I Think Wicked Is Impossible to Adapt to Film & Here's Why
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 พ.ค. 2024
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TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Intro
0:53 Sponsored by Parade!
1:42 Let Me Explain The Plot of Wicked Real Quick
6:02 Kayla Returns to Oz
9:30 The Evolution of Prequel Media
11:39 Two Movies Too Much?
13:06 So About That Trailer...
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Music:
• 5 MINUTES OF (No Copyr...
If Ariana Grande hadn’t been cast in the Wicked movie, she would have been green with envy.
In Jon M. Chu’s stage-to-screen adaptation of Stephen Schwartz’s hit Broadway musical, the actress-musician, 30, plays Galinda a.k.a. Glinda the Good - a role she says she coveted over any other.
“I have never wanted something as badly as I did this,” Grande said in a new interview on Amazon Music's Zach Sang Show. “I had no expectations, I was just thankful to go in at all, I was so excited to have the opportunity to audition.”
The “Yes, And?” singer added that she had “been hunting” Marc Platt, producer of both the Tony-winning stage musical and its two-part screen version, for almost a decade. - บันเทิง
![ใจเสาะบนเกาะนาคี - อ๊ะอาย สกุณาพร เสียงวิหค [Official MV] | ค่ายเพลงเป็นหนึ่ง](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/jbcmGQkfyOg/mqdefault.jpg)
I read a comment recently that suggested the reason we, as a society, are so obsessed with nostalgia and remakes right now is because we're not able to envision a meaningful future. I can't stop thinking about it.
no THISSSS I agree so hard
I think we look to the past so much b/c the present looks scary and the future looks even scarier.
I’m not a fan of blanket terms like this that assume everyone is depressed, like I’m a really happy person but I do like watching remakes, sequels and prequels. Why can’t both be true? As a matter of fact wicked actually reminds me of a time I was in a deep depression and almost wanted to die and the wicked soundtrack is all that kept me alive
People have always been obsessed with retelling the same stories over and over again, and if you think things feel “uniquely” bad at this present moment in time… I have some news for you about literally the entirety of human history lol
I honestly think it’s just laziness
if they couldn't have defying gravity without an intermission afterwards, they should have gone old school and had an intermission in the movie! personally i would love to see intermissions come back in film rather than filmmakers expecting everyone to sit through a 3+ hour movie with no breaks
I agree 100%, when I first saw that headline I was like why don’t they just do the Sound of Music thing?
Yeah it’s such a hilarious reason 😆 People will be too emotional to keep watching after Defying Gravity? Audiences watched the Titanic sink and were able to pull themselves together to finish the film.
I keep thinking what The Sound of Music would be like if it just ended with Maria leaving the ball and going back to the convent.
The 1 minute intermission in the Disney Plus version of Hamilton was part of its charm.
Yeah I went to see a screening of 2001: a Space Odyssey and was so thankful for the intermission, I just couldn’t see films like Oppenheimer in cinema with the length
honestly the biggest issue with the modern musical adaptations is that they keep on adapting musicals whose biggest draw is spectacle, the biggest flop being cats. it’s impossible to adapt any musical that works on spectacle because the cool thing about it is seeing them do insane, impossible things live. it loses all of its wonder and draw when it’s just cgi and the musical is no longer impressive. wicked is not going to be good because inherently, it relies on spectacle, and that’s why people keep seeing it.
Yes!!! When I went to see it in November immediately I was drawn in by the opening sequence with the monkeys and even before that the Dragon Theatre and the Map. It’s not really the story itself that is what brings in a lot of people, it’s the theatrics and quality of the show itself and showing such a magical place like Oz in real life. That’s what I love so much about theatre and it doesn’t have the same charm and wow factor on screen.
As a lifelong fan of Cats the musical and it’s biggest defender I absolutely know a way cats could’ve maintained it’s spectacle and that’s if it was done stop motion animation the style of Wes Andersons Fantastic mr. Fox. I think it would’ve elevated it into this artistic sphere that would’ve wowed audiences and retained the charm of it being actual cats and taken advantage of the benefits of film that stage can’t do (I.e. making the cats actually be closer to cats)
There’s concept art for a Stephen Spielberg version of cats that’s 2D animated and I think that would’ve been so good. I also think wicked animated in 2D would give it the same suspension of disbelief as watching it on stage while playing into the themes of the truth behind fairytales, with it seeming magical and Disney esque with the dark side slowly being revealed over time
@@panmoncada7257 , or take some notes from The Cat Returns with how the cats move on 2 legs as well as Rocket Raccoon's movement in the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy.
i personally disagree. a spectacle is still a spectacle wether or not it’s difficult to produce or to perform. it makes it cooler if it’s all done practical but that’s not the spectacle part. your not watching a musical and thinking “wow all the plaster walls and paint they used to make this set really makes it so cool!” you’re thinking “wow it looks so beautiful!” idk if i explained myself correctly but at least for me the awe of a spectacle is always at the forefront of my mind. and then later at home when i’m thinking about it all is when the logistics of how they made that possible come to my mind. i’d also like to point out that cgi is an art and hard to make look good and to master. but regardless im super excited for the movie adaptation and im crossing my fingers its at least decent
I was in a cancelled production of Wicked in middle school and this is the first time I've ever learned how it ended.
