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Like most longtime Broadway fans, I’ve waited for the release of the “Wicked” movie for the better part of a decade.
The film has changed directorial hands and endured countless stalls in production. With the exhaustive marketing blitz around the movie and the somewhat gutsy choice to split a musical into a two-part movie when some movie musicals go out of their way to hide they are musicals, I went into “Wicked” with nothing but the highest expectations.
I’ve been a fan of “Wicked” since I first saw the stage show when I was 10 years old. As a former theatre kid and forever musical theatre enjoyer, I consider “Wicked” somewhat of the gateway into that passion of mine. I’ve seen it live four times. Needless to say, I know the story and the music incredibly well, and the world the “Wicked” movie created expanded on what was and is still presented onstage.
Shockingly, my expectations were met and exceeded.
Director Jon M. Chu previously dabbled in musical adaptations with 2022’s “In The Heights,” which brought aesthetically pleasing choreography and colorful visuals to a Broadway mainstay. Through this same appreciation of colorful music numbers and a touch of opulence, “Wicked” jumps off the screen.
The story before the story of “The Wizard of Oz,” the first installment of “Wicked,” examines the early days of friendship at university between Elphaba, soon to be considered the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda the Good Witch, called “Galinda” in her school days.
It’s an early enemies-to-friends story, complete with magic powers, a visually delightful school and a classic love triangle. There’s deeper commentary present in “Wicked:” the active erasure of animals’ rights to speech — in the world of “Wicked,” animals serve in regular jobs, like professors — the eternal hate that Elphaba encounters for looking different and societal values around talent and beauty.
Broadway veteran Cynthia Erivo shines as Elphaba, effortlessly belting out “The Wizard and I” and “Defying Gravity.” Despite casting criticism, Ariana Grande shined in what she described as her “dream role” of Glinda, mastering the required ditzy blonde persona with a splash of humor and eventual heartfelt kindness and soul.
Heading the talented ensemble cast is Jonathan Bailey as heartthrob Prince Fiyero, who brings the expected and required swagger and charm to the role through acting and singing. Bailey, of “Bridgerton” fame, has indisputable chemistry with both Erivo and Grande and leaves a lot to look forward to in the second part of the movie.
The cast also includes Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard of Oz, Peter Dinklage as Dr. Dillamond and Ethan Slater as Boq Woodsman, all bringing talented touches to the side characters.
The film delights with bright, fun musical numbers and additions to the story through script extensions that flesh out the storyline. While the few areas where the plot deviates from the Broadway original feel slightly clunky — with extra text required to make up for why the change has occurred — it is also obvious that Chu is extending his world-building for the forthcoming second film.
It is hard to understand how the film clocks in at almost three hours long when it is just the first act of the stage show, ending with the iconic “Defying Gravity.” But the time flies, with nods to the stage show and cameos from the original cast as well.
Universal Pictures took a massive gamble when they bet a major holiday blockbuster on a musical, and Chu more than delivered in making the storyline and music accessible and welcoming to fans, both old and new.
“Wicked” has all of the makings of a long-term musical classic and is already establishing itself with strong box office numbers, totaling $359.2 million globally as of Dec. 1. The movie has also brought a large increase in Broadway ticket sales, with overall industry sales increasing 23%. The stage adaption of “Wicked” alone cashed in almost $3 million in the last week.
“Wicked” was a highly risky gamble, both in terms of casting, process and style, and Chu and Universal Pictures more than delivered with a strong leading and supporting cast, dazzling visuals and heartfelt devotion to the original source material. Part 2 of the film promises to keep enhancing the opulent world presented in the first film.
Reach Allie Seibel at entertainment@collegian.com or on Twitter @allie_seibel_.
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