“Goodness knows, the wicked die alone.”
– Glinda
For those who wondered what happened in Oz before Dorothy dropped in, “Wicked,” the Broadway sensation, has been giving us the answers in a spectacular fashion since its debut. With its clever twist on the classic tale of the Wizard of Oz, “Wicked” tells the story of two unlikely friends, Elphaba and Glinda, who grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and the Good Witch of the North. The musical has not only captivated audiences with its stunning performances and catchy tunes, but has also sparked conversations about friendship, acceptance, and the true nature of evil. It’s a cultural touchstone that’s been seen by millions, won countless awards, and has now caught the eye of Hollywood. As “Wicked” prepares to leap from the stage to the silver screen, we’re about to witness how this beloved musical transforms into a movie. “Wicked” first defied gravity on Broadway back on October 30, 2003. The original cast was a lineup of stars with Idina Menzel casting spells as Elphaba and Kristin Chenoweth sparkling as Glinda. This dynamic duo, alongside a stellar ensemble, brought Oz to life in a way no one had seen before. The show snagged three Tony Awards and has been a Broadway favorite ever since. It’s the backstory of the witches we thought we knew, told with heart and humor.
Universal Pictures had us all on the edge of our seats when they announced they were working on it way back in 2012. But then, it was like waiting for a witch to fly in–delay after delay, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic throwing a wrench in the works. We were all left hanging, wondering if it was ever going to happen. But then, like a burst of magic, late 2021 brought us the electrifying news: Ariana Grande would be our bubbly Glinda, and Cynthia Erivo would take on the fierce Elphaba.
Talk about perfect casting! It’s like the stars aligned in Oz, and now we’re all eagerly waiting for this duo to take us over the rainbow. When the director, Jon Chu, took to his Instagram, he opened up about the journey of bringing “Wicked” to life on the big screen. He shared that the more they delved into the rich narrative of this beloved musical, the clearer it became that one film simply wouldn’t do justice to the depth and detail of the story. Chu said, “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.”
It was a moment of truth for the production – a realization that to honor the source material, they needed not one, but two canvases to paint this bewitching tale. So, fans were gifted with not just one release date but two: “Wicked Part 1” will be gracing our screens on November 27, 2024, and “Wicked Part 2” will follow, continuing the journey on November 26, 2025. It’s a promise of a fully realized story, giving us all twists, turns, and heart of the original, without leaving a single note unsung. The anticipation for how Chu will weave this narrative across two films is as electric as a lightning bolt from the Great Wizard himself. The whispers among the “Wicked” fandom have been swirling like a tornado in Oz ever since Kristin Chenoweth, our forever Glinda, hinted at her return from the UK with that cryptic Instagram post. The intrigue soared to new heights when Ariana Grande, the new star wielding Glinda’s wand in the upcoming films, left that sly smiley and bubble emoji beneath Chenoweth’s post. It’s like a secret handshake, or an inside joke. Every time Grande speaks of her role, she pops in that bubble emoji, and fans are convinced it’s her subtle way of confirming Chenoweth will make a cameo. The narrative of Idina Menzel is a tale yet untold in the annals of the “Wicked” film adaptation. While the air buzzes with the energy of Kristin Chenoweth’s hinted involvement, Menzel’s potential cameo remains a whisper of ‘what if.’ Once, she dreamt aloud of painting her skin emerald for the silver screen, a wish cast before Cynthia Erivo was revealed as our new Elphaba. Now, in the present… There’s no trail of breadcrumbs here, no emojis or sly nods, just the quiet anticipation of fans who hold hope in their hearts for a surprise that would weave the original Broadway magic into the fabric of the new film. It would be a cameo to cherish, a nod to the origins of a musical phenomenon.
So, as the curtain rises on this cinematic journey, we eagerly await to see if Menzel and Chenoweth will indeed meet us in the Emerald City, completing the circle of a story that began on the stage and now takes flight on the wings of film.
