“Wicked” is dancing through the box office, grossing $118.2 million after five days of its release, closely approaching their budget of $150 million!
The movie is directed by Jon M. Chu, who previously directed “Crazy Rich Asians.” Chu’s movie is adapted from the Broadway musical “Wicked.” The musical follows the story of two young girls: Elphaba, a witch born with green skin, and the popular Glinda, a blonde girl with the hopes of becoming a witch.
The musical was based off of the movie “The Wizard of Oz,” the story of a young girl, Dorothy, who is spun into the magical land of Oz, and desperately tries to get back home. The musical uses this story and readapts it to be from the perspective of the Wicked Witch and Glinda.
The “Wicked” film has a runtime of about 2 hours and 40 minutes. The movie features many famous actors and actresses including Emmy and Tony winner Cynthia Erivo, Grammy winner Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Peter Dinkladge, and Broadway actor Ethan Slater.
Many viewers, including me, were interested in how Ariana Grande, who plays Glinda, would turn out in the movie. With great news, I can say that she defied everyone’s expectations!
It’s important to note that the “Wicked” film is split into two parts, with the next one coming out in November of 2025. This was done in order to prevent cutting songs and to allow the filmmakers to go into the full depth of the story.
Despite not watching the musical on Broadway, I was able to perfectly understand every nuance that director Chu placed into the film. I highly encourage everyone, whether you are a musical lover or hater, to give “Wicked” a chance!
From the beginning to the end, through heartbreaking dance scenes to an emotional goodbye, “Wicked” beautifully shows the story of friendship.
