Wicked (2024)

Dir: Jon M. Chu

Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum

The long running Broadway production finally makes its cinematic debut in fittingly wonderful fashion with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande providing plenty of on-screen magic

Almost a century ago, the world of cinema changed forever thanks to the pioneering use of Technicolor on the beloved fantasy adventure that was “The Wizard of Oz”, a ground-breaking achievement at the time which has seen the film become one of the most influential and pivotal motion pictures in cinematic history. Over the subsequent decades, there have been a number of attempts at enchanting audiences once again with a magical journey back to Oz, but ultimately these sequels, spin-offs and re-imaginings have failed in recapturing the magic that made Victor Fleming‘s original so iconic. These range from the surprisingly nightmarish “The Wiz” in 1978, to the more recent lacklustre origin tale of the titular wizard in Sam Raimi‘s “Oz: The Great and Powerful” in 2013.

The latest big screen adventure set within the Land of Oz is one that has been a long time coming. Since its novelisation in 1995, Gregory Maguire‘s “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of West”, has gone onto become a stratospheric hit as a stage musical following its adaptation in 2003. Twenty-one years since its debut, “Wicked” is now one of the longest running productions on Broadway, and after years of failed attempts of big and small screen adaptations, the cinematic release of “Wicked” is finally here.

Originally announced as one film, it was announced in 2022 that “Wicked” would be released in two parts, with the first part taking the story up to the interval of the stage production, which has led to some mild criticism regarding the movie’s duration. With a runtime of 160 minutes, the big screen adaptation clocks in only a few minutes short of the entirety of the stage production, and with a second part to come next year, there has been concern surrounding unnecessary filler to garner two films in a bid to increase profit. Having finally seen “Wicked” over the weekend, and having no prior knowledge of the narrative having never read the novel or seen the play, I can categorically assure those who are sceptical, that duration is more than justified. Despite being almost three hours long, the time I spent watch “Wicked” flew by, I was genuinely quite surprised as to ow long I had been sat in my seat when the end credits started to roll. Conversely, the other box-office juggernaut currently in cinemas, “Gladiator II”, proceeded to drag on and on, despite actually having a shorter runtime.

For those not familiar of the story of “Wicked”, it serves as a prequel to L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel “The Wizard of Oz”, and explores the origins of the “evil” Wicked Witch of the West, who was famously played Margaret Hamilton in the original film. We return to the Land of Oz as the citizens of Munchkinland celebrate the death of the Witch, having been meted by Dorothy Gale. Upon being questioned regarding her history with the Wicked Witch, Glinda the Good (Ariana Grande) proceeds to tell the Witch’s story. Years earlier, the Witch, then called Elphaba Thropp, was born from an affair , and was rejected from birth due to her green skin, which led to a troubled childhood full of ridicule and rejection from her father and other children. A few years later, a now older Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) assists her paraplegic younger sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) in enrolling at Shiz University. After further ridicule from the students, Elphaba unintentionally displays her magical abilities, prompting Dean of Sorcery Studies, Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), to offer to privately tutor her.

Having been forced to share a room together, Elphaba and a popular and younger Glinda, then known as Galinda Upland, clash immediately. It is not just their personalities that clash, but also their societal backgrounds, with Elphaba being neglected by her resentful father, and Glinda being spoilt with the vast riches her wealthy, upper class family can easily afford. These contrasting central characters equally assert their domination throughout the film’s first act, most notably through their distinctly personal colour palletes of a densely rich green in the case of Elphaba’s skin and the candyfloss pink of Galinda’s seemingly endless and incredibly stylish wardrobe. Against all the odds, the two frenemies begin to bond during their time at Shiz, with both roomies catching the eye of rebellious prince charming, Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey). As Elphaba’s sorcery levels become more powerful, a curiously impressed Madame Morrible arranges for her to visit the mysterious Wizard of Oz (Jeff Godblum), who can grant her a wish that her heart most desires.

Having effectively gone into my jampacked screening of “Wicked” blind, with no idea as to how the narrative would play out, I found myself pleasantly surprised by the movie’s themes surrounding propaganda and totalitarianism. These obviously stend from the original source material, where it is revealed that the widely worshipped Wizard is nothing more than a conman, who uses cheapy tricks to persuade the masses to carry out his bidding. This does however result in very little conflict, at least in this first half of the story, with us spending most of our witness Elphaba and Galinda’s friendship blossom during their time at the Oz equivalent of Hogwarts. Thankfully this still makes for entertaining viewing , as Erivo and Grande shine in the leading roles that they almost seemed destined for. Erivo has proven throughout her career that her singing capabilities more than matching her acting skills, and she bellows out her built up emotions in a rather spectacular rendition of the musical’s flagship song “Defying Gravity”. The casting of Grande, who has done very little acting work since her early Disney days, is genius. As well as being a talented singer, Grande has an impressively wide vocal range that provides Galinda with an angelic, albeit occasionally piercing, voice. Between them, Erivo and Grande cover the bulk of the musical numbers, and as no surprise to me they absolutely smash every song from start to finish.

The incredibly good looking Jonathan Bailey is equally charming and hilarious as the third cog in the central love triangle, and brings a surprising amount of depth to a character that is clearly hiding his true feelings to keep the enamoured student body forever blushing in his presence. As for the two other major supporting ensemble however, I cannot speak so highly regarding their casting. I am a big fan of both Goldblum and Yeoh, both of whom having enjoyed long and prosperous careers, with the latter recently winning an Academy Award for her excellent work in “Everything Everywhere All at Once”, however, I never for one moment found myself engaged by either of their respective characters. The main source of conflict and antagonism in the narrative comes from their characters, but both actors seemed to me to be perfectly happy playing themselves rather than crafting a unique voice for either the Wizard or Madame Morrible.

Since its premiere, “Wicked” has established itself as a serious awards contender this season, with Erivo, Grande and potentially Bailey seeking Oscar nominations, but the awards the voting body simple cannot deny the film are that in the technical categories. “Wicked” showcases some of the best production design and costume design this year, with the sprawling sets and Galinda’s extensive wardrobe collection transporting audiences back to the Land of Oz. It is by far the most magical depiction of the fictional fantasy world to date, including the original 1939 film. The visuals are only slightly let down at times by over indulging in its use of CGI, which negates the grandeur and spectacle of some scenes.

Director Jon M. Chu has improved upon his own pacing issues, as I never found myself in a lull throughout the lengthy runtime, an issue I did have with his previous musical adaptation of Lin Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights” (2021).

It may have taken its time getting here but the cinematic adaptation of “Wicked” takes flight with a fittingly wonderful first part. Hopefully the cast and crew are able to deliver an equally satisfying conclusion next year.

Wicked is now showing in UK Cinemas

• 2025-2026 Movie Awards Season
  • 2026 Academy Award Final Predictions
  • 2026 Academy Award Predictions: June
  • 2026 Academy Award Predictions: September
• All Movie Reviews & Posts
• Movie Rankings
  • A24 Movies Ranked