The Wizard of Oz is a story that many know well, despite the source material being over 100 years old. The mystical tale has persisted throughout the 20th and 21st century, through numerous adaptations. One of the most notable adaptations is Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel Wicked, which tells the origin story of the Wicked Witch of the West. In 2003, the book was adapted into a Broadway musical, becoming one of the longest running and most critically acclaimed musicals on Broadway. Now, the long-awaited movie version of the fan-favorite musical has finally arrived.
Wicked is split into two parts, the next of which will release on November 21st, 2025. Part One sits at a lengthy two hour and forty minute runtime, which many initially had doubts about. Most fans were skeptical, seeing as the original musical is only two hours and thirty minutes excluding a fifteen-minute intermission. However, upon seeing the movie, many agreed that splitting the story in half is absolutely justified, though the first half could have been shorter. The film is relatively well-paced, and the longer runtime allowed the scenes much more time to breathe, as well as giving more development to both major and minor characters.
The two lead roles are perfectly cast, with international stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, more commonly known as the Wicked Witch of the West, and Ariana Grande as Glinda shining in their respective roles. Erivo brought a new spark to Elphaba, with phenomenal singing, although it did feel a bit artificial on occasion. Perfectly portraying the Good Witch, Grande was absolutely brilliant as Glinda. Any doubts about the casting of the main characters were silenced within the first few scenes, and they couldn’t have cast the characters better. The pair’s chemistry was wonderful as well.
Casting for the side characters was also excellent, with standouts including Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz, and Bowen Yang as Pfannee. Bailey owns his lengthy musical number, though he does look a little old to be playing the part of an 18-to-22 year old college student. Goldblum is funny as always, and Yang, though a minor character, steals every scene he’s in due to his impeccable comedic timing.
If you are not a fan of musicals, you likely will not enjoy the movie as songs are frequently scattered throughout the film, just like a Broadway musical. However, if you’re not fully against musicals, it may be comforting to know that the production team did a great job at bringing the already excellent songs from stage to screen and giving them new life. The orchestration is very faithful to the original, and what changes they did make are additive. Some singing moments lacked the gusto present in the live performance, but the strange sound mixing in the songs that was present in promotional material didn’t seem to make it into the movie and Wicked is better for it.
The cinematography, set design, and costume design are all top-notch. Each different setting—Shiz University, where Elphaba and Glinda go to school together; Munchkinland, a quaint village surrounded by flower fields; and Emerald City, the glamorous residence of the Wizard of Oz—has a whimsical and wonderful feel to it and it’s evident that a lot of love was put into crafting the world of Oz and its inhabitants.
Director Jon M. Chu has previously adapted the musical In The Heights into movie form to great success, so it should come at no surprise that his golden touch has done Wicked justice. Though the movie is not perfect, it’s a stunning success and it’ll be hard to wait for Part Two.
