The untold story of the Witches of Oz. A film by Jon M. Chu, starring Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Peter Dinklage, Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Andy Nyman, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum.
WICKED
Jon M. Chu
(2024)
The citizens of Oz are jubilantly celebrating the death of the Wicked Witch of the West. Rumors spread that a young girl had vanquished her by throwing a bucket of water, causing the witch to melt and vanish.
Glinda the Good (Ariana Grande-Butera) arrives in Munchkinland in her floating bubble carriage, confirming to the people that the Wicked Witch is indeed dead.
Glinda then reveals the backstory of the Wicked Witch. She was born with green skin because her mother, Mrs. Tropp (Courtney Mae-Briggs), had an affair while her husband, Governor Tropp (Andy Nyman) of Munchkinland, was away.
When the green baby began exhibiting supernatural powers, Governor Tropp was shocked and horrified. He immediately ordered Dulcibear (Sharon D. Clarke) to take the baby out of his sight. The child, named Elphaba, was subsequently raised by Dulcibear. As young Elphaba (Karis Musongole) grew older, her inexplicable supernatural powers continued to develop uncontrollably.
As Glinda is about to depart, a young girl asks whether the rumor is true that she was friends with the Wicked Witch. Glinda appears momentarily frustrated before reluctantly admitting that the Wicked Witch was indeed her friend. The citizens gasp in shock, which prompts Glinda to explain that the Witch she once knew had not always been wicked. She then begins to reminisce about their past, starting with the first time their paths crossed at Shiz University.
Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) accompanies her father to see off her paraplegic sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) at Shiz University, where she encounters Galinda Upland, who has also just arrived with her wealthy parents.
Elphaba’s father forces her to help Nessarose settle into her dormitory room before she can return home. During this process, Elphaba accidentally unleashes her magical powers in front of everyone.
Despite not being enrolled as a student, Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) is impressed by Elphaba’s gift and decides to take her under her tutelage, ignoring Galinda’s plea to be her apprentice. Madame Morrible also mandates that Galinda share her suite room with Elphaba. Madame Morrible promises to write to the Wonderful Wizard of Oz about Elphaba and gives her hope that one day the Wizard will grant her the wish she desires most.
Galinda becomes jealous of Elphaba, as it has been her lifelong dream to become a sorcerer and study under Madame Morrible. Elphaba sees Galinda as a spoiled and selfish young woman from a rich family, while Galinda views Elphaba as a different and awkward outsider due to her green skin and unconventional demeanor. Although they share a room, the two develop hostile feelings towards each other and become rivals.
Elphaba eavesdrops on Dr. Dillamond (Peter Dinklage), a talking goat and Shiz University professor, during a secret meeting at his house with his fellow talking animal friends. There, she learns that something sinister is happening in Oz: several talking animals have mysteriously disappeared, and some have even lost their ability to speak.
During the semester, the rebellious Prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) is sent from Winkie to study at Shiz University, where he had previously encountered Elphaba in the woods when she was walking back from Dr. Dillamond’s house. Galinda uses her charms to capture Fiyero’s attention, and they eventually start dating, becoming the university’s most celebrated couple. Meanwhile, Elphaba finds herself attracted to Fiyero, despite initially irritating him and viewing him as a man with a shallow mind.
Fiyero arranges a night of clubbing at the Ozdust Ballroom. A Munchkin named Boq (Ethan Slater), who has a crush on Galinda, attempts to ask her to go to the club with him. Instead, Galinda convincingly tricks Boq into asking out Nessa, asserting that it would make Nessa and herself happy, when in fact she simply wants to go to the club with Fiyero. When Elphaba learns that Galinda convinced Boq to ask Nessa out, unaware of Galinda’s ulterior motives, she returns the favor by requesting Madame Morrible to take Galinda into her sorcery seminar, threatening to quit if Madame Morrible does not accept.
Upon realizing that Elphaba forced Madame Morrible to take her as an apprentice, Galinda feels guilty for her previous mistreatment of Elphaba and ultimately dances with her at the Ozdust Ballroom. Later, Galinda befriends Elphaba and gives her a makeover, promising to help her become popular like herself.
