Wicked, which premiered first in theaters November of 2024, is the first part of a two-part adaptation of the Wicked Broadway musical It was directed by Jon M. Chu. The plot is concerned with the childhood of the future Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, and her interactions with Glinda the Good Witch in the Land of Oz.
Synopsis
The events of the film unfold the life of Elphaba Thropp, a young woman whose green complexion causes her to be rejected by society. Afterward, she goes to Shiz University where she has a class with Galinda Upland, a self-absorbed and self-seeking girl. Despite their differences, sparked by first impressions, the women become friends. However, their friendship is strained when they meet the mysterious Wizard of Oz, as well as during the wars and political strifes of their world. Elphaba’s realization of the lies behind the Wizard’s image and her own growing abilities lead her on a course towards being known as the “Wicked Witch”, while Galinda is happy accepting the role of Glinda the Good.
Cast & Crew
Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp: Erivo’s Elphaba is a very fragile character but strong at the same time, who is judged by others for being so different.
Ariana Grande as Galinda Upland: In Grande’s hands, Galinda becomes a shallow socialite whose internal metamorphisis is stripped off easy – her development into a resourceful leader worth respect is tactfully displayed on the outside.
Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero: Fiyero cannot be adequately described without mentioning Elphaba and Galinda. Their indelible love triangle only complicates the prince’s character, as does Bailey’s portrayal of Fiyero.
Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible: The actress Yeoh offers the equal combination of power and threat when portraying the headmistress of Shiz School – Shiz is full of manipulations, and Omnia Mortis is a true macbeth of these operas.
Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard of Oz: Goldblum conveys the Wizard in a way that explores his charm and calculating machinations, which makes the character’s death that more poignant.
This time W Holzman collaborated with D Fox in screenwriting the film, noted for writing the original musical’s book. The audience is availed of Schwartz who was responsible for the score in the Broadway production, so beloved songs will be heard once more, along with others that have never been experienced before.
Production Details
The film’s co-producers Universal Pictures and Marc Platt, who were helpful in the stage show’s triumph announced the making of the film in the year 2012. There was a long period of development coupled with delays, caused in part by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was in 2021 that Jon M. Chu was announced as the film’s director. The filming started in England in December 2022, but further filming was suspended in response to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike and did not finish until January 2024.
Critical Reception Upon its launch on 22 November 2024, “Wicked” collected numerous streams on the internet. The faithful implementation of the ideas behind the source material and decent actors were their motivation. It is also instructive to note that this was the first musical film since Moulin Rouge! to receive this honor in 2001 in the National Board of Review history’s page.
Box Office Performance “Wicked,” had significant box office successes. It earned $114 million during its opening weekend in domestic theaters. This good performance shows the fact of the popularity of the “Wicked,” as a franchise and the ability to bring the charm of the musical to the images.
Sequel The narrative however, does not end here as it will continue with “Wicked Part Two,” which is due out on November 21, 2025. This second film will deal with the remaining part of the story, getting more into the fates of the characters and getting closer to the original “Wizard of Oz” plot.
In summary, “Wicked” does in a nutshell what its title, portrayal by Gemma Jones, Anya Taylor Joy, and their colleagues, in every aspect of the film captures the style and themes of the original musical, its songs and in general The Witch’s story is Anya’s The tale of how the scream finally became a “bitch” that vanishes within hollow eyes. Its success Indicates that the movie will be successful in garnering much attention for a sequel.
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