When Universal Pictures break up its musical adaptation of “Wicked” into two movies, the transfer was derided by some critics as a cynical — if spectacularly profitable — cash seize.
But with “Wicked: For Good” out in theaters all over the world this week, its stars and filmmakers say the choice has freed them as much as broaden the “Wizard of Oz” prequel far past the Broadway musical on which it’s based mostly.
The consequence contains an expanded new tackle some of the well-known moments in film historical past, with the arrival in Oz of a younger lady from Kansas known as Dorothy.
And the extra working time additionally permits for 2 model new songs — one in every of which, “The Girl in the Bubble,” sees Ariana Grande’s well-liked, pink-clad heroine Glinda confront her unlikely darkish previous.
“It happens in the wings of the Broadway show. You see the before and after moments,” Grande mentioned at a latest press convention.
But within the second movie, we see “beneath the bubbly, shiny, perfect exterior” and “spend some more time with that darkness,” she added.
“Wicked: For Good” picks up a number of years after the primary “Wicked,” with Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba now residing as a insurgent in exile, unfairly smeared by all as an evil witch.
Glinda in the meantime has develop into the poster lady of the Wizard’s regime — a place that brings her privilege and recognition, but additionally awakens guilt and disgrace, stemming from her childhood.
“She’s gotten everything she’s always dreamt of, and yet has never been more alone,” defined Grande.
The pop singer already acquired a greatest supporting actress Oscar nomination for the primary “Wicked.” Universal is predicted to pour assets into seeing she wins the statuette this time round, and she or he is already the bookmakers’ favourite.
Erivo can also be a powerful greatest actress hopeful, in response to awards prediction web site Gold Derby, and has a brand new music, “There’s No Place Like Home.”
Beyond making house for brand new Oscars-eligible unique songs, the two-movie construction allowed the filmmakers to discover the overlap between the tales of “Wicked” and “The Wizard of Oz.”
“Wicked: For Good” takes place largely concurrently with the occasions of the basic 1939 film, and L. Frank Baum’s novel, as Dorothy and her little canine Toto are swept away by a twister from Kansas to Oz.
In the Broadway musical, Dorothy is just seen as soon as as a fleeting silhouette.
The movie reveals her a number of occasions, from skipping down the yellow brick highway to being kidnapped by flying monkeys.
Her face is rarely clearly proven, to emphasise that Dorothy is merely a helpful however clueless pawn within the political machinations of Oz.
“We had more time” to discover the intersection of the 2 tales “in the second film, which, for a lot of audiences, is a lot of fun,” mentioned producer Marc Platt. “When the girl from Kansas finally arrives, how do the two stories collide?”
With the primary movie having grossed over $750 million worldwide, Universal is clearly betting that many, many followers will set off to see the wizard yet another time.
© 2025 AFP