On November 22nd, the movie adaptation to the Broadway musical “Wicked” was released in theaters. The movie covers the backstory of the “Wizard of Oz” characters and stars Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater and so many more well known people. It is directed by Jon M. Chu.
Breaking box office records and being one of the longest-running contemporary musicals, “Wicked” has become one of the most impactful musicals of all time. Its movie adaptation has brought together so many original fans allowing them to relive the story in a new light. “Wicked was the first Broadway musical I saw. I’m so excited to watch the new movie and see how they bring the show to life,” says senior Scarlett Allen.
The movie begins with citizens of the Land of Oz celebrating the death of the Wicked Witch of the West. Glinda the Good Witch appears and begins to tell the Wicked Witch’s backstory. A girl then asks Glinda if it is true that she was really the Witch’s friend, and Glinda begins to reminisce on their past. From then on begins a story of an unexpected friendship.
Both the movie and musical are based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel and follow the friendship of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande). The film adaptation of this musical is split into two parts. Part one of the movie, now in theaters, follows all of Act 1 of the musical. Part two will come out in November of 2025 and cover all of Act 2. Luckily for all original “Wicked” fans, the first film stays true to Act 1 of the musical. Every song was included into the movie and the tracks are a perfect replica of the original Broadway recordings.
However, dedicated fans will notice some differences here and there. The film is quite long compared to the Broadway version of Act 1. This allowed for many moments of the musical to be slowed down in the film, which added more detail to it and made it not feel rushed. In the beginning of the film, we get a closer look at Elphaba and her younger sister, Nessarose’s (Marissa Bode) life which isn’t in the original musical. While in the musical, there is only a brief discussion on the sisters’ relationship, the slowed down aspect of the movie allows for a more in depth understanding of it. Additionally, in the musical, Elphaba was enrolled as a student at Shiz University so that she could watch over her sister but in the film, she is not. Some of the songs were also longer than the Broadway version as well which was done to explore the characters more deeply and with more nuance. Regardless of the small changes added to the film, the movie has been a complete success ranking in the top 100 of all-time-biggest box-office openings.
Along with an enticing story line, the movie has great marketing to attract more viewers. Stores everywhere are selling “Wicked” merchandise from hoodies and sweatpants to pink and green baking mixes. The casting adds more popularity to the film as well by starring very well known celebrities such as Ariana Grande, who already have a fanbase of their own. However, even without all these marketing tactics, nobody can doubt that the musical would be just as successful on the big screen as it is on Broadway. Senior Harper Williams says, “I have always been a fan of the musical, and I thought that they did a really good job with the film. It definitely lived up to the hype that it has received the past month. I am excited to see what comes next.”
Most of the film and musicals success comes from the character arcs and strong messages in the story line. Throughout the movie we see Elphaba go through hardships for having green skin. From this, she gains a passion to meet the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) since he is the only person who can change her green skin. When Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), the headmistress of Shiz University, offers to give her private lessons in sorcery, Elphaba becomes more confident that she will meet him. During her time at Shiz, she also notices her goat history teacher Doctor Dillamond (Peter Dinklage), face discrimination for being a talking animal. As she sees him go through the same struggles of being an outcast that she does, Elphaba gains a determination for change.
Additionally, the complexity of each character is what makes the film engaging to fans. They see Elphaba go from someone who stays in the shadows and keeps to herself to someone who stands up for what is right no matter what. We also see a big change in Glinda’s character as well when she goes from a bratty popular girl to a more empathetic friend to Elphaba. While Elphaba’s dream was to meet the Wizard, Glinda’s was to become a sorcerer and when Elphaba gets a chance to team up with the Wizard, Glinda is full support and decides to join Elphaba in her journey. While past Glinda would have been jealous, we see her character grow to become more encouraging and supporting to those who get what she wants. Even at the end of the film, when Elphaba realizes the Wizard isn’t as great as she had thought, Glinda continues to be in full support of Elphaba’s act of rebellion regardless of her own hesitation towards it. The on-screen connection of the two characters was portrayed perfectly in comparison to the Broadway version which was a big factor in the movie’s success to fans.
Even those who aren’t original fans of the Broadway musical will enjoy this film. It is emotional, funny, action-packed, and empowering creating a lasting impact on viewers. Many fans are posting videos showing their reaction to the movie, and each share the emotion and awe that was created after watching. “Wicked Part 1” is the perfect gateway to part 2 and many are excited to see how this story’s end will be portrayed.
