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Draft:Wicked (film series)

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For the first film being released on November 22, 2024, see Wicked (2024 film).
Wicked
Official film series logo
Directed byJon M. Chu
Screenplay byWinnie Holzman[a]
Dana Fox[1]
Based on
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyAlice Brooks
Edited byMyron Kerstein
Music by
Production
company
Marc Platt Productions
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
2024–present
Running time
  • 160 minutes (Wicked)
  • TBD (Wicked Part Two)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$310 million (2 films)

Wicked is an upcoming film series that consists of two American epic musical fantasy films directed by Jon M. Chu and written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, based on 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 and characters from L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Set in the Land of Oz, both before and after Dorothy Gale's arrival from Kansas, the plot follows green-skinned Elphaba and her path to ultimately becoming the Wicked Witch of the West, alongside an unlikely friendship and later rivalry with a classmate who later becomes Glinda the Good Witch of the North. They both then must face the consequences of their actions as their destinies change all of Oz forever. The films star Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande[b] as Elphaba and Glinda respectively, with Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode (who makes her feature film acting debut in the first film), Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Keala Settle, and Peter Dinklage in supporting roles.[4]

Development

[edit]

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.[5] 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.[6]

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.[7] In December 2012, following the success of Les Misérables,[8][9] Marc Platt, also a producer of the stage version, announced the film was going ahead,[10] later confirming the film was aiming for a 2016 release.[11] After a long development, Universal announced in 2016 that the film would be released in theatres on December 20, 2019, with Stephen Daldry directing.[12] By 2024, Holzman was credited as the sole writer.[13] In August 2024, it was determined by the Writers Guild of America that Dana Fox collaborated with Holzman on the screenplay and that Craig Mazin contributed additional literary material.[1]

In May 2017, Schwartz stated that the film would feature "at least two" new songs.[14] 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.[15] On February 8, 2019, Universal announced a new release date of December 22, 2021, for the Wicked film.[16] 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.[17] 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.[18][19] In August, Alice Brooks was confirmed as the film's cinematographer, after working with Chu before on the film version of In the Heights.[20]

In November, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo were cast as Glinda and Elphaba, respectively. 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", an excerpt from the song "Thank Goodness," in the PBS special Wicked in Concert.[21][22][23] In June 2022, Chu confirmed the hiring of Nathan Crowley as production designer.[24] On September 21, 2022, it was reported that Jonathan Bailey had joined the cast as Fiyero. In October 2022, it was announced that Jeff Goldblum was in final talks to star as The Wizard.[25] Goldblum completed talks by December, when Ethan Slater, Michelle Yeoh, Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Keala Settle, Aaron Teoh and Colin Michael Carmichael were added to the cast. In April 2024, it was revealed at the 2024 CinemaCon that Peter Dinklage had been cast as Dr. Dillamond.[26]

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".[27]

Films

[edit]
Film U.S. release date Director Screenwriters Producers Status
Wicked November 22, 2024 (2024-11-22) Jon M. Chu Winnie Holzman and Winnie Holzman & Dana Fox Marc Platt and David Stone Completed
Wicked Part Two November 21, 2025 (2025-11-21) Post-production

Wicked (2024)

[edit]
Main article: Wicked (2024 film)

Principal photography was set to commence in June 2022 at the Sky Studios Elstree facilities in the United Kingdom.[28] In July 2021, Stephen Schwartz indicated there were plans to film in Atlanta that year.[29] 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.[30] On December 9, Chu confirmed on Twitter that filming had begun.[31]

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[32] 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,[33][34] before filming was suspended from July 13, 2023 to November 8, 2023 due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[35] 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.[36][37][38][39] Chu also cited Steven Spielberg's 1991 film Hook as a source of inspiration for the film's use of large-scale sets and practical effects to bring the many elements of the Land of Oz to life, including nine million colorful tulips planted on location to surround the Munchkinland set, an actual Yellow Brick Road paved on the ground with real mud and a life-size art deco-inspired train to transport Elphaba and Glinda to the Emerald City.[40][41]

Wicked Part Two (2025)

[edit]
Main article: Wicked Part Two

On April 26, 2022, Chu announced the adaptation will be filmed in two parts, Wicked and Wicked Part Two, saying:

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:[42]

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.

Principal cast and characters

[edit]
List indicators

This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in more than two films in the series.