How was your school able to do wicked when the rights aren’t even out?
@@izzyc127 Maybe that's why it got cancelled, LOL
@@SolarisMusic yeah just look at the h***phobic production of Hamilton that got into a lot of legal trouble.
@@izzyc127 idk how did illegal heathers happen?
We weren’t allowed to the drama teacher did not get away with it the show was canceled
Regarding splitting it into two movies, I’ll say this: this isn’t IT or DUNE, where the plot of it is so lengthy and dense to where you need to split it in order to get all the essentials in there. Both of those books are so lengthy and full of backstory and plot that it wouldn’t make sense to have it as only one film. It also explains why previous adaptations of both had to be miniseries to get some semblance of adapting them. So in those instance, when actual film adaptations were made, they made the wise choice of doing Part 1 and Part 2.
WICKED, meanwhile… I get that the songs are a large part of it, but I agree, there’s a way to make it one lengthy film while keeping it all in. Unless they add some new stuff to justify the two film length.
yeah like it’s like a two and a half hour musical when you do have the intermission in there. like what are they doing to it that it’s gonna be at least four hours of content?
They are adding in things from the book itself that aren’t in the musical
Oh no. Oh very no.@@user-fe8uq9zp2g
The book has a ton of lore (and things I definitely don't want to see on a big screen), so there's plenty to draw from there.
@@cerrida82exactly
*Every so often, I forget Ariana is white* and every time I remember - I get jump scared.
Same. some years ago finding out she's actually white and not Latina left me gobsmacked. also the time she used to talk with AAVE is yikes 😬
@@Missjunebugfreak SO REAL 😭 I THOUGHT SHE WAS LATINA TOO 😭
@@Missjunebugfreakidk how anyone ever thought she was Latina? lol she never talked about being Latina, engaged with the Latin community etc when people say this it’s silly like not everyone who fake tans looks Latina or mixed. She was just an American girl with fake tan on
@user-fe8uq9zp2g I don't think it's that baffling a concept for people to be misled by a celebrity/agency pushing the AAVE, skin-darkening, appropriative fashion/hair angles, and assume she's Latina after she's deliberately (and offensively) moulded the image.
Fr I straight up forgot she wasn’t Latina and I got so confused this is probably the first time In her life she wasn’t wearing a spray tan
If Wicked crashes in reviews and at the box office then it didn't defy gravity... 🧙♀
You are so right!!!
Just you and l, Applying Gravity!
@@kc-lp6wg
🎵Kiss me goodbye, I'm applying gravity! And you can pull me down...🎵
Grande, come with me... Think of what we could do, together...
🎵Limited, together we're limited...🎵
@@SpectreSaunders Together we'll be the greatest grift there's ever been.
😂😂 you’re so wrong for that
So I have to separate movie musicals from theatre musicals. My favorite movie musical is the adaptation of Chicago, but my favorite theatre musical is probably Phantom of the Opera (more specifically, the 25th anniversary production at Royal Albert Hall).
Phantom goes so hard, good choice
Tasteful
I would agree overall, however some are just bangers that could go both ways. Two of my favorite movie musicals are Top Hat and Cover Girl. I also LOVE An American in Paris, and consider it a true work of art. It works well on the stage, too, but really needs a special cast. Sort of like Phantom of the Opera in that way I guess? Stage musical wise I absolutely love Little Shop of Horrors (also love the film), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, 42nd Street, A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum, and Cats. Basically I like bits of all of them! Some adapt better to film than others, some were MADE to be films, some should ONLY be films, and some are only best on the stage. I think it heavily depends on the writing team and who they can cast
Chicago is probably the best example on how to make the perfect broadway musical to movie adaptation. It's amazing.
@@elizrebezilmadommdo1662 even musical-haters enjoy the film - it's that good! I hold out any hope to fully convert my husband, but still!
Seeing all of the beautiful promo shots just makes me so sad there hasn't been a professional recording of the stage production it would be a HIT.
Agree. I need one, like, yesterday.
