Musical theater fans, how're you feeling? The 2024 movie adaptation of the popular Broadway musical Wicked is now showing in theaters and stars none other than popstar Ariana Grande as Glinda the Good Witch and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. Before I go on about what I think of the movie as a fan of the musical, let's go through a quick rundown first.
What is Wicked?
It's a Broadway musical based on a novel that's based on another novel that inspired a film. Complicated? It's really not. The musical is loosely based on Gregory Maguire's book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which was inspired by L. Frank Baum's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz a.k.a. the basis of the 1939 film starring Judy Garland.
It covers the backstory of the Wicked Witch of the West before she became wicked and Glinda the Good before she was known as...good. The first Broadway cast starred Idina Menzel as Elphaba and Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda. It won multiple Tony Awards during its first season in 2003 and is currently the fourth longest-running show on Broadway.
While movie adaptations have been notoriously hit or miss regardless of the original material's genre, adaptations from popular musical theater shows are one of the most contentious. It comes down to the differences that the movie showrunners make when adapting the material from stage to film. It's to be expected, especially with such beloved shows like Wicked.
So, coming from a fan of the musical (I saw the 2014 Manila run and it became a core memory FR), I was both excited and teeny tiny bit worried about how Elphaba and Glinda's story will unfold on screen. Read on to discover what I loved about the movie adaptation and a few things I wish they could've done better.
What I Loved About The Wicked 2024 Movie Adaptation
1. The casting was on point.
The squeal I squealed upon discovering the confirmed cast may have deafened everyone, I cannot lie. We all know that Ariana has been manifesting for this role since forever—and started prepping for the role during her Sweetener tour, which was way before the movie was officially confirmed. And so it was a happy surprise when she booked her dream role. But the other cast members are just as impressive, too. Cynthia Erivo,, who won a Tony Award for her role in The Color Purple, had already proven that she had the pipes to carry Elphaba's impressive notes. Trust us: she delivers.
And ofc, we cannot say enough good things about Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero Tigelaar, the playboy prince with the swagger and charisma that has all the ladies (and gents) in Oz swooning. Jonathan isn't a newbie to such character roles, he plays Anthony Bridgerton in Netflix's biggest historical romance series after all, but we finally get to see more of his theater background through Wicked. Not to spoil you or anything, but we were super kilig by his character and acting!
The rest of the cast is no joke, either. Jeff Goldblum's natural eccentricity made his interpretation of The "Wonderful" Wizard of Oz more believable. Meanwhile, Michelle Yeoh's elegance and natural authority as a veteran actress made her Madame Morrible both charismatic and (slightly) terrifying. You can truly understand how Elphaba, someone who has been discriminated against her whole life, would cling to the validation offered by her mentor. And we loved seeing the authentic and informed portrayal of disabilities in the film through the casting of Marissa Bode as Nessarose, Elphaba's wheelchair-bound sister. Marissa is the first actor cast in the role to authentically use a wheelchair.
2. The singing and new musical arrangements were fresh to the ears but still stayed true to the original musical.
How can a musical movie appear fresh and appeal to a new audience? For Wicked, it's by tweaking a few notes here and there to suit the new actors' capabilities while still paying homage to the original work. We're treated to more modern and pop-like runs, but not so much that it'll alienate the existing fanbase.
Did we also mention that these are the actors' live vocals? Yes, Cynthia and Ariana, as musical kids at heart, chose to showcase their singing prowess and forwent pre-recording the songs. Jonathan, who also has theater roots, followed suit along with the rest of the cast. This choice to use live singing gave the movie adaptation the edge and sprinkle of magic that movie musical adaptations often miss out on.
3. The costumes were both familiar and fresh.
Glinda's beautiful ballgowns were always going to be showstoppers, and the costume design in the movie didn't disappoint. Led by Tony Award-winning costume designer Paul Tazewell, known for his work on Hamilton, the reimagined outfits for Elphaba and Glinda captured the fresh vision of the adaptation while honoring the essence of the original musical.
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For example, Glinda's iconic bubble dress. It was the first look at Ariana's character coming to deliver the happy news of the Wicked Witch's demise. She was supposed to represent hope for all Ozians (citizens of Oz). The bubblegum pink color was a nod to the 1939 film, while the flouncy silhouette was more inspired by the Broadway show's interpretation. Still, the delicate fabric and meticulous embroidery made it look modern and high-fashion.
In contrast, Elphaba's black ensembles could've looked more practical and utilitarian a.k.a. boring, which would've been in character. But for the movie, her outfits were more multidimensional. In the movie's close-up shots, you can clearly see the fine pleating and structured shoulder pads that gave her a sophisticated look but still differentiated her character from her peers. Every detail put into the costumes showed how they were carefully thought out and breathed new life into these beloved characters.
4. The set design was giving fairytale with a twist.
Did you know that director Jon M. Chu chose to limit the use of CGI and went for fully constructed sets instead? Yes, they recreated Oz from the ground up (for the most part)! It added some realism to this fantasy land, while still leaving a lot of fairytale-like aspects to keep you suspended in disbelief.
The Shiz University library was my favorite set in the film so far. If you haven't seen snippets of Jonathan's rendition of "Dancing Through Life" (which is a revelation and is one of my fave versions to date) on social media, the TL;DR of it is that they constructed rotating library shelves that mimic a clock's gears. It became the launching pad of impressive parkour dancing that captured the song's message.
In contrast, you get a sense of inauthenticity from the Emerald City. Notoriously covered in verdant green hues, I didn't bite into the supposed grandeur of Oz's capital city like Elphaba and Glinda did. If this was intentional, then it could be taken as a hint into Oz's dark underbelly as a spectacularly constructed stage for the Wizard's machinations.
5. There were a lot of Easter eggs hidden within the film. (Spoiler alert!)
Can you imagine placing an Easter egg within the movie's first 15 seconds? We see Dorothy and friends traversing the Yellow Brick Road to go back to the Emerald City, a nod to the film's original material. Another big and obvious Easter egg? We're treated to cameos from Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth. As a fan of the musical, it was a full-circle moment.
What I Wished They Changed About Wicked The Movie
1. The lighting in some scenes was questionable.
This may be the creative in me speaking, but I can't help but wish they improved the lighting in some scenes. At times, especially the night scenes in forest settings, the scenes were so dimly lit that you couldn't quite appreciate the setting. There were also indoor scenes when the backlighting was so harsh that you could barely see what was going on for a few scenes.
2. The ending!
ICYDK yet, the movie ends on a cliffhanger where the show's intermission usually happens. And while I didn't quite expect the movie to run for more than the usual hour-and-a-half, you can't help but wish for Part 2 to come sooner rather than later. As of now, reports say that Wicked Part 2 will be released sometime in 2025. We cannot wait—so please, Jon Chu, work most expeditiously to make it happen!
