Starting off as a revisionist Wizard of Oz retelling by Gregory Maguire in 1995, then a Broadway musical in 2003, Wicked, the origin story of the Wicked Witch of the West, has finally arrived on the big screen. Having been discussed and in development as far back as 2004, the film adaptation has faced many hurdles to see release. From the flop that was Cats (2019), to the COVID-19 pandemic, and various subsequent schedule rearrangements, it would make sense that people would not expect the film to take place for quite a while. However, with the announcements of pop star Ariana Grande (Victorious, Sam and Cat, Scream Queens) playing Glinda, and Cynthia Erivo (The Colour Purple revival on Broadway, Widows, Harriet) as Elphaba the Wicked Witch, this was bound to draw in some excitement and anticipation. A feeling heightened by the marketing, including an absolutely stunning trailer showcasing the Emerald City and Shiz University.
Following the death of the Wicked Witch, Glinda the Good tells the residents of Munchkinland the story of how she came to be, prompted by a girl asking if she was friends with the Witch. Before she became the enemy of the land of Oz, she was Elphaba Thropp, born with green skin as a result of an affair her mother had with a travelling salesman, and a green potion. Facing stares and ostracism all her life due to her appearance, she arrives at Shiz University years later with her wheelchair-using sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode). And this is where she meets Glinda (or as she was initially known, Galinda Upland), a vain, popular, privileged girl who clashes with the outsider Elphaba, particularly after they are assigned a room together, courtesy of sorcery dean Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh).
What follows can be summed up as Broadway on the big screen – catchy musical numbers, synchronised dance sequences (particularly during ‘What is the Feeling?’), and expansive set pieces that bring the land of Oz to life, creating an Edwardian inspired world (a nod to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’s publication date of 1900) through the costumes, the Thropp family home, the university and steampunk technology. Grande shines in every scene with her character’s song and shows off her full vocal range, a pleasant surprise to those who only know her as a pop and R&B singer, and there are many charming nods and references to the wider Land of Oz mythos, drawing from the books, the 1939 Wizard of Oz film and the Broadway musical.
Erivo also gets the opportunity to show her singing as well, especially during Defying Gravity, while bringing Elphaba’s struggles to the forefront through her interactions with the other characters, most notably her governor (step)father, sister and Jeff Goldblum’s Wizard. Her casting, combined with the character’s outsider status, her desire to fight for the rights of talking Animals and interactions with the Wizard and Morrible, makes the message of finding a community and fighting injustice even more meaningful, drawing parallels with the oppression of marginalised social groups and the media’s influence on people and their mindsets. (The microbraids that Elphaba wears, combined with the style of her nails, were Erivo’s idea as a nod to Black women’s fashion and to emphasise the analogy and parallels between the community and her character.)
With many unanswered questions and mysteries following the end of the film (Who is Elphaba’s biological father? What will happen to Glinda?), I eagerly anticipate the release of Part 2 in 2025. Hopefully, the filmmakers have made a good decision in splitting this film adaptation in two movies.
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