OMG YESS i live in argentina so i would never be able to actually see the musical and it makes me so sad since i'm the biggest musical fan. it would be so awesome to have a professional stage recording to finally be able to watch it 😭😭 this is a reason why i'm so excited for the movie but having a stage recording would be awesome
14:19 it's the lens they use! A lot of modern scifi/fantasy films, especially MCU-stuff, uses Ari Prime lenses that make everything look pristine and clean and overly smooth.
So that’s why everything feels plastic! I’m so glad I have an explanation now.
Apparently, a huge reason why the musical is getting two movies is because Jon M. Chu refused to cut any songs from the soundtrack and Universal refused to let him extend the runtime of the movie to fit all the songs. I do think that if they were just doing a straight adaptation of the show and not adding any of the Wizard of Oz stuff, which I think is possible to do, even if it might come it as a little heavy handed, it could still be possible for them to do a full on adaptation of Wicked in one movie, even with some added scenes and songs, without cutting anything, even if it would likely have the runtime of something like Dune Part Two or Oppenheimer, but Universal is clearly targeting multiple demographics with this movie, mainly theater nerds and families, and there’s no way kids are gonna sit still for 2 1/2-3 hours. I don’t know. I think from a visual standpoint, it looks gorgeous and it’s clear that there was a lot of money put into this movie, and I think the casting of the size characters (namely of Goldblum and Yeoh) is amazing, I’m much more apprehensive for it than I should be given my love of the show
I've listened to the Wicked soundtrack countless times and have never seen the actual play. The summary in this video is the first time I've heard the full plot. I learned some new things that I didn't get from the music alone, but I don't think that any of it added to the story in any meaningful way. So if one can just listen to the songs alone and the story is great, then it seems they shouldn't have any problems including all the songs and just cutting out a lot of the other subplots that only serve to tie the story in with The Wizard of Oz.
The actual musical is under 3 hours and kids sit for that all the time. There have been 3 hour MCU movies. Universal is just being greedy and trying to double dip.
could’ve cut dancing through life for sure lol
I think the glaring "problem" I have is the hair design for Glinda.. It doesn't give the same vibe as the musical At All.
I agree with you 100%. It washes Ariana out.
They should’ve left her brows dark and given her bouncy curls. It’s why I don’t trust that Ariana isn’t 100% in the role like she says she is because they pop washed Glinda for sure
@@panmoncada7257they definitely haven’t. Ariana is a die hard Wicked fan. She would not let them ruin the integrity of the character. In recent interviews she has talked in length about how she had to transform not only her look but her singing voice. There’s a reason we no longer see the tan or iconic ponytail. She didn’t want “pop star Ariana” to interfere with Glinda
same with the costumes honestly, the stage ones are so whimsical and everything I've seen from the movie promo looks like the shein version
@@jo_elbYou act like she has a choice, she has no power in the writing room or over the director. Like she's a singer doing a movie, she's not Meryl Streep. Once she signed a contract she has to act in the movie the way they tell her too. At most she can hope the director works with her
The Sound of Music will forever remain my favourite movie musical, I genuinely don’t believe anything created in our lifetimes will be able to surpass it 😭🤚🏼
Preach!
🎶 let’s start at the very beginning 🎶
@@KatieLHall-fy1hw🎵 a very good place to start
So true. It’s just magical. Though Mamma Mia is my favorite but I think Sound of music is genuinely a perfect movie
@@sketchycat6223 absolutely agree
Cynthia Erivo has a stunning voice. That take of the riff at the end of Defying Gravity sounds like she’s screaming. I KNOW there’s a take where she did it better. It’s like ANTM where Tyra’s like “here’s your best shot” and it’s awful and you’re like “I’m sorry, no. There’s no way that was the best shot.”
Cynthia’s voice is incredible, but, despite there being multiple different actresses who have played Elphaba on Broadway, in international versions, on tours, etc. in the 20 years since Wicked debuted on Broadway, the role is forever tied to Idina Menzel, who is an absolute POWERHOUSE vocalist and Cynthia is clearly trying to match that or do something like it and she just.. is not on that level
It is supposed to be a battle cry but that clearly doesn’t mean anything 🙄
@@erikdaniels0nshe has been on broadway for years. Every Elphaba has added their own twist to the defying gravity riff at the end, why is hers any different? I personally like it because it sounds like Elphaba is in excruciating pain.
@@lonellfletcher you try it then
THIS! I was thinking the same thing it’s like me and my mother are looking forward to her doing this, but we both thought she sounded awful at the end
I really want a recording of the complete Menzel-Chenoweth stage version; I can't believe they never did one.
i will be saying "defying gravity still fucks" forever now, thank u kayla
especially in kaylas voice was perfect i cant get over it
As someone who isn't into musicals, Little Shop of Horrors F*CKS literally every song is a banger. Check out the movie adaptation if you haven't seen it! Written by Little Mermaid/Beauty & the Beast/Partial Aladdin geniuses Alan Menken & Howard Ashman
So true! I really wanted to see the recent revival on Broadway with Jeremy Jordan, but tickets were so expensive :(
Facts!
