“Wicked: Part One” is an upcoming two-part musical directed by Jon M. Chu (“In the Heights,” “Crazy Rich Asians”) from a screenplay by Winnie Holzman and Stephen Schwartz. The budget for this one, according to IMDb Pro, is said to be around $150 million.
A new trailer has been released, and I don’t think I’m the target audience for this. To my eyes, at least, it plays like bad camp with terrible CGI. Even worse, they’ve decided to split this movie into two parts. They’re also hiding the fact that it’s a trailer, instead opting to include an over-orchestrated score. It also looks like an incredibly green-screened movie.
This is an adaptation of Holzman and Schwartz's ultra popular Broadway musical of the same name, which used characters from “The Wizard of Oz.” The film version stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, with Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh in supporting roles.
Here’s the synopsis:
Set in the Land of Oz before and continuing after Dorothy Gale's arrival from Kansas, “Wicked” revolves around Elphaba Thropp, a green-skinned woman, and explores the path that leads her to become the Wicked Witch of the West, all while forming an unlikely friendship and later rivalry with Glinda Upland, who would go on to become Glinda the Good.
The film has been in development since 2012. There have been multiple delays on it. Stephen Daldry (The Hours) was originally supposed to direct “Wicked,” but left the project due to “scheduling conflicts.” Chu entered the fray in February of 2021.
After multiple COVID-related delays. Principal photography on “Wicked” began in December 2022 but was paused the following summer until November 2023 due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Filming eventually resumed and concluded in January 2024.
“Wicked: Part One” is scheduled for release on November 22, 2024, while “Wicked: Part Two” will be released on November 26, 2025.