The magical and wonderful worlds of the Wizard of Oz have seen a few adaptations over almost a century of L. Frank Baum’s famous book. Without a doubt, the 1939 version of ‘The Wizard of Oz’, starring Judy Garland, is the most popular, but since then, there have been so many different film and television versions of the classic fairy tale. The story has even had more than a few stage adaptations, such as ‘The Wiz’ (1974). Despite this and other projects that adapted the story on stage, there is a more modern example that was a hit after its premiere. We talk about ‘Wicked’.
Released in 2003, ‘Wicked’ is based on the novel by Gregory Maguire titled ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West’. The musical was an absolute phenomenon on stage, being a refreshing and unique take on an established concept: instead of focusing on the girl from Kansas who enters the magical world of Oz, this new story explores the origins of the Wicked Witch of the West, talking about how she became the iconic villain and how she connects to the rest of the characters we all know. The show won three Tony Awards, and since its Broadway premiere, fans have patiently waited for a film version of the famous play.
Fortunately, the wait will soon be over (and it has been a long time coming), as the film is finally underway, with a director experienced in Broadway adaptations (Jon M. Chu was in charge of ‘In a New York City neighborhood’) and a star-studded cast of some of the biggest names in acting. Although it is still more than a year away from its theatrical release, ‘Wicked’ has already become one of the most anticipated films of 2024, with years of attempts to adapt the version finally seeming to have an arrival date. To find out everything we know so far about this return to the wonderful land of Oz, let’s review what we know about it.
Wicked release date
The release date for ‘Wicked’ is already set: ‘Wicked’ premieres on November 22, 2024.
Wicked Cast
Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth first played the roles of Elphaba (the good witch) and Glinda (the good witch) on Broadway, and now Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande will take over these roles. Menzel and Chenoweth, at one point, expressed interest in reprising their roles for the film version. However, as both actresses are over fifty and the characters are assumed to be of younger ages, the producers recast the roles (though the original actresses may return in cameo form).
In addition, the cast also includes names such as Michelle Yeoh, who plays the role of Madame Morrible, the director of Shiz University and one of the main antagonists of the film.
There is also Jeff Goldblum, who will play the namesake of this magical land, The Wizard of Oz.
Jonathan Bailey, star of ‘The Bridgertons,’ one of the best Netflix series, completes the cast in the role of Prince Fiyero. Keala Settle, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Colin Michael Carmichael, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Nessarose, and Aaron Teoh are also attached to the project.
Wicked trailer
There was a lot of desire to see the first images and previews of the project, beyond the mythical poster with the two witches. That day has arrived: the director shared on social networks two first photographs of the two actresses dressed as their characters. They are not very precise, since both can be seen in the distance. However, he gives us an idea of the characterization and artistic direction of the project. “They didn’t tell you the whole story. What happens when you turn off the yellow brick road?” is what Jon M. Chu writes alongside the images.
And this is the first trailer for the adaptation of the Broadway musical to the big screen:
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