When you said it looks like Wonka ….FUCKING THIS YES
So much cgi so little practicals 😭 esp for a show where the set design is so dynamic and iconic idk how they keep making dumbass cgi decisions like this
@@panmoncada7257this is wrong. Most of the film is practical and only the surrounding environments are cgi enhanced. The emerald city, Shiz and munchkin land were all physical sets that they filmed on
it reminded me of ONCE UPON A TIME lol
@@jo_elbEXACTLY. THIS! THIS! People are just finding reasons to complain at this point. I believe this movie will be AMAZING 🤩
Uh no. "Wonka" was trash and wicked is actually gonna be good. They also filmed on actually sets built from the ground up.
One of my criticisms for this movie is that Ariana and Cynthia don't look like they are the same age. Even though they are only 7 years in age, because of the costuming on Ariana, she looks much much younger. I don't buy that those two are classmates..
That is true. I think if they gave Ariana more mature hair styling and costuming- she would have looked over 30, at least for the latter half of the movie
Yes, the actress playing Elphaba looks a lot older.
Well the original characters were literally in their mid 30s when they played this, age shouldnt been a issue unless if they cross the 20th or 45th mark, their ages are okay.
I was obsessed with the book(Confessions of an ugly stepsister is also fire) the musical was based on. So I'm confused why not just adapt the book? It's incredibly dark and moody. Why do we need another cgi musical? If you're going to do the musical at least put money into sets, costumes and props. Audiences are directly comparing your film to Wizard of Oz and a beloved musical... And its like Studios don't care anymore they just shrug their shoulders and put out w.e. lol
I keep hearing they are adapting both which is the real reason why it is 2 parts.
The size of the book is a perfect reason to divide the film.
The book has many complex themes the play could not tackle.
I hope they combine them well.
And someone said the roses are real. There are practical sets and props, but they needed to use CGI for the stuff they can’t physically do.
I was hoping they’d someday turn the books into a tv show. I think they originally planned to turn the book into a film way back, but then it was in development purgatory for forever and Marc platt got ahold of it. Hope they don’t skip out on the gay stuff
Actually, to adapt the books WAS the original plan! Marc Platt had the adaptation rights to Wicked first, but Stephen Schwartz asked to give him the rights for a stage musical instead. Marc did, and then waited 20+ years to adapt the musical version of the movie he wanted to do in the first place.
@@gabrielleduplessis7388 oooooooh. If that's the case I am actually cautiosly excited for this? I see the musical and book as almost separate entities because of the tone so seeing those mixed could be interesting? Right?? I hope we're right :')
the mean girls clip 😭
The agressive zoom, the bad singing, her voice, the angle, I CAN'T 😭😭😭
See the common troupe that I think exploded because of Wicked is the "misunderstood villian". There are very few villians that can get away with it.
What filmmakers and studios don’t seem to understand is that the 2-part movie worked for Harry Potter because the series was one long story. Separating the last movie didn’t halt the story any more than any other movie did. Also, the first and second parts were made very well. It wasn’t just a money grab or an excuse to add a lot of nonsense that didn’t matter to the story.
Separating Wicked into two parts has completely drained all of my interest. There’s no reason for it. The pacing will be all wrong. It’s supposed to feel a little chaotic. That’s what The Wizard Of Oz was like too.
There's something about the movie musicals where it has gotten harder and harder to separate the actor from the character. It doesn't feel like we're watching Galinda. We're just watching Arianna Grande play her.
It's been like that for me since 2014's Into the Woods. I can still think the movie is good, but it almost makes the song scenes look out of place when you're thinking it's Chris Pine singing, and not the Prince.
you are exactly right, i've been saying that too with ariana playing galinda
I’m so glad that’s the audio you used at the end, it lives rent-free in my brain
The original technicolor Wizard of Oz movie was also based on the first book in the Oz book series by L. Frank Baum, so it’s even deeper! It was a book that was adapted as a movie-musical and then reimagined as the Wicked novel by Gregory Maguire adapted into a stage musical by Winnie Holzman and now adapted into a movie-musical! That’s five layers deep of adaptation.
I think it could have been done personally, but I don’t think it can be done with the techniques they used for movies and movie musicals today. Also Ariana Grande was the biggest miscast.
Honestly listen to the snippets of her singing no one mourns the wicked she sounds very good. I think people will be shocked
Favorite musical is Waitress, by far!
And I love that they made the theater smell like pie!