The next day, Dr. Dillamond announces his retirement, claiming that animals are now forbidden to teach humans. Suddenly, authorities break into the classroom and apprehend him. Professor Nikidik (Colin Michael Carmichael) takes over the class and demonstrates a cage designed to imprison a lion cub. Infuriated by the injustice to the animals, Elphaba unleashes her magical powers, causing everyone to fall asleep except Fiyero. Together, Fiyero and Elphaba flee the campus and release the cub back into the forest. Though Elphaba falls in love with Fiyero, she believes he would prefer the beautiful Galinda over her.
Directed by American filmmaker Jon M. Chu, WICKED is a musical film adaptation based on the renowned stage play of the same name. The screenplay, written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, is loosely based from Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, which itself was inspired by L. Frank Baum’s classic 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
WICKED the musical was developed by composer Stephen Schwartz and book writer Winnie Holzman. Schwartz discovered the novel in 1995 and, after securing rights from Universal Pictures, began workshops that included actress Stephanie J. Block as Elphaba before Menzel was cast. The show premiered on Broadway in October 2003 after a successful tryout in San Francisco.
The original cast of Wicked featured Idina Menzel as Elphaba and Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda, along with Norbert Leo Butz as Fiyero and Joel Grey as the Wizard.
The musical achieved remarkable success, with the production winning three Tony Awards and seven Drama Desk Awards. Idina Menzel received a Tony Award for her portrayal of Elphaba, while Kristin Chenoweth was nominated for her role as Glinda.
WICKED the musical have been seen by over 65 million people in more than 130 cities across 16 countries. It ranks as Broadway’s second highest-grossing musical, grossing over $3.2 billion worldwide since its debut in 2003. The show has also broken box-office records in major cities like London and Los Angeles, and it is among the longest-running productions in West End history, with over 6,500 performances at the Apollo Victoria Theatre.
I love the narrative being told from the side of a well-known story, even though it is narrated by Glinda Upland. Despite her façade of goodness, she’s basically a queen bee from Mean Girls – a spoiled child who has grown into a shallow and selfish young woman, who surprisingly does not possess any magical powers.
While the cast delivers outstanding performances, particularly Cynthia Erivo’s portrayal of Elphaba, the film is accompanied by dazzling, vivid cinematography and memorable dance routines — exactly what I would expect from director Jon M. Chu.
However, the narrative feels rushed in several key scenes, such as the moment when Elphaba learns that Galinda convinces Boq to take Nessarose to the club, which abruptly shifts Elphaba’s attitude toward Galinda. Additionally, some CGI animal scenes feel unnecessarily long.
The set productions are incredibly beautiful, with the design of Shiz University being particularly remarkable. The university was actually constructed inside a gigantic tank to accommodate the gondola-like boats that students used to travel to the campus. Equally impressive are the Emerald City and the Emerald City Express, which feature a unique design utilizing a mechanical clockwork engine — both elements are exceptionally fantastic.
The film is magical for almost its entire runtime, but I found myself occasionally distracted and slightly bored during a few lengthy scenes. I caught myself checking the clock, eagerly anticipating the climactic duet “Defying Gravity” featuring Elphaba and Glinda.
The cameos of Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, the original Broadway cast, are a pleasant surprise. However, Jeff Goldblum as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz will undoubtedly be remembered as a legendary show-stealer! I hope to see him with even more screen time in Part 2.
The WICKED film is split into two parts, with Part 1 running 160 minutes long and Part 2 scheduled for theatrical release in 2025. The filmmaker is determined to explore and expand upon the original musical stage play, which runs 2 hours and 45 minutes (including a 15-minute intermission). While seemingly aiming to be more faithful to the original novel, I still feel that some subplots are missing from Part 1, despite its lengthy runtime.
WICKED premiered at the State Theatre in Sydney on 3 November 2024. The film was theatrically released in the United States on 22 November.
