Here’s Why It Took So Long to Make the ‘Wicked’ Movie

The Big Picture

• Wicked
  was originally intended to be a live-action film before becoming a Broadway musical.
• The film adaptation of
  Wicked
  faced numerous delays due to factors such as the production of Cats and the COVID-19 pandemic.
• After 14 years,
  Wicked
  will finally be released as a two-part film, with Jon M. Chu as the director.

Sunday, February 11, 2024, was a big night not just because of the Super Bowl but because of the surprise trailer that aired during a break – the trailer for the long-awaited Wicked: Part One. Based on the massively successful Broadway musical of the same name, Wicked tells the story of the witches of Oz long before Dorothy comes to Oz. Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo in the film adaptation) is a girl born green and treated differently because of it. During her time at Shiz University, she is forced to room with a girl named Galinda, later Glinda (Ariana Grande). The two become best friends until Oz proclaims Elphaba the Wicked Witch of the West. The original production of the musical celebrated its 20th Broadway anniversary in October 2023 and has spawned multiple stagings around the globe. Its success on Broadway was followed by five other productions in the U.S. running alongside the New York company.

With the show as popular (a pun for Wicked fans), why did it take so long to bring it to the big screen? The answer is about as complex as the witchy backstory Wicked tells. From an adaptation that nearly proceeded the Broadway run to postponement thanks to a clan of singing cats, to the COVID-19 pandemic Wicked‘s journey to the big screen was as turbulent as a farmhouse in a twister.

‘Wicked’ was Almost a Movie Instead of a Musical

Based on the best-selling novel by Gregory Maguire, the first attempt to bring Wicked to the big screen proceeded the musical adaptation. According to a story covered by SFGATE, Universal Studios had purchased the rights to Maguire’s novel in hopes of turning it into a live-action film. Producer Marc Platt was already well into developing the project when he received an “impassioned plea” via a call from composer Stephen Schwartz.

Schwartz, known for his hit musical Godspell and his work with Disney, had been told about Wicked by a friend while he was on a trip to Hawaii. He told SFGATE, “It was like a little bell went off in my head.” Upon learning Universal was already developing an adaptation, Schwartz begged Platt to consider turning the project into a stage musical. “I knew I had to do it. And I knew it had to be a musical,” Schwartz said, per SFGATE. Platt agreed with Schwartz and moved ahead with the stage project as a joint production with producer David Stone and Universal. Wicked made its world premiere in 2003 with a preview run in San Francisco before moving to Broadway and becoming a cultural phenomenon. While Wicked was a hit on stage, it would not be the last time a film adaptation of the story would find itself melting… melting!

Many Tried to Make ‘Wicked’ into a Movie

Wicked was a smash hit on Broadway from early in its run. It became a star vehicle for original witches Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth. Before even launching its U.S. touring company, rumors and speculation – “innuendo, outuendo” – began circling about a movie version as early as 2004. However, serious development started in 2010, when Deadline reported that Wicked‘s playwright, Winnie Holzman, and composer, Schwartz, had begun meeting with directors that Universal was considering. JJ Abrams, Ryan Murphy, and Rob Marshall were among those considered, according to Deadline. Talks became quiet for a few years until BroadwayWorld reported that Stephen Daldry was a new contender to be Wicked‘s “man behind the curtain.” In 2016, Collider confirmed that Daldry had been selected as director and that Platt was aiming for a holiday release. Development continued in 2017, as Variety reported that Schwartz was working on two new songs and that Daldry was waiting for a script from him and Holzman. He also hinted that fans should expect a few changes from the source material. The Wicked movie seemed to finally be underway. However, a group of musical felines took the place of Oz’s witches.

Per Variety, Wicked had been slated for December 20, 2019. But in August 2018, Deadline reported that Wicked had been put on hold with Universal giving its release date to the infamous adaptation of Cats, itself a musical movie that took decades to bring to the screen. While Cats creator, Andrew Lloyd Webber, coped with the disaster that was the film adaptation of his famous musical, Wicked was given yet another new release timeline for 2021. But then came a more unpleasant surprise than a field of poppies. The COVID-19 pandemic hit, and, like many other films, production on Wicked ceased. Deadline reported that Wicked would no longer be released in 2021 and, for the first time, the film had no release date or progress of which to speak. Making the film’s future even more bleak was Daldry’s departure from the project.

After 14 Years, ‘Wicked’ Will Reach Screens

Development finally started back up when Deadline again reported on the film in 2021 with the announcement that Jon M. Chu had been brought on as director. Shortly after, it was announced that Erivo and Grande would don the iconic witch hat and bubble respectively. The film would face one more trial due to the SAG-AFTRA strike of 2023, though Chu assured audiences that it would not affect the film’s release date. Production wrapped on the now two-part adaptation in January 2024.

Wicked‘s journey to the big screen was a long one. From its initial inception to director changes to a delay caused by Cats, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic and a strike, audiences must have visited The Wizard of Oz himself to ask for patience. But, finally, on Super Bowl Sunday of 2024, the first trailer was released along with the promise that the witches of Oz will finally fly onto the big screen the following Thanksgiving. And, this time, nothing’s gonna bring them down!

Until it premiers in theaters on November 27, watch the Wicked: Part One below and learn everything we know about the film here.