She Used To Be Mine is one of my favorite songs ever, based choice
@@kaylasaysShoshana bean OWNS that song. It’s truly on of the greatest songs ever made.
Huge Waitress fan as well.
I LOVE WAITRESS 💙
@@kaylasaysdid you watch the movie/proshot???? It was incredible
Personally, I don’t know if it’s the best musical I’ve ever experienced, but I highly highly highly recommend Stray Gods. It’s a video game musical where you play as Grace, a singer who’s been accused of murdering one of the Muses and has accidentally inherited her powers. You sing your way through the story with some of the Greek gods, and get to choose how to play out each song and affect the story. It’s a bit of an unusual one but really really good and I really recommend checking it out.
A lot of elphaba’s take creative liberties with the end of defying gravity but i will always love idina’s the most
I agree, I didn’t really have confidence in Wicked being a movie, but I think the fact that it’s being split into two parts might be making it worse. Movies like Dealthy Hallows worked because the book itself was long and detailed. But for wicked like you said the first act is the most exciting.
I'll be honest, I really wanted to see Liz Gillies as Elphaba since she's best friends with Ari and I've been a stan of hers for over a decade. That said, I think Cynthia is going to fucking kill it.
WAIT THAT WOULD'VE BEEN SUCH A GOOD CHOICE
That was my personal pick as well
Along with Dove Cameron as Galinda
@@FormalFilmsProductions you literally read my mind because Dove was also my choice to play Glinda.
@@FormalFilmsProductionsDove is in her emo era though I doubt she’d take a role that brings her back to an image she left behind to be more authentic.
I was so happy to see this thumbnail and tbh wholeheartedly agreed on premise before even hearing your points (which were very good, as it turns out!). 😂 Wicked seems IMPOSSIBLE to bring to the screen, outside of filming the stage play with all the camp trappings that make the bangers seem larger than life. Film gets critiqued so differently than theatre, and this play seems so awkward to adapt to those standards, story-wise, and otherwise… it’s the kind of play that can’t survive without dazzling you, without breaking that immersion a little, and saying “hey! You’re watching THEATRE!” 🎉🤘
idk if I’m articulating this well, but I think it’s a story that needs to be received WITH some disbelief; the second it gets too “real”, it dies.
Great Comet, I saw it for my birthday and got to sit onstage during act 2. The music in that show is gorgeous and they were completely robbed at the Tony Awards.
oh yes I am a Great Comet Truther lol, really enjoyed it when I saw it. I think it came out like 5 years too early imo it was so ahead of it's time
@@kaylasays They should definitely revive it or at least do a concert version!
A film adaptation could work. Par down the story, and center Glinda and Elphaba’s relationship even more. But it doesn’t seem that they’re doing either. And yes, it does look too “blockbuster”. Also, I still feel both Ariana and Cynthia are miscast. So, it probably could work. But I don’t think the people behind the scenes were willing to do things to make it work, and work as one film in particular.
Why does Elphaba singing Defying Gravity sound like someones neice singing the national anthem at a ball game
Not always the case, but i heard someone once explain that when adapting a theatre musical to film it typically works best if animated, due to both animation and theatre requiring you to suspend your disbelief more than a live action film does
That might have been Howard Ashman, the lyricist for the first few films of the Disney renaissance. He took inspiration from musical theatre when writing the songs.
That makes perfect sense and I agree.
If the movie does poorly, I hope it doesn’t negatively affect the stage show.
I’m pretty sure the show will be fine I wouldn’t worry that much.
I think my favorite musical might be the 1962 movie adaptation of The Music Man. Robert Preston's performance as Professor Harold Hill comes back to me at the most random times, and I enjoy every moment of those memories.
Agreed!
Music Man slaps
Watched Wicked last year and wholeheartedly agree the first act is way stronger than the second. Not to say I didn't have a great time, I absolutely did but I couldn't figure out why I felt the second act was weaker. You pointing out that it felt like they were just trying to tie stuff back to OG Wizard of Oz nailed it on the head. Thank you.
My favorite musical is Hadestown. It was such a magical experience to see it live.
I get what you mean, but I still think its worth it to think about accessibility. Broadway just doesn't allow for many people to see. Including me as someone who lives in south America. Even if the movie doesn't have the same effect as the show, it still will reach more people and I'm excited to force all my friends and family to watch it with me. It doesn't need to be perfect it just needs not to suck too much
This is why I like when they film the stage play and show it in theaters.
Id go even further than saying it looks like CGI. Some of these renders look AI generated. I wouldn't be surprised if they were.
