The musical Wicked, based on the 1995 book authored by Gregory McGuire, was brought to Broadway in 2003. It was a huge hit, and it was only a matter of time before someone decided to tackle it for a motion picture. after all, many Broadway shows like (The Phantom of the Opera in 2005) have been brought to the silver screen. This considered, Wicked got its chance in theaters with a release on November 22, 2024, through Universal Pictures.
Directed by Jon M. Chu (G.I. Joe: Retaliation 2013, Crazy Rich Asians 2018), Wicked tells the story of Glinda’s (Ariana Grande) and Elphaba’s (Cynthia Erivo) frenemy relationship when they meet at Shiz U by chance while Elphaba’s dropping off her younger sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode), unintentionally setting off events when Miss Coddle, the headmistress of Shiz University (Keala Settle), rubs her the wrong way when Coddle tries to take control of Nessa, who is disabled, and she stops her with her magic.
Along with Grande (Swindle 2013, Don’t Look Up 2021) and Erivo (Harriet 2019, Pinocchio 2022), Bode is in her feature debut, and Settle (Greatest Showman 2017, All My Life 2020), Karis Musongole in her feature debut as young Elphaba. Meanwhile, you also have Jonathan Bailey (Broadchurch series, Bridgerton series) as Fiyero Tigelaar, a prince from Winkie Country who meets Elphaba and Glinda at school, Peter Dinklage (Elf 2003, Game of Thrones series) as the voice of Dr. Dillamond, a talking Goat and history professor at Shiz University that befriends Elphaba, and Jeff Goldblum (Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1978, The Fly 1986) as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, among others.
First, it would be understandable if people had a hard time wrapping their minds around the alternate universe, especially if they had seen 2013’s Oz the Great and Powerful, which also told a version of how the witches came to be from the one established in Wizard. L. Frank Baum never had a backstory for the witches. By the title and for those not in the know, it will be easy to take the movie as the Wicked Witch’s take, much like the book, Rhett, was Rhett Butler’s take on the goings-on in 1939’s Gone With the Wind until they watched the trailers.
Getting the look of Oz is a must. If they do not get the whimsical and fantastic down, no amount of plot could be sold. Oz is a character unto its own. The denizens bring it to life, but Oz is so well known that there are expectations to be met. With that nailed, we can talk about themes.
Wicked’s theme is the aforementioned frenemy relationship between Elphaba and Galinda. Racism, discrimination, dehumanization, equality, justice, and identity can be grouped stemming from Elphaba being different with her green skin as well as the talking animals getting their civil rights taken away with their voices being stifled while Nessarose gets treated more as a charge than a person who naturally deserves to be treated as everybody else.
Another theme that comes up is how power and propaganda can lead to privilege apathy and government corruption when Elphaba and Glinda get to the Wizard (Goldblum plays the politician brilliantly conniving) to find out things are not as they thought. Finally, popularity and belonging play a part in Glinda and Elphaba’s relationship in that Glinda’s perceived off-handed remarks to Elphaba really make her come off as a wench. Also, there is an issue with Glinda, Boq, the munchkin, and Nessarose (Bode’s criminally underused in Wicked) that does not paint Boq and Glinda in a good light.
Now, let’s talk about acting. Erivo’s Elphaba is definitely the moral compass, while Grande’s Glinda rides her good looks and perceived perfection, and while Erivo plays it straight, Grande’s nauseating in her high-pitched “I’m so cute” voice. Mentioned above is Jeff Goldblum’s faux-perfect yet conniving Wizard, which is Jeff Goldblum. Ethan Slater’s Boq is played as if he is good-hearted but shallow. The one to look forward to next year in Wicked: For Good is Marissa Bode’s Nessarose, who is trying to come into her own as a disabled person. From reading around, her story is going to be tragic, but it will be a treat to see her steal the thunder from others.
To date, Wicked has earned $534 million against an estimated $150 million. What’s more, award norms have come in, and of course, Wicked’s up for Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy, Best Actress for Erivo, and Best Supporting Actress for Grande. With all this in mind, Wicked: For Good is scheduled to drop on November 21, 2025. Until then, Cryptic Rock gives Wicked 4.5 stars out of 5.
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