‘Wicked’: the next big musical to be adapted
“Wicked” is set to start shooting sometime next year and is creating buzz among new and old fans. Here is what we know so far about the book-turned-broadway movie musical “Wicked.”
But first, some background: “Wicked” is the story before Dorthy invaded Oz. In other words, the movie takes place before the events in the classic “The Wizard of Oz.” It looks at the relationship between Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West. There are three books in the “Wicked” series, but the first one is what the musical is based on.
So why do we care about the film? The story is a classic amongst broadway fans and book fans, and it was recently announced that the great Ariana Grande would be playing the Good Witch Glinda. Grande’s not unfamiliar with acting, starring on Nickelodeon before her singing days. She is also supposedly a huge fan of “Wicked,” so hopefully, we can see that love in her version of Glinda.
To star next to Grande as Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West) is Tony, Emmy and Grammy-winning Broadway performer Cynthia Erivo. Erivo has had roles in “Harriet” (2019), “Genius: Aretha” (2017) and “The Color Purple” (2017).
So far, reports have shown that there won’t be any major changes to the adaptation, so if you’ve seen the musical, the upcoming movie is the same thing. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if some changes are made when “Wicked” is made into a film — changes to classics are notorious when it comes to adaptations. It will be directed by Jon M. Chu, who also directed “Crazy Rich Asians,” so there’s hope that “Wicked” may be a good movie to put on your list.
For now, that is all we know about the “Wicked” movie, but with time comes knowledge. And with two power leads and a good director, “Wicked” is on its way to becoming the next best thing.