Thank Goodness: A “Wicked” Movie Musical Is Finally In the Works
Lions and tigers and bears oh my! A Wicked movie adaptation is being brought to the big screen and we fellow Ozian’s could not be any happier! On November 4th, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande announced on their Instagram feeds that they were cast in the lead roles. Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, will be played by Erivo, and Grande will play Galinda, the Good Witch. The hit Broadway musical came out in 2003, and rumors of a film adaptation started circling in 2004 with directors like J.J. Abrams and Ryan Murphy attached to direct the film. Numerous production studios and directors were in and out of the discussion for involvement in the film until finally in February, Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu was selected to direct the movie musical.
According to an article by Parade, when asked about the film adaptation, Chu stated, ““Of course, we’re going to have Oz, and you’re going to be in this crazy world, and you’re going to revisit this innocent place and you’re going to see that it’s not as innocent as it had been in the past. But you’re also going to see that the relationship between [Elphaba and Glinda] is more real than ever, that we’re going to be that close to them. We’re going to root for them to try to get into that school or when one crosses the other. You’re going to hate the other one at some point. You’re going to want them to make up at another point, and you’re going to feel when they separate. That’s the most important thing. The spectacle? That’s the easy part, we can hire a lot of people to do that. It’s those little moments… that’s what’s going to make that.”
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are no strangers to musical theater, the land of Oz, or the Broadway musical, making them the perfect choices for our leading ladies! On August 29th, Erivo performed a beautiful rendition of “I Couldn’t Be Happier” for the PBS special “Wicked In Concert” hosted by none other than Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, the original Elphaba and Galinda. Back in 2018, Ariana Grande performed a stunning cover of “The Wizard And I” for NBC’s “A Very Wicked Halloween” which premiered on October 30th, 2018 celebrating the 15 year anniversary of the musical, and was again hosted by both Chenoweth and Menzel.
I have been a fan of everything Oz-related since I can remember, and my heart melted when I heard the news that the film adaptation of Wicked was finally in the works. This will not only be a treat for all Oz fans, but it will be huge for anyone who loves musicals, and epic stories about friendship, love, and the ultimate battle between good vs. evil. Choosing Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Galinda is one of the best decisions so far from our Wicked director Jon M. Chu. Once the trailer and the rest of the details of the film are released, I am sure more people will be fueled with excitement and hope that the final outcome will simply, defy gravity!