Wicked may be one of the most anticipated and worried about film releases this year. If we disregard the faux media outrage over edited pictures and some of the fake scandals people are now trying to drum up about the book series, the story of Elphaba is dear to a lot of fans’ hearts. The movie, of course, is based on the musical that first started touring in 2003, which is in turn based on the book of the same name in a series by Gregory Maguire. It tells the back story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, from her childhood and what could have made her wicked, or be perceived to be evil to the residents of Oz.
Even without two decades of love for the musical at play, Wicked also has a lot to contend with fans of The Wizard of Oz and fans of the original Fourteen Oz books or the famous 40 (plus now) stories that have been based in the world. But it seems that when they took on turning Wicked into a two-part cinematic experience, they took special care in bringing in details from different parts of the world and the canon that all fans can enjoy.
Probably one of the biggest concerns about Wicked is that Part One has a run time of 2 hours and 41 minutes and it will only get the audience up to Define Gravity. While the live musical version tells the whole story in 2 hours and 45 minutes. How much bloat can audiences expect in the movie? Surprisingly, not as much as you would think. The movie actually does a great job of filling out the world, adding in moments from the book that are lost on the stage, and some that are nods and details from the original Wizard of Oz stories. It will take a few rewatches to find all of the hidden gems throughout the movie. And even with such a long run time of the movie, it doesn’t feel that long. The pacing of the movie overall is great, and while a bathroom break may be needed, it doesn’t drag or make you feel like that the movie is encroaching on three hours as you watch it.
Another concern for a lot of people has been the casting. And I’ll be honest, I was one of the early skeptics of the movie overall. Since Wicked is one of my favorite musicals and I fell in love with the book series years ago, I simply couldn’t imagine Ariana Grande taking up the co-lead as Glinda, and while I wasn’t too familiar with Cynthia Erivo before this, videos of her singing easily calmed any concerns there. This is not to say that Grande isn’t a great singer, but could she pull off Glinda and step into the shoes that were literally written for Kristin Chenoweth? And that’s not even bringing up if Jeff Goldblum would bring his normal warbling to the Wizard character and make it weird overall.
Thankfully, again, these concerns were unfounded. It doesn’t even take getting past No One Mourns The Wicked to know that not only did Grande have the singing but acting ability for the character that we all love and hate so much through her growth and failures. And when it comes to the chemistry between Grande and Erivo, it’s beyond what you get in the stage production. The connection between the two actors is so great that the movie may bring you to tears at a couple of points. Really, this version of the story may make the Broadway version of the story feel like the cliff notes version.
Through the beautiful sets, the costumes that have even the tiniest details in every stitch, the amazing choreography, special guest appearances and the music that will make fans happy beyond words – Wicked is simply magical. It’s a movie that fans of the books and the musical are going to love. Is it the same as the musical? Not exactly, but direct adaptations from stage to film never do that well, so it’s good that they decided to delve further into the source material to make this stand on its own. With an amazing cast and performances, the hardest part will be waiting a year for part 2 to be released.
Wicked is in theaters everywhere this weekend and no doubt will be one of the best holiday movie offerings this year.
Overall Review
About Wicked
After two decades as one of the most beloved and enduring musicals on the stage, Wicked makes its long-awaited journey to the big screen as a spectacular, generation-defining cinematic event this holiday season.
Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Emmy, Grammy and Tony winning powerhouse Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, Broadway’s The Color Purple) as Elphaba, a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power, and Grammy-winning, multi-platinum recording artist and global superstar Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart.
The two meet as students at Shiz University in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda’s unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power, while Elphaba’s determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences on her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
The film also stars Oscar® winner Michelle Yeoh as Shiz University’s regal headmistress Madame Morrible; Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton, Fellow Travelers) as Fiyero, a roguish and carefree prince; Tony nominee Ethan Slater (Broadway’s Spongebob Squarepants, Fosse/Verdon) as Boq, an altruistic Munchkin student; Marissa Bode in her feature-film debut as Nessarose, Elphaba’s favored sister; and pop culture icon Jeff Goldblum as the legendary Wizard of Oz.
The cast of characters includes Pfannee and ShenShen, two conniving compatriots of Glinda played by Emmy nominee Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live) and Bronwyn James (Harlots); a new character created for the film, Miss Coddle, played by Tony nominee Keala Settle (The Greatest Showman) and four-time Emmy winner Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) as the voice of Dr. Dillamond.
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights), Wicked is the first chapter of a two-part immersive, cultural celebration. Wicked Part Two is scheduled to arrive in theaters on November 26, 2025.
Wicked is produced by Marc Platt (La La Land, The Little Mermaid), whose films, television shows and stage productions have earned a combined 46 Oscar® nominations, 58 Emmy nominations and 36 Tony nominations, and by multiple Tony winner David Stone (Kimberly Akimbo, Next to Normal), with whom Platt produced the blockbuster Wicked stage musical. The executive producers are David Nicksay, Stephen Schwartz and Jared LeBoff.
Based on the bestselling novel by Gregory Maguire, Wicked is adapted for the screen by the stage production’s book writer Winnie Holzman and by legendary Grammy and Oscar® winning composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz. The Broadway stage musical is produced by Universal Stage Productions, Marc Platt, the Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.