"Wicked" Film Adaptation (2024/2025)

[BuffaloKyle]

Just saw today they have put the Wicked film adaptation back on the release calendar for Christmas Day 2024 AND 2025! 

In April 2022, it was announced the film would be released in two parts, on Christmas Day in 2024 and 2025. Director Jon M. Chu explained why, saying "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 ... As we tried to cut songs or trim characters, those decisions began to feel like fatal compromises to the source material that has entertained us all for so many years. We decided to give ourselves a bigger canvas and make not just one ‘Wicked’ movie but two! With more space, we can tell the story of ‘Wicked’ as it was meant to be told while bringing even more depth and surprise to the journeys for these beloved characters."

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are cast as Glinda and Elphaba respectively, with production set to begin in summer 2022 in the UK.

[RadioRob]

I can't wait.  Loved Wicked!

[jeezifonly]

I grew to love this show after enjoying the book. A single live performance is 2:50 with intermission. Wicked fans were able to stand outdoors for hours, rain or shine, to enter a raffle for front row seats. Multiple times. And now they can’t be relied upon, to sit for same running time. (less than 3hrs)

Indoors.

With snacks. 
Fukkem

 

[BuffaloKyle]

Jeff Goldblum is in line to play The Wizard possibly:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/jeff-goldblum-in-early-talks-to-play-wizard-in-universal-s-wicked-movie-musical/ar-AA13utMJ?OCID=ansmsnnews11

[BuffaloKyle]

Part 1 has been bumped up to a new release date of Nov. 27, 2024. I was scared when I saw there was a release date change. This has been pushed back so often was relieved to see it was a push forward.

[BuffaloKyle]

The full trailer:

 

[BuffaloKyle]

Universal has just released the trailer in a LEGO version. There will be LEGO toys released in stores so this is a funny way to market it. I wonder how many people are going to be showing up in theaters expecting to see this version though. 😅

 

[BuffaloKyle]

Did you see it yet @RadioRob or anyone else?

[jeezifonly]

The stage show figured into my work history, with mostly fond memories of the show and its people. Worthy material to adapt. I will see it in the cinema. 

The film just needed a Broadway intermission, like all big movie musicals had in the 50’s 60’s. 
20 minutes, not 12 months. 

It’s about doubling merch and ticket sales - Part I will also get a full theatrical re-release (new extras!!!) simultaneously next year. $$$ $how biz.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

Saw an early screening of it.  It really surprised me how much I enjoyed it.

Aside from Michelle Yeoh, I thought everyone was strong...  Even Ariana Grande.  While she clearly did almost all of her singing in-studio versus Erivo opting to sing live as she was in a scene, she did a serviceable Kristin Chenoweth impression.  

Goldblum as the Wizard was the real wild card and he was great.  

Not sure what this success means for the 'movie musical,' but I hold out hope that audience attention spans can do a little more of this and a little less of Michael Bay and Marvel films.

 

[dutchal]

On 11/24/2024 at 1:04 AM, BenjaminNicholas said:

, she did a serviceable Kristin Chenoweth impression.  

 

😂

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

PS:  Just was listening through the film soundtrack on Apple Music.

WHEW.  Hearing it in a movie theater covers up a lot of the awful voice technique that Ariana Grande is using.  Her minimal belt and her soprano on the higher (into whistle register) is entirely too breathy to a point where you can hear her bad/wrong breathing.  It's annoying considering the amount of legitimately amazing voices that have sung 'Glinda' over the years.

Cynthia OTOH, no notes.  She killed it.  Just a fucking beast performance.

Edited November 25, 2024 by BenjaminNicholas

[ShortCutie7]

7 hours ago, BenjaminNicholas said:

PS:  Just was listening through the film soundtrack on Apple Music.

WHEW.  Hearing it in a movie theater covers up a lot of the awful voice technique that Ariana Grande is using.  Her minimal belt and her soprano on the higher (into whistle register) is entirely too breathy to a point where you can hear her bad/wrong breathing.  It's annoying considering the amount of legitimately amazing voices that have sung 'Glinda' over the years.

Cynthia OTOH, no notes.  She killed it.  Just a fucking beast performance.

Grande’s breathiness is basically my ONLY criticism of the movie.  To my ears, it came across as an aesthetic choice to sound more “pop” since I think she’s generally a phenomenal vocalist and capable of producing a more organically legit sound.

[jeezifonly]

On 11/25/2024 at 1:16 PM, BenjaminNicholas said:

PS:  Just was listening through the film soundtrack on Apple Music.

WHEW.  Hearing it in a movie theater covers up a lot of the awful voice technique that Ariana Grande is using.  Her minimal belt and her soprano on the higher (into whistle register) is entirely too breathy to a point where you can hear her bad/wrong breathing.  It's annoying considering the amount of legitimately amazing voices that have sung 'Glinda' over the years.