As far as the "battle cry" at the end of Defying Gravity, it wasn't what I expected either but it quickly grew on me. It's sounds passionate, and like...emotionally pained but triumphant. Its just enough like the source material, and doesn't sound "masturbatory" like some of the modern Elphaba showboats that populate the history of the Broadway/tour runs.
My personal favorite musical is Hadestown not because of one specific song standing out, but as a whole in story telling and world building there’s a video by Schaffrilis productions (idk if I spelled that right 💀) who could explain it better than I could why it’s so good. It doesn’t have a typical musical sound which works so well. Plus it’s a retelling of a greek mythology story with a more modern setting. Everything about it is so✨✨✨
musical theatre is my special interest and wicked was my “gateway drug” so it will always have a special place in my heart. I can’t pick a favorite but my tops are Sweet Charity, Hair, Hello Dolly, How To Succeed in Business without Really Trying, and most of Rodger and hammerstein’s work.
Omg I'm so early. The best musical I've ever seen was the Deaf West production of Spring Awakening
i saw that too! back in 2015 :) such an amazing production
As someone who loves the book, I really want to see how they expand on the themes Maguire wanted in the play. It will make the songs even more impactful. Also, taking stuff from the books will elaborate more on the dynamics of Elphaba, Nessa, and their parents.
I really hope they combine the book and musical well. Because I love both.
Still debating if I want them to use the original ending or the play’s.
I really doubt they’ll use the book’s ending.
If a major reason they’re splitting it into two films is because they were adamant on keeping all the songs, then the plot has to be that of the musical. Changing the ending of the story you’ve been telling for 99% of the runtime to match that of a completely different story - with the reasoning being ‘to be more book accurate’ makes absolutely no sense. Especially when it’s darker and undoubtedly less marketable.
If they have decided to go with the book’s ending they’re doomed. Pretty much everyone will be seeing a Wicked movie because of the musical, and many - probably most - of those people won’t have read the book. Because in this instance, the musical is the equivalent of the book. If they were going to straight up adapt the book, people might be understanding enough, but it’s the musical, and ending it like the book will leave people going WTF.
I honestly don’t know how much from the book you could include; because they’re both wildly different. Shiz is more or less the same, but nothing that happens after that in the book is even remotely close to what we see on stage. There’s very little you could add that wouldn’t derail the plot entirely.
I could see them inadvertently ruining the plot somewhat, with the reasoning of being more book-accurate, but I doubt they’ll flip the switch at the last minute and end it like the book. Like everything in Hollywood, they won’t want to take any risks, and I think they would see doing that as risky. (And honestly, in my opinion a bad idea.)
They said they are adding things form the book and that’s why it’s two hours long!
@@user-fe8uq9zp2g I don’t think adding stuff from the book is impossible; they’d just have to be careful with what they chose and how much detail they went into. The first part of the book is Elphie’s childhood, and the second part is Shiz, so they can probably include bits from those no problem, but anything after that is such a complete 180 from the show that it’s impossible to tell both stories with the same amount of detail, so they’d have to be very careful about not having it derail the musical’s storyline as the main plot.
BOOK SPOILERS BELOW:
As an example: I could see them giving Fiyero the childhood arranged marriage thing he has in the book and maybe Elphie could even meet his wife when she flees to castle for ‘No Good Deed.’ But you couldn’t give it the same level of detail as it gets in the book, because that goes at odds with what happens in the show.
i think it'd be really awkward to combine the two, even though i wish for that too, because i also really love the book. it'd be awkward because book elphaba and musical elphaba are two completely different characters; are they going for a sweet, misunderstood fiery girl in search of love? or the girl born with shark teeth who's both given up on the world while still desperately trying to "save" it, because she can't help it. book elphaba was 5 minutes too late in killing madame morrible; she doesn't believe herself to be in possession of a soul, she hates children, she's a creep at times; and she can never win, though you keep wanting her to, because you find yourself rooting for her (it's ironic that someone with so much passion and heart cannot see the undeniable soul that lies within). musical elphaba wins some and loses some; book elphaba is genuinely tragic. musical elphaba gets the guy (the one saving grace; the love triangle storyline). book elphaba loses fiyero to murder and, upon losing everyone else in her life, while not quite allowing herself the time or space to properly grieve, goes insane. it'll be interesting, but i don't think such a combo will end up working too well
though i could be wrong!
@@michelle58947 i was just thinking the desperately trying to save the world part.
And the dynamics between her and Nessa a bit more. I felt the play did not delve into it that much.
Oh and I wanted to see Liam make an appearance for the second half if they were following the book. Is there a way we can do that and have both of his parents live? Unsure.
