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United States Wicked Producer Defends Splitting Film into Two Parts: 'There's So Much More to Explore'
Summary
- According to producer Marc Platt, Wicked was split into two parts to avoid cutting songs and to satisfy fans of the musical.
- Director Jon M. Chu aims for Wicked to be the grandest, most spectacular, epic musical experience of all time.
- Wicked opens in theaters on November 27 and Wicked: Part Two drops nearly a year later on November 26, 2025.
All paths on the yellow brick road lead back to Oz this fall. And with the release of the teaser trailer during the Super Bowl, fans now have their first look at the big-screen adaptations of Wicked. And Producer Marc Platt is satisfied with splitting the movie into two parts because “there’s so much more to explore.” Platt said in an exclusive interview with Vanity Fair:
“We didn’t want to end up making one four-hour movie and then cutting out songs. We want to satisfy the fans of the musical. Film allows you to create a place and a time — a university like Shiz, an extraordinary Emerald City governor’s mansion. There's so much to explore."
Wicked
In the Broadway musical, Wicked’s intermission comes just after Elphaba (Idina Menzel) and Glinda (Kristin Chenoweth) perform the hit song, Defying Gravity. As the song progresses, Elphaba takes flight as she escapes from the Wizard’s (Joel Grey) inept guards. This is likely where the film will be split in two, also. Director Jon M. Chu said in the same interview:
Wicked on the biggest screen had the opportunity to be the grandest, most spectacular, epic musical experience of all time. It was just like, ‘Let’s put everything into this.’
‘Wicked Through and Through’
For those who aren’t familiar with the Broadway musical, fans were probably surprised to catch a glimpse of Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion in the first teaser trailer for the big-screen adaptations of Wicked. However, the prequel to The Wizard of Oz (1939), pays a tremendous amount of homage to the classic film — not to mention the Oz books by L. Frank Baum. And then's there's author Gregory Maguire’s Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. Director Jon M. Chu said in the same interview:
“This is the American fairy tale. We are in a time where we are reassessing the story of life in America. What is truth? What is a happy ending? Is the yellow brick road the road to follow? Is someone really there on the other end who’s going to give you your heart’s desire?”
Why Wicked Will Be the Next Barbie Movie
Sometimes, people don't realize they have a hit until it hits. But Wicked is already creating a ton of buzz.Ariana Grande portrays Glinda and Cynthia Ervio plays Elphaba in Wicked. Both have big shoes to fill because Idina Menzel won the Tony for Best Actress for her portrayal of Elphaba, aka the Wicked Witch, while co-star Kristin Chenoweth was nominated for the same honor. And Grande understands the importance of their on-screen chemistry because it’s central to bringing the characters’ beautiful friendship to life. Grande told Vanity Fair:
[It’s] a really selfless love and friendship. They’re both each other’s first real friend, a person who accepts them for everything that they are.
Erivo added:
“Once they figure out that they’re actually different sides of the same coin, they see each other clearly. We are all different and the same, and the differences that we have actually make us really special. Hopefully, we use those differences to introduce ourselves to one another. We aren’t pushing people away because they’re different, but we’re opening up because they’re special.”
Wicked opens in theaters on November 27, while Wicked: Part Two opens almost a year later on November 26, 2025. And for those who may have missed it, be sure to check out the first teaser trailer for Wicked right now.
