Stephan Schwartz’s Broadway hit, “Wicked” (2003), is no stranger to adaptations. With its success and legacy on Broadway, it is only fitting for the show to have a big theatrical release with “Wicked” (2024), directed by Jon M. Chu. The A-list cast, $150 million budget and extensive range of promotional material was expected. But all those attributes also added to my worries that it was simply profiting off of the popularity of the beloved musical. I only realized how wrong I was when I saw the film after its Nov. 22 release.
The iconic theatrical tale follows the origin story of the Wicked Witch of the West and her unlikely friendship with Glinda the Good Witch. Before Dorothy, the Wicked Witch was Elphaba Thropp, a young girl born with an unusual green complexion. Growing up, everyone, even her own family, ostracized and mistreated her. Upon attending Shiz University, she discovers her untapped but powerful magical potential and meets the perfectly popular and shallow, Good Witch, known then as Galinda Upland. The two eventually form a deep bond, which is tested when Oz’s corruption comes to light.
While I was initially skeptical of a two-part series, the choice to split the two acts into separate films ultimately allowed for the complexity and drama of the story to shine through. Chu’s “Wicked” did not make any significant additions or removals to the story, yet it beautifully followed and expanded Act I into two and a half hours — the runtime of the Broadway musical.
Glinda’s (Ariana Grande) over-the-top antics were hilarious and entertaining to witness. Elphaba’s (Cynthia Erivo) guardedness and her determination to save the animals is balanced with the messy love triangle the two witches find themselves in with Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey), the rebellious prince who transfers to Shiz. Even the witches’ entry into the Emerald City was a grandiose number featuring cameos of past “Wicked”-affiliated stage actors, writers and composers. There was time to breathe between the drama and comedy; Every scene and transition felt right and well-paced.
The heart of it all was the cast’s captivating portrayals. Grande’s beginnings as an actress shone through as she played up Glinda’s dramatic but somewhat endearing personality with more of a snarky edge. Bailey embodied Fiyero’s irresistible charm while showing the seeds of his caring heart underneath an unbothered attitude. Erivo brought to life Elphaba’s persistent courage against her bullies and later against the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum).
What held me back from fully immersing myself in the world of Oz was its toned-down, more neutral color grading. Ironically, Chu said in an interview with Variety that these choices were meant to make the world of “Wicked” feel more like a “real place” and not “a dream in someone’s mind,” so that its relationships and issues would hit harder. Instead, I kept wondering why scenes felt washed out in a fantasy land with sorcery and an emerald-green city.
But even with most scenes looking more pastel and dull, it didn’t take away from the brilliance of each number. The music of “Wicked” has some of the most iconic showtunes in musical theater, and “Wicked” (2024) nailed every single one of them in choreography and direction.
The Wicked Witch has a legacy beyond the 2003 musical – from the novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” (1995), the 1939 film and then the book series, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” (1900). After 125 years of flying monkeys, ruby slippers and yellow brick roads, the world of Oz still holds up for audiences. Chu’s “Wicked” has already received multiple accolades and nominations — namely Cinematic and Box Office Achievement at the Golden Globes earlier this month. The film’s success thus far makes me hopeful for its conclusion, “Wicked: For Good,” set to release on Nov. 21, 2025.