Gotta agree, even if we are 8 months away I feel the Wicked film is gonna be a bumpy ride
Favorite/best musical is definitely Come From Away, I went in knowing absolutely nothing about the show and came out sobbing it was an EXPERIENCE
As a theater kid my favorite musical would be Cabaret, Grease, Six, hadestown, and a Chorus line. My favorite musical that I have seen was Anastasia and Betty boop the musical in Chicago which was a pre-Broadway try out.
My favorite musical is Legally Blonde, it's so fun! Best show I've seen? I saw Ian McKellen in King Lear on the West End in 2018 which was amazing
I was hoping Mean Girls would have been successful so we could have gotten a good Legally Blonde musical movie!
11:25 As someone living in a small Pacific island, I believe its important to have film versions of musicals instead of me paying 1000s of dollars to visit Broadway to watch my dream shows.
Thank you so much for adding that "Wicked Witch of the East Bro" clip at the end!
I recently subscribed, went through a bunch of your videos, and really resonate with your commentary! Your drag race videos were my gateway and now I keep coming back for more pop culture opinions.
I saw the 2009 revival of West Side Story directed by the original librettist, Arthur Laurents. That's an experience that stuck with me vividly for years. Oh and the phenomenal Hunchback of Notre Dame at the Papermill Playhouse! I expected nothing going into that one and was blown away by how beautiful it was. Along with West Side Story, I'd also count Fiddler on the Roof, Chess, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Legally Blonde among my favorites.
I wish musicals were adapted into animation movies more often instead of live-action
My issue with this take on Defying Gravity is like: if you want to sing about defying gravity, why the fuck are you going *down* with your notes??? I get innovation, I get imitating Idina, I get opting up to represent soaring. Going down like that just feels like giving in to gravity 😭😭
My favorite musical as a teen was Spring Awakening for sure; now my favorite musical as an adult might be ...tick tick BOOM (but maybe because I'm closing in on 30)
Falsettos is hands down my favorite musical of all time no questions asked
Incredibly true
I would also add that the connection between Elphaba and Glinda is really a driving force that made the second act interesting to me. So I'm curious to see how the film/s will interpret it, the second act really relies on the emotional connections established in the first to keep the audience engaged. Great video!
A lot of stuff worries me about this Wicked movie, but one of my biggest worries comes from its director: Jon M. Chu. He was also the director of the In The Heights movie, which got butchered by turning the second act of Washington Heights learning to overcome its flaws and become a stronger community into a message about how Latinos are flawless little people (except Usnavi and Kevin for some reason) whose biggest problem is that they suffer from the racism of white people. As a Latina I found this change to be very degrading as well as heartbreaking since In The Heights is my second favorite musical (right behind Beetlejuice) and I wanted the movie adaptation to be almost completely faithful like a bunch of others before it were. No hate to the lovely actress of course, but because of that drastic change made made to In The Heights, part of me wonders if Elphaba’s casting means the Wicked movie’s gonna lean hard into the trope of “all black characters must overcome racism” when the original point was that she’s seen as a freak because her skintone’s not normal whatsoever.
I remember that they tried conceptualizing an animated version once and that looks like the best idea for it. Maybe. Considering everything ripped Wicked off though, it feels awful now to try doing it.
A Strange Loop is the best musical I've ever seen by far
I don`t want to be a dick,I`ve never seen the musical,in fact,this is my first time hearing about it in terms of its plot,but as a huge fan of Wizard of Oz...I must admit I didn`t expect it to be *THIS convoluted* . Don`t get me wrong,I was expecting extra,as I like musicals just fine,but hearing you describe bits and pieces of it just made me go:Wowie,isn`t that a lot.
Maybe because Wizard of Oz is such a straightforward story for me,with such easy to remember characters,that just you listing off side plots and characters` names made my head spin. But I`m not surprised they`re making two movies,it`s so much material to cover...
I’m guessing that the extended runtime is going to be used to go more in depth & expand on a lot more details from the novel.
I'm still clamoring for a Cyberpunk movie musical of Urinetown
Omg YES
My favorite musical is Falsettos! The casting is superb and their voices and personalities mix SO well. I don't usually cry over most things in media, but every time I go back to watch it, I always end up crying. It's such a beautiful musical and I'm glad that it revived March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland.
The best musical I've seen was the Korean version of Dracula which I saw just a few weeks ago in Seoul. They rewrote the story and imo made it so much better! My favourite though is Elizabeth (the musical about Empress Sissi of Austria and Hungary)
I adore Elisabeth. I would love an English soundtrack.
I remember when I saw wicked being incredibly bored by the second act. I don't think I'm going to see part two just because of that.😊
thank you for the outro audio cuz i kept thinking about that video while watching this.
great video as always! my fav musical will always be hadestown. it’s just SO good
My favorite musical is Hadestown. I absolutely love it.
