Translating a theater musical into a movie is not always an easy task. Special effects, timing, and other factors are limited by the real-time aspect of theater, while film can use editing and reshoots to construct the movie just the way the director wants it. Both have their perks, but the differences in mediums can lead to a musical’s movie adaptation varying from the original, as seen in the case of Wicked.
Wicked has long been overdue for a movie musical, as the show has been running on Broadway for more than two decades now. The musical has enchanted audiences with its new retelling of The Wizard of Oz and its themes of acceptance. Director Jon M. Chu and stars Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, and Jeff Goldblum have put a lot of passion into making the movie as exciting for fans as possible, but the movie isn’t an exact replica of the stage musical either.
- Release Date
- November 22, 2024
- Cast
- Cynthia Erivo , Ariana Grande , Michelle Yeoh , Jeff Goldblum , Jonathan Bailey , Ethan Slater , Marissa Bode , Bowen Yang , Bronwyn James , Keala Settle , Peter Dinklage , Aaron Teoh , Grecia De la Paz , Colin Michael Carmichael , Adam James , Andy Nyman , Courtney Mae-Briggs , Sharon D. Clarke , Jenna Boyd
- Runtime
- 160 Minutes
The Wicked Movie Only Tells Half the Story
Although the “Part I” only appears in the film’s opening titles, Wicked covers only part of the famous Broadway show. The cast and crew have been vocal about the musical’s two parts. However, the film’s marketing has not been as upfront about it, even including multiple shots of Dorothy and her friends, who don’t prominently appear until the second part of the stage musical.
In a statement posted to the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Director Jon M. Chu explained that “it became increasingly clear that it would be impossible to wrestle the story of Wicked into a single film without doing some real damage to it.”
In fact, with the first movie’s runtime lasting longer than the stage musical (minus the 15-minute intermission), Wicked includes many more moments of characterization for the already-dramatic story. “With more space, we can tell the story of Wicked as it was meant to be told while bringing even more depth and surprise to the journeys of these beloved characters,” Jon M. Chu wrote in his statement.
The first part of Wicked goes up to where the stage musical takes an intermission, ending with the iconic song “Defying Gravity.” It depicts how Elphaba came to be known as the Wicked Witch of the West, setting up for her side of the events that take place in The Wizard of Oz. The story will pick up again in the second part, which is supposed to release on November 21, 2025.
Wicked’s Movie Spends More Time in Oz
The beauty of the Wicked movie taking more than two hours for the first part alone is that the audience gets to spend more time with the characters and the Land of Oz. Viewers are introduced to new interactions and never-before-seen characters throughout the film’s runtime. Humor also plays a larger role, with characters like Bowen Yang’s Pfannee getting to make quips when there normally wouldn’t have been enough time in the stage musical.
Many of the changes are minor and will hardly be noticed by casual viewers as they don’t impact the story. Glinda’s parents are seen dropping her off at Shiz University at the start for a few seconds, even though they’re not in the musical. A new professor is also added to the university, named Miss Coddle, and played by Keala Settle (The Greatest Showman). Miss Coddle only appears in scenes that were already in the musical, but her presence as an administrator also heightens the tension in those scenes.
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The movie also allows for more detailed talking animals. Prince Fiyero has a talking horse, and young Elphaba has a bear nurse who cares for her. During the song “Something Bad,” Dr. Dillamond, who’s voiced by Peter Dinklage, sings to a group of worried animals rather than just Elphaba like he does in the musical.
A few special objects make appearances in the film as well. In one scene, Elphaba and Glinda help the Wizard determine a color for his new brick road, and they decide to make it yellow. In another scene, Elphaba and Glinda crash a hot air balloon, just like the one the Wizard took to get to Oz. Neither of these scenes happen in the musical, and they’re fun references to The Wizard of Oz.
Wicked Takes a Slightly Different Tune
The Wicked film follows the same soundtrack as the first half of the musical, beginning with “No One Mourns the Wicked” and ending with “Defying Gravity.” However, some of the songs in between are slightly changed from the original.
The biggest change for most of the songs is the length. With the movie only being one part of the musical, there’s more time for the songs, and the movie slows a few down at parts, breaking them up with dialogue as well. “Dancing Through Life” is the instance where this is most noticeable, with the song going from five minutes in the musical to 10 minutes. This happens in a few other songs, like “Defying Gravity,” which lasts a minute longer than in the musical.
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The song “One Short Day” has the most alterations. Just like “Dancing Through Life,” it’s twice the length of its musical counterpart because the Wizmania portion of the song is extended. The additional parts give more background information about the Wizard of Oz and allow for a mini-musical within the scene. Fans of the stage musical should also be pleased by this part, as the original Elphaba and Glinda actors, Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, make cameos here as Wizmania singers.
Most of the changes to Wicked don’t affect the musical overall. The songs are still some of the best parts of the story, and many of the changes actually allow for the audience to spend more time in the Land of Oz. Hopefully, fans will be able to enjoy noticing all the differences from the stage musical as they watch the movie. Wicked is now in theaters.