, performing in major Off-Broadway and Broadway theatres, including in the original production of Hairspray.
Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman. It is a loose adaptation of the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which is in turn based on L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film adaptation.
"Popular" is a song from the Tony Award-winning musical Wicked. It is performed by the Broadway company's original Glinda, Kristin Chenoweth, on the original Broadway cast recording. The song is about a popular girl (Glinda) trying to help her unpopular roommate (Elphaba) become more popular.
"Defying Gravity" is the signature song from the musical Wicked, composed by Stephen Schwartz, originally recorded by Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth on November 10, 2003, and released on December 16, 2003. It is mostly a solo sung by the main character of the show, Elphaba, with two small duets at the beginning and in the middle of the song between Elphaba and her friend Glinda, and a chorus part at the end in which the citizens of Oz sing.
"For Good" is a musical number from the hit musical Wicked. It is sung as a duet between Elphaba and Glinda as a farewell. The song's score and lyrics were written by composer Stephen Schwartz.
Alexia Khadime is a British actress and mezzo-soprano, known for her roles in musical theatre and television.
Jeffrey Lynn Goldblum is an American actor and musician. He has starred in some of the highest-grossing films, such as Jurassic Park (1993) and Independence Day (1996), as well as their sequels.
Ariana Grande-Butera is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as a pop icon and an influential figure in popular music, she is noted for her four-octave vocal range and her signature use of the whistle register. Grande has received numerous accolades throughout her career, including one Brit Award, two Grammy Awards, two Billboard Music Awards, three American Music Awards, nine MTV Video Music Awards, and 35 Guinness World Records. Rolling Stone ranked her amongst the greatest vocalists of all time.
Jemma Rix is an Australian theatre performer, who has played the role of Elphaba in the Melbourne, Sydney, Australian and Asian touring companies of Wicked. Rix first performed the role in the shortened 30-minute version of the show at Universal Studios Japan. She was an original cast member of the Australian premiere production as the standby for Elphaba.
"I'm Not That Girl" is a showtune from the musical Wicked, based on the novel, "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West", by Gregory Maguire. It was composed by Stephen Schwartz, originally recorded by Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth (reprise) on November 10, 2003, and released on December 16, 2003. It is a solo sung by the main character of the show, Elphaba Thropp in the first act and Glinda in the reprise in the second act.
The Wizard of Oz is a 2011 musical based on the 1939 film of the same name in turn based on L. Frank Baum's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, with a book adapted by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams. The musical uses the Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg songs from the film and includes some new songs and additional music by Lloyd Webber and additional lyrics by Tim Rice. It is the third stage musical adaptation of the film following the 1942 version for the St. Louis Municipal Opera and the 1987 version for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Oz the Great and Powerful is a 2013 American fantasy adventure film directed by Sam Raimi and written by David Lindsay-Abaire and Mitchell Kapner from a story by Kapner. Based on L. Frank Baum's early 20th century Oz books and set 20 years before the events of the original 1900 novel, the film is a spiritual prequel to the 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film, The Wizard of Oz. Starring James Franco in the title role, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, Zach Braff, Bill Cobbs, Joey King, William Bock, and Tony Cox, the film tells the story of Oscar Diggs, a deceptive magician who arrives in the Land of Oz and encounters three witches: Theodora, Evanora, and Glinda. Oscar is then enlisted to restore order in Oz while struggling to resolve conflicts with the witches and himself.
Cynthia Erivo is an English actress and singer. She gained recognition for starring in the Broadway revival of The Color Purple from 2015 to 2017, for which she won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. Erivo ventured into films in 2018, playing roles in the heist film Widows and the thriller Bad Times at the El Royale. For her portrayal of American abolitionist Harriet Tubman in the biopic Harriet (2019), Erivo received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress; she also wrote and performed the song "Stand Up" on its soundtrack, which garnered her a nomination in the Best Original Song category.
Ethan Samuel Slater is an American actor, singer, writer, and composer known for his role as SpongeBob SquarePants in the musical of the same name, for which he received a Tony Award nomination and won a Drama Desk Award in 2018. During his career he has also acted in musicals directed by Kathleen Marshall, Barry Levinson, John Tartaglia, Bartlett Sher, and John Doyle.
A Very Wicked Halloween: Celebrating 15 Years on Broadway is a Halloween television special commemorating fifteen years since the premiere of the musical Wicked on Broadway. The concert special aired on NBC on October 29, 2018, and was hosted by Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, and featured performances by Ariana Grande, Adam Lambert, Ledisi and Pentatonix.
Wicked: Part Two is an upcoming American musical fantasy film directed by Jon M. Chu and written by Winnie Holzman. The sequel to Wicked (2024), it is the second of a two-part film adaptation of the stage musical of the same name by Stephen Schwartz and Holzman, which in turn was based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Gregory Maguire. The film stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, with Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, and Keala Settle in supporting roles.
Bronwyn James is a British actress. She has appeared in television shows such as Wild Bill, Ghosts, Outlander, and Harlots.