Finally! 'Wicked' to Get a Movie Makeover
Filed under: Music & Musicals, Deals, Fandom, DIY/Filmmaking
It wasn't too long ago that I was talking about how Jersey Boys should be adapted for the big screen. In that same post (and in another one as well), I said how Wicked was one of Broadway's best (if not the best) and yet it still hadn't gone the movie-musical route. Fans of the musical finally have a chance to rejoice, however, because Variety tells us that as part of producer Marc Platt's (Wanted) new, extended five-year contract with Universal, he'll be working on a movie version of Wicked, along with a sequel to Wanted and a remake of the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. Here's what Uni's production president Donna Langley had to say about Wicked: "Our goal now is absolutely to make the 'Wicked' film, but much like Judy Craymer wouldn't give up screen rights to 'Mamma Mia!' until the stage show had reached its pinnacle, Marc and Stephen Schwartz are very mindful of the right timing. But we're dying to do it." Wicked, for those not in the know, is based on the best-selling novel about the two witches in the Land of Oz -- Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, the Good Witch of the North -- and is set mostly before The Wizard of Oz, kinda like a prequel. It'd also be an interesting adaptation because there's that fantasy element that hasn't really been present in the last round of movie-musicals; thus, I'll be curious to see how they pull this one off.
What say you? Is it time for Wicked to hit the big screen? Down for Wanted 2? Itching for more Jesus Christ Superstar?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
7-15-2008 @ 5:52PM
Jonathan Kuhn said...
I'm not obsessed with "Wicked," though I did enjoy it. Yet this news just makes me worry it won't be good.
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7-15-2008 @ 6:13PM
Anna said...
AWESOME News!!! XD
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7-15-2008 @ 6:17PM
Claire said...
i hope it's good. stage to film transition is tricky it seems. but they do have five years to get it together. hopefully they can at least get a few original cast members to come back. that will help save them a little bit. theater fans are very harsh critics (at least the ones i know).
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7-15-2008 @ 6:42PM
GARY said...
I dont think we need another JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, i think if they want to make another musical they should make something new to film like "MISS SAIGON", "BLOOD BROTHERS", OR LES MISERABLES.
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8-31-2008 @ 2:07PM
Hallie said...
les Mis is already a movie!! oldschool, but still a movie!
7-15-2008 @ 8:11PM
Luke said...
I love "Wicked" the musical, but I honestly would prefer the movie to be adapted from the book, not the musical. The book is much more serious and extremely dark and interesting.
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7-24-2008 @ 9:32PM
chris said...
i think it should be a little of both like the songs and stuff but more set like the book
7-15-2008 @ 8:24PM
Gina said...
Not a huge fan of the show, but I wouldn't mind seeing a film version and seeing what they do with it. I'd like to see Idina Menzel and especially Kristin Chenoweth reprise their roles -- Kristin was the best thing about it, I thought. Knowing how these things tend to work, though, I'm not holding my breath.
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9-20-2008 @ 6:11PM
Stottie92 said...
Im a big fan...well as big as you can get without actually seeing the whole of the movie but i know all the songs and the plot. Anyway, I would love to see Cheno and Menzel back in it seeing as they did such a good job on Broaway!
7-15-2008 @ 10:36PM
Laura said...
"Wicked" is definitely not the best Broadway has to offer (try something Sondheim instead), but it was a smart move to wait so long after it's initial success to consider doing a film. The trick is going to be casting it.
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7-16-2008 @ 12:26AM
Lisa said...
I absolutly love Wicked. As much as I am excited and would love to see the movie version of it, I am also a bit worried and unsure. Broadway is a magical experience and once a muscial or play is made into a movie some of that magic is killed. Of course it is still great to go to the theatre to see a live show but it the performance will not be as great as it once was since you can just sit on the couch at home and pop it in the DVD player. As I see it, it is pointless going to see a show like Hairspray now that I have the movie. I just don't want that to happen with Wicked. If they are going to make the movie I think it would be great to incoperate more from the actual book yet keep some of its musical roots as well.
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7-16-2008 @ 2:39AM
Ryan said...
My wife and I are very excited about this. We saw Wicked in L.A. and absolutely loved it. We're both huge Idina Menzel fans and would love it if they got her for Elphaba, though.
If they do this right, it will be awesome. We can't wait.
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7-16-2008 @ 4:52AM
jake said...
If you all have not seen Wanted -- you really have to see it in movie theaters. It is one of the most satisfying movies all year. It's matrix style good and I don't think anyone has been able to match that. James McAvoy is an instant star.
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7-16-2008 @ 10:16AM
hollywoodnitemare said...
Oh Joy of Joys!
I'm so excited about Wicked. I really hope they get a good cast though if the OBC can't do it.
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7-19-2008 @ 2:05PM
kevin said...
wicked is such an immensely technical stage production that i'm worried it will be weird with CGI type special effects rather than stage effects. and i really really hope they choose a good cast of people from broadway and not random celebrities. this had better be damn good movie its going to be a movie at all.
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7-21-2008 @ 6:46PM
Meg said...
I'm surprised that they would be considering making "Wicked" the movie so soon. Look how long it took for "Phantom" to go to the big screen!
Although I would love for Idina and Kristen to be the leads, I just dont know if they can handle the closeups that come with movies and still look like college students. Maybe with the fantasy makeup Idina could pull it off.
If they do choose a different cast for the movie I truly hope that they do not give into some big name to pull in a crowd. It's Wicked after all! It will pull in a crowd without any known names, Broadway fans and lay persons alike! I also hope that they get people that can actually sing. Gerard Bulter did fine in "Phantom" for never singing before, but I was still disappointed that they did not choose a trained singer for the central character.
All in all they better not F*ck this up!
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7-31-2008 @ 6:56PM
nick said...
Well as a fan of the book I hope they adapt it as the source material.
Its a damn good book.
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8-02-2008 @ 12:18AM
jess said...
i'm excited about it as long as they make it with the obc and it has the same ending as the musical and not the book ending!
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8-16-2008 @ 10:28AM
Giac said...
I love the musical! The Maguire's novel was good, but It's too politic and less magical, less romantic respect the "Wizard of Oz" old movie.T
he original novel dosen't work well as a movie for a large audience. Better the musical, is more near to the Frank Baum fantasy world and to the Judy Garland popular movie, the songs are wonderful and all over the world there are young fans of the musical, is a good reason for the box office!
It could be very funny if They chose Idina and Kristine for play their role as adult and two new talented girls for the same roles in the college years. Also two Fyero (one teenager and one adult) and so on for Boq and Nessa. For The Wiz and the Morrible two big stars: Jim Carrey and Liza Minelli...why not?
I hope They chose a good director, expecially, not as for "The Phantom of The Opera" or "Rent" flop movies, please!
One very bizare and innovative: Baz Luhrmann could be the right one for give to the movie version a different but fantasy, dinamic vision of the musical, respect the stage version.
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8-24-2008 @ 1:11PM
Jorgandus said...
My hope is that the movie version is based off of the excellent book by Maguire rather than the middling broadway adaptation. If not, we'll be treated to an adaptation of an adaptation. In the best of cases, that is a recipe for trouble. And the Broadway version of Wicked is hardly the best of cases to begin with.
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