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Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Update on 'Wicked' the Movie

Wicked is most definitely on it's way to the big screen. After so very long, (and not a few fan petitions), a movie version of Wicked is finally happening and building momentum. Although we expected to hear more on the casting front at this point in time, it's clear there has still been steady work on this since the official announcement in July this year, so we should expect to hear some more interesting news from this neck of the production woods very soon...

Here's what we know so far:

  • The movie is being handled by Universal and Stephen Daldry is directing. (Daldry is currently well into season two on the much anticipated Netflix series The Crown, though the first season has yet to air).
  • Wicked (the movie) has been officially scheduled for release on December 20, 2019.
  • That's the same release date as a yet-to-be-revealed Disney live action fairy tale movie.
  • Marc Platt is producing (he's also producing the Broadway version of the show, as well as a number of Disney movies, including the just announced live action remake of Snow White).
  • Winnie Holzman, who wrote the original adaptation of Gregory Maguire's novel for Broadway, is handling the screenplay, and will also be working with the musical's original composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz.
  • There will be four new songs in the movie, in addition to the Broadway favorites, such as Defying Gravity.
  • No casting has yet been announced or hinted at.

From the Newsweek exclusive, this past weekend:
Daldry says he is scheduled to film the movie in 2018 but there has been no talk as yet about who will play the film’s leads, the unlikely friends Glinda the Good Witch and Elphaba. “We haven’t done casting yet... but it’ll be great,” the director promises.
What do you think? Are you excited for Wicked the movie? Or will you wait to see the casting before deciding?
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3 comments:

  1. Adam HoffmanNovember 2, 2016 at 8:22 AM

    I can't say I'm excited about this because I read the book and didn't care for it much. However, I had just finished reading all 14 Oz books by L. Frank Baum, so I was kind of still high on the whimsy of the originals and hadn't expected to be taken headfirst into the politics of Oz. But hey, I'm glad for all the Wicked fans out there.

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    1. Gypsy ThorntonNovember 2, 2016 at 2:42 PM

      The book, although not exactly irrelevant, isn't what's being made into a movie here - it's directly a stage-to-screen of the wildly popular Broadway adaptation of Wicked. Many people who were kind of 'meh' about the book, adore the stage version, and that's where the money is. I thought the book was OK but it didn't rock my world or change my perspective. What I know of the musical, however, is all signs point to loving it, when/if I do ever get to see it. I'm glad they're making this a movie. We need more decent musicals on screen again to inspire the next generation of writers, actors and artists of all kinds in this media/visual age.

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    2. Adam HoffmanNovember 2, 2016 at 6:49 PM

      Ah. I don't really know much about the musical. But then, if you don't live in or within easy driving distance of New York City, it's easy to not know anything about Broadway musicals. Like that Hamilton thing that everyone was going on about. I was scratching my head for weeks over what people were talking about with that one.

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