  • An empty, dark grey cell indicates the character was not in the film, or that the character's official presence has not yet been confirmed.
  •  C indicates a cameo role.
  •  V indicates a voice-only role.
Character Films
Wicked Wicked Part Two
Elphaba Thropp Cynthia Erivo
Galinda Upland Ariana Grande[c]
Madame Morrible Michelle Yeoh
Fiyero Tigelaar Jonathan Bailey
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Jeff Goldblum
Boq Woodsman Ethan Slater
Nessarose Marissa Bode
Pfannee of Phan Hall Bowen Yang  
ShenShen Bronwyn James  
Miss Coddle Keala Settle  
Doctor Dillamond Peter DinklageV
Avaric Tenmeadows Aaron Teoh  
Gilligan Grecia de la Paz  
Professor Nikidik Colin Michael Carmichael  
Galinda's Father Adam James  
Galinda's Mother Alice Fearn  
Frexspar Thropp Andy Nyman  
Melena Thropp Courtney-Mae Briggs  
Dulcibear Sharon D. ClarkeV  
Young Elphaba Thropp Karis Musongole  
Dorothy Gale TBAC TBA
Cowardly Lion   TBAV
Emerald City Guard Stephen SchwartzC  

Additional production and crew

[edit]
Film Crew/detail
Composer Cinematographer Editor Production
company 		Distributing
companies 		Running time
Wicked John Powell and Stephen Schwartz Alice Brooks Myron Kerstein Marc Platt Productions Universal Pictures 160 minutes
Wicked Part Two TBA

Reception

[edit]
For more details on the reception of each film, see the "Reception" section on each film's article.

Box office and financial performance

[edit]
Film Box office gross Box office ranking Home video
sales gross 		Gross
total income 		Budget Worldwide net
total income 		Ref.
North America Other territories Worldwide All-time
North America 		All-time
worldwide 		North America
Wicked [to be determined] [to be determined] [to be determined] [to be determined] [to be determined] [to be determined] [to be determined] $145,000,000 [to be determined] —
Wicked Part Two [to be determined] [to be determined] [to be determined] [to be determined] [to be determined] [to be determined] [to be determined] $165,000,000 [to be determined] —

