Friday, November 22, the movie adaptation of the Broadway classic “Wicked” came out in theaters, receiving tremendous praise from audiences and critics of the film. Creators utilized special effects, vibrant colors and elegant costuming to create a lively world and immerse their audience in the story.
“Wicked” serves as a prequel to the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, detailing the story of the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch prior to the iconic story of Dorothy. The story of “Wicked” initially emerged from the 1995 book of the same title written by Gregory Maguire. The tale follows the university lives of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch, and Glinda the Good Witch as the pair forge a friendship, navigate relationships and seek change.
The filming of the movie adaptation began in December 2022 and wrapped in January 2024, a dragged-out result of the Hollywood SAG-AFTRA strikes. In total, the film cost a whopping 150 million dollars to create, excluding the cost of marketing. Following opening weekend, the motion picture has already earned 114 million dollars at the domestic box office and 164.2 million dollars worldwide.
The movie features pop music star Ariana Grande as Glinda, actress Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Broadway star Ethan Slater as Boq, and actors Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard, as well as numerous talented supporting actors and actresses. Additionally, the film contains a cameo from Kristen Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, the original actresses for Glinda and Elphaba on Broadway.
“I loved seeing ‘Wicked’ so much! It was an amazing movie with a spectacular cast and breathtaking visuals. My favorite character was definitely Glinda, and my favorite actress was Ariana Grande. I think she did such an amazing job with that role and played it perfectly. The way she handled certain scenes was so funny and made me enjoy the movie so much more. She also had perfect comedic timing with certain things,” senior Ray McIntosh said.
According to Rotten Tomatoes, the film scored an astounding 90% from critics and 97% from audiences, a testament to the motion picture’s ability to hold the attention and adoration of audiences worldwide. While a significant amount of musicals receive backlash or distaste for their movie adaptations, public opinion toward “Wicked” appears mainly positive and criticism-free.
Although the film generally stays true to the musical, several key differences deserve to be mentioned. Examples of these changes include the addition of a scene showing the meeting between Elphaba and her eventual love interest Fiyero, an emotional scene between Glinda and Elphaba in the Ozdust Ballroom and changes within the song “One Short Day.”
“I felt the producers and directors of the movie did a wonderful job keeping the integrity of the musical. No lyrics were changed, and the story stayed true and accurate. I know there are a few new songs coming in part two, but for act one, the feel was rooted in telling a story that everyone knows and loves, not an attempt to make it seem new and flashy,” magnet junior Savannah Rader said.
The film featured numerous extravagant musical numbers, with notable ones including “Defying Gravity,” “Popular” and “Dancing Through Life.” The film managed to maintain the original vibrancy and story while adding its own unique twist to freshen up the beloved classic.
Additionally, the creators have decided to split the musical into two separate films, act one and act two respectively in order to adapt the musical while preserving the original story. The upcoming installment, slated to arrive in theaters November 21, 2025, leaves audiences eager with anticipation.
“Some differences I noticed between the stage musical and the movie were the details of certain scenes. Obviously there were uses of CGI that can’t be done on stage, but one major difference that I saw was the ‘No One Mourns the Wicked’ number. I don’t think they had the wooden witch onstage when I saw it, so I was surprised when it showed up in the movie. I love the fact that the movie is split into two parts. It gives the viewer time to appreciate the visuals and the effects, the background. It doesn’t feel like it cut the musical short either or included any plot holes since it included all the first-act musical numbers. It provides all the lore necessary and keeps all of the plot which is so perfect. I can’t wait for act two,” magnet junior Mary Washburn said.
The Chant’s score: A