Cynthia OTOH, no notes.  She killed it.  Just a fucking beast performance.

Technique.
Accept no substitute. 😍

[MaybeMaybeNot]

Saw the movie again today. I loved it. I don't recommend the 3D, which my entire family agreed was not done well. 

[BuffaloKyle]

32 minutes ago, MaybeMaybeNot said:

Saw the movie again today. I loved it. I don't recommend the 3D, which my entire family agreed was not done well. 

3D, especially with the upcharge, was a total bust of an idea. It's just not enjoyable to watch a movie with glasses on. They tried it for TV channels as well which didn't take off either. Remember ESPN 3D?

ESPN 3D - Wikipedia

EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG

 

[MaybeMaybeNot]

On 11/28/2024 at 11:24 PM, BuffaloKyle said:

3D, especially with the upcharge, was a total bust of an idea. It's just not enjoyable to watch a movie with glasses on. They tried it for TV channels as well which didn't take off either. Remember ESPN 3D?

ESPN 3D - Wikipedia

EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG

 

I accidentally got tickets for a 3D showing. In most cases, I am not a fan of 3D. The issue here was the quality of the 3D, not the fact that it was 3D. 

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

49 minutes ago, MaybeMaybeNot said:

I accidentally got tickets for a 3D showing. In most cases, I am not a fan of 3D. The issue here was the quality of the 3D, not the fact that it was 3D. 

When I hear about 3D, I can't not think of one of my favorite scenes from The Muppets Take Manhattan...

Popcorn Poppin in yer face in 3D on Make a GIF

MAKEAGIF.COM

---

_premium

 

Edited November 30, 2024 by BenjaminNicholas

[ShortCutie7]

On 11/27/2024 at 8:10 PM, jeezifonly said:

Technique.
Accept no substitute. 😍

Came across this video of her isolated

vocals… very interesting that from 1:20 to the end, her voice sounds fuller and more supported.   I’m not 100% knowledgeable about the workings of the female voice, but she is likely navigating a passagio until that point when it starts to sit purely in her head register.

 

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

Megan Hilty was an incredible Glinda in the LA, tour and Broadway companies, as she would opt-up nightly and could do this E6 easily- live- 8x a week.

This is being a broadway performer.  She's now kicking ass in Death Becomes Her.

 

 

Edited December 1, 2024 by BenjaminNicholas

[+ ApexNomad]

5 minutes ago, BenjaminNicholas said:

Megan Hilty was an incredible Glinda in the LA, tour and Broadway companies, as she would opt-up nightly and could do this easily, live, 8x a week.

This is being a broadway performer.  She's now kicking ass in Death Becomes Her.

 

 

Megan is such a talent. She was an amazing Glinda! I enjoyed her in 9 to 5, and I’m looking forward to seeing her in Death Becomes Her.

 

[+ ApexNomad]

I saw Wicked today and thoroughly enjoyed it. I was quite impressed and consider it one of the best stage-to-screen transfers. My only quibble was the extensive dialogue breaks during the Defying Gravity number—they really disrupt the momentum of that song!

[+ poolboy48220]

I read a review in yesterday's paper with the headline "Jonathan Bailey confirms Fiero is pansexual".  No mention of that at all in the article 

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

7 hours ago, poolboy48220 said:

I read a review in yesterday's paper with the headline "Jonathan Bailey confirms Fiero is pansexual".  No mention of that at all in the article 

That was his choice, clearly.

In the book, that wasn't the case. 

More to that, Fiyero was originally written for the musical as very dark, somewhat dangerous, which is exactly why they cast a non-pretty boy in the original role (Norbert Leo Butz).  

Over the years, the role has homogenized to square jaw, pretty teeth, nice ass, pop voice.

Edited December 2, 2024 by BenjaminNicholas

[+ ApexNomad]

I thought Gregory Maguire’s book was brilliant in its depth and complexity. The way he reimagined Oz, weaving in themes of politics, morality, and identity, was nothing short of genius. That said, I think Winnie Holzman did an incredible job adapting the story for the stage. She took a very dense, philosophical novel and distilled it into something emotionally resonant and universally relatable, without losing the heart of the original.

The musical shifts focus to the friendship between Elphaba and Glinda, which gives the story so much humanity. It’s funny, heartfelt, and still layered, but in a way that connects with audiences on a more personal level. Holzman found this perfect balance between humor and poignancy, and she created characters you can’t help but root for—even when they’re flawed.

Some people criticize how much the musical simplifies things, but I think that was necessary to make it work as a theatrical piece. The political and philosophical undertones are still there, but they’re framed through themes like self-acceptance, defying stereotypes, and friendship. It’s a different kind of brilliance, and I think it complements Maguire’s vision beautifully.