Critical and public response

[edit]
Film Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic CinemaScore
Wicked 93% 73 [to be determined]
Wicked Part Two [to be determined] [to be determined] [to be determined]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Holzman is credited twice for writing the screenplay; first as a solo writer and as part of a writing team with Dana Fox.
  2. ^ a b Grande was credited as her legal name, "Ariana Grande-Butera".[2] Cite error: The named reference "Grande" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  3. ^ Grande was credited as her legal name, "Ariana Grande-Butera".[43]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Wicked". directories.wga.org. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  2. ^ Jackson, Angelique (November 4, 2024). "Ariana Grande Is Credited in 'Wicked' as 'Ariana Grande-Butera' Because 'That Was My Name When I Went to See the Show' at 10 Years Old". Variety. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  3. ^ Jackson, Angelique (November 4, 2024). "Ariana Grande Is Credited in 'Wicked' as 'Ariana Grande-Butera' Because 'That Was My Name When I Went to See the Show' at 10 Years Old". Variety. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  4. ^ Grobar, Matt (2024-05-15). "New 'Wicked' Trailer Sees Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande's Witches Meet Opposing Destinies". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  5. ^ "Gregory Maguire on Wickedness Post-Bush". Archived from the original on 3 January 2010. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  6. ^ "ABC, Salma Hayek developing 'Wicked' miniseries". EW.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  7. ^ Jamie Sharp (September 6, 2010). "Finally – Wicked: The Movie This Way Comes!". Archived from the original on January 3, 2011. Retrieved December 14, 2010.
  8. ^ Universal Chairman Wants 'Fifty Shades' for Summer 2014, More 'Bourne' and 'Van Helsing' Reboot (Q&A) Archived 2013-06-05 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved February 21, 2013
  9. ^ LES MIS Hit Status Leading To WICKED At Universal? Archived 2013-03-13 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved February 21, 2013
  10. ^ WICKED Film to Enter Development 'Soon' Archived 2016-03-01 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved December 13, 2012
  11. ^ "Wicked movie finally seems to be on course, set for 2016 release". Film Divider. Archived from the original on 2016-01-23. Retrieved 2019-04-09.
  12. ^ "Universal's 'Wicked' Movie Adaptation Gets December 2019 Release". Hollywood Reporter. June 16, 2016. Archived from the original on 2019-01-06. Retrieved 2019-04-09.
  13. ^ Bergeson, Samantha (February 11, 2024). "Wicked Teaser: Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo Defy Gravity in Wizard of Oz Prequel". IndieWire. Archived from the original on February 12, 2024. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  14. ^ "Stephen Schwartz: 'Wicked' Movie to Feature 'at Least Two' New Songs" Archived 2020-07-06 at the Wayback Machine variety.com.
  15. ^ "'Cats' Will Pounce During Christmas 2019 Frame; 'Wicked' Moves" Archived 2018-08-31 at the Wayback Machine deadline.com.
  16. ^ "Wicked Feature Adaptation Moved to December 2021" Archived January 20, 2021, at the Wayback Machine Comingsoon.net.
  17. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (April 1, 2020). "'Minions: The Rise Of Gru', 'Sing 2' Set New 2021 Release Dates; 'Wicked' Still Brewing Slot". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 1, 2020. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  18. ^ "'Wicked' Director Stephen Daldry Exits Universal Movie Musical Adaptation". Deadline Hollywood. October 20, 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-10-21.
  19. ^ Kroll, Justin (2021-02-02). "'Wicked': Jon M. Chu Tapped To Direct Universal's Film Adaptation". Deadline. Archived from the original on 2021-02-02. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  20. ^ Chitwood, Adam (2021-08-31). "'Wicked' Movie Will Reunite Director Jon M. Chu With His 'In the Heights' Cinematographer Alice Brooks". Collider. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
  21. ^ "I Couldn´t Be Happier" ~ Cynthia Erivo / Wicked In Concert by PBS. 2022. [1]
  22. ^ "Stephen Schwartz Answers Questions About Wicked's Score" (PDF). stephenschwartz.com. 2010. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  23. ^ "Wicked – Stephen Schwartz". stephenschwartz.com. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  24. ^ O'Connell, Sean (2022-06-01). "Jon M. Chu's Praise For Ariana Grande And Cynthia Erivo Will Get You Hyped For The Wicked Movie". CINEMABLEND. Archived from the original on June 11, 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
  25. ^ Malkin, Marc (2022-10-28). "Jeff Goldblum in Final Talks to Join 'Wicked' Movies as the Wizard (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on October 28, 2022. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  26. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Tartaglione, Nancy (April 10, 2024). "Peter Dinklage Revealed As Dr. Dillamond During Universal's 'Wicked' CinemaCon Presentation". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  27. ^ Urban, Sasha (April 4, 2022). "Cynthia Erivo Says She Wants to See 'Wicked' One More Time Before Making the Movie". Variety. Archived from the original on April 16, 2022. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  28. ^ Kit, Borys (October 27, 2021). "Universal's 'Wicked' Movie Hits New Speed Bump". The Hollywood Reporter. PMRC. Archived from the original on December 18, 2022. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  29. ^ Wood, Alex (2021-07-02). "Stephen Schwartz: Wicked movie to start production later this year in Georgia". WhatsOnStage. Archived from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  30. ^ Major, Michael (July 18, 2022). "WICKED Movie to Begin Principal Photography in November". BroadwayWorld. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  31. ^ Chu, Jon M. [@jonmchu] (December 9, 2022). "Lost my phone…so I couldn't keep up today with the announcements especially while we were shooting day 3 here in London. Just know things are going great. The #WickedMovie is really happening and I have 3 days of footage of prove it :) oh also JEFF GOLDBLUME IS THE WIZARD!!!! https://t.co/ygjqdR7TVy" (Tweet). Archived from the original on March 16, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via Twitter.
  32. ^ Audits, DJ. "Ivinghoe Turf 360° Outdoor Set Construction". Google Maps. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  33. ^ "PLANNING STATEMENT TO SUPPORT APPLICATION FOR PLANNING PERMISSION (INCLUDING DESIGN & ACCESS STATEMENT)". Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  34. ^ Filming Has Started At The Wicked Movie Set 🎞📽🎥🛸😲✔. DJ AUDITS. April 21, 2023. Archived from the original on April 28, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via YouTube.
  35. ^ Gonzalez, Umberto (July 14, 2023). "Here Are All The Movies Affected by the SAG-AFTRA Strike From Deadpool 3 to Mission: Impossible 8 (Photos)". TheWrap. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  36. ^ Rahbar, Sabba (January 24, 2024). "Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater Hold Hands While Taking Their Love From Emerald City to New York City". E! Online. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  37. ^ Anderson, Jenna (January 27, 2024). "Wicked Movie Wraps Filming, Cynthia Erivo Shares Major Set Photo". Comicbook.com. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  38. ^ Tinoco, Armando (January 27, 2024). "'Wicked' Musical Adaptation Wraps Filming: Ariana Grande & Director Jon M. Chu Share Emotional Messages". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  39. ^ "Wicked The Movies: What we know so far". westendtheatre.com. March 15, 2023. Retrieved 2024-02-10.
  40. ^ Murphy, Chris (21 March 2024). "Inside 'Wicked': Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo Talk Glinda and Elphaba". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  41. ^ Schreur, Brandon (21 March 2024). "Wicked Director Talks Realistic Sets, Modeling Movie After Steven Spielberg's Hook". ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  42. ^ Willman, Chris (June 28, 2022). "'Wicked' Songwriter Stephen Schwartz on Why the Movie Must Be a Two-Parter: Nothing Can Follow 'Defying Gravity'". Variety. Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  43. ^ Jackson, Angelique (November 4, 2024). "Ariana Grande Is Credited in 'Wicked' as 'Ariana Grande-Butera' Because 'That Was My Name When I Went to See the Show' at 10 Years Old". Variety. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
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