The best musical I've ever seen is Les Miserables on West End in may last year. These people were so good I had basically goosebumps from the end of act 1 all the way through act 2. My favourite musical is I think Aida, the dutch adaption playing right now. It was the first time i felt like i needed to jot down what lines they said as it was so so so comparable with things happening right now. The decor was minimal but beautifully done and so impressive. Might also be because it is the last one ive seen but it's sad it will be only one season and this cast needs more recognition.
After being obsessed with spring awakening, I went and saw American Idiot with John Gallagher Jr and Billie Joe Armstrong and it honestly is probably the best performance I’ve seen on broadway
I really hate that they’re making this two movies…even if it was one 3 hour movie, or if they released an extended cut later, I would’ve infinitely preferred that to the two parter. Also yeah, idk what was up with the lighting/color grading/editing but Ariana (and a lot of other characters) look extremely washed out
Anyway, best musical I’ve ever seen: The Hunchback of Notre Dame at the Paper Mill Playhouse several years back
Favorite musical: RENT cuz I’m basic and gay
Same. Lord of the Rings movies are long, so there's no excuse. A movie CAN be long
Lost it at the relevant tiktok audio at the end 😂 I am honestly just so happy for Cynthia, going from that incredible early role in Widows to this? What a career trajectory! It’s why I hope they treat this movie with care, she deserves it! Someone like Ariana can afford a flop, so that’s why I fear they’re not treating the movie adaptation with thought, intention and care. Let’s cross our fingers and toes for it ppl 🤞
the book is a lot richer plot-wise, the construction of gregory's oz and its political climate is so well done, i'm not sure if remember well but i think i read somewhere that they'll put some of the book story on the movies, if they do that i think two movies will fit very well.
I'm a huge wicked fan and of course i'm scared they'll mess up my favorite musical but i'll have hope and wait to see the movies expecting the best from them
Look I love theater, I love Wicked, and I work in the industry. But damn I am just not excited for these movies - so thank you for articulating my feelings here. My friends and colleagues were all dying at the trailer and I was like uhhh I am not convinced and seeing it did not make me any more excited. Interested to see what happens.
And to answer the question: fave musicals are probably Parade and American Idiot. (but also so hard to choose... Spring Awakening, Rent, and Next to Normal were all so influential on me growing up). Best I've seen though is probably Hadestown. Every time I leave that theater I'm like damn that is the best theatrical experience I've ever had.
I LOVE the musical, have seen it multiple times, love everything OZ related. I am so hyped for these films. I also am big fans of both leads.
I saw Murder Ballad in the West End and am obsessed. Its areally small show (4 people total) and its completely sung through so go listen wherever. The west end cast was such a gag. Ramin Karimloo (best known for phantom and les mis), Kerry Ellis (maybe one of the best elpabas of all time), Victoria Hamilton-barratt (of ALWs Cinderella) and Norman Bowman (of ALWs Sunset boulavard)
Girl ur curvature slayed In that sponsor segment!
The 2 part dilemma could have been solved if they added an intermission like in old time movies and the show. No need to split things.
The one musical film I truly love and enjoy is Milos Forman's Hair. It makes me cry like a baby every time. I wonder if anybody feels the same?
kayla saying 'i grew up in the new york city area' always reminds me of the grand hotel commercial lady saying 'my husband works in this area'
I agree 100% about your criticism about Ariana’s look. Her hair does make her look washed out and the eyebrows as well.
I saw Kimberly Akimbo and Parade last year, and they were both incredible.
Wicked was the first musical I watched live and it changed my life. I've never been to Broadway, saw it on the West End. It's probably my favorite musical, because of how much it got to me, back when I first watched it. One year later, I found out they were going to perform Wicked in my country and the first showing would be on my birthday. Felt like fate, honestly.
That being said, I agree with all of your points. I'll watch both parts because I know myself, but you are completely right. And, yup, the first act is infinitely better than the second.
Anyway, I really hope they surprise me and don't adapt just the musical, but use it to complement the book. I think the decision to split it into two movies works if they use sections of the book.
Spring Awakening is one of my favorite musicals. Wicked is up there too for sure!
“The best songs are in act one” is a statement I can’t get behind. For Good alone makes that statement untrue, but add in As Long as Your Mine, No Good Deed, and heck even Finale will bring me to tears on the right day. I honestly think splitting it into two movies is the right choice. It gives the story more room to breathe. They can expand the story using stuff from the book, and throw in some new songs (gotta go for that best original song Oscar). Trying to jam it all into one film would give us a movie like Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, too much story with not enough time to tell it all.
Thank you! I think both acts are great. They just have different tones.
My Wicked special interest is thriving this year
We’re in the same boat. The Wizard of Oz (and all of the Oz books by L Frank Baum) were my very