Emerald City, Meet the Silver Screen: "Wicked" Film Poised for 2021 Premiere

Elphaba, the "Wicked Witch of the West," belts out the iconic ballad, "Defying Gravity," at the conclusion of Act I.

What is this feeling? It must be excitement, because “Wicked” is officially coming to movie theaters! After fifteen years on the Broadway stage, the iconic musical is finally being made into a film, which is set for release in 2021.

Stephen Schwartz, the composer and lyricist for the hit Broadway musical, has been working on creating a movie version of “Wicked” since 2012. Along with Winnie Holzman, the author of the musical’s accompanying book, and director Stephen Daldry, Schwartz is currently developing a final script for the film, which will mirror the plot of the show.

“We're making really good progress,” Schwartz told a The Hollywood Reporter representative in 2018. “I'm going to be seeing Winnie [Holzman], and we're working on the most recent draft.”

The unfinished screenplay and other production constraints have already pushed back the initial release date, moving the premiere from December 20, 2019 to December 21, 2021. Although development is still underway, Schwartz assured The Hollywood Reporter that the film will be created once the script is finalized.

“I will tell you 100-percent that there will be a movie of Wicked and it won't be that far away, but it won't be next year, because we're still writing. Pre-production hasn't even begun, but that could start in the not-too-distant future,” Schwartz said.

As both a die-hard musical theater fan and a fellow “Ozzian,” I am both excited and skeptical about the creation of a “Wicked” film. The true genius of the show lies in the sheer magic of seeing it in person, as the special effects and booming orchestra envelop the audience and transport them into the land of Oz. On the big screen, that live-action intensity can easily get suffocated by CGI and camera angles.

Also, the characters’ iconic voices stem from years of Broadway training. In most musical theater-to-movie creations, Broadway actors and actresses are replaced with film stars, whose auto-tuned sounds vastly minimize the magnitude of the original roles (Russell Crowe in “Les Misérables,” anyone?). Although the cast has not been announced at this point, my hope is that some Broadway stars will find their way onto the roster.

Yet, in spite of my skepticism, I am thrilled that “Wicked” is finally making its way onto the silver screen. The show’s Grammy Award, three Tony Awards, and ever-growing fan base speak volumes about its success, and I, for one, plan to be first in line at the premiere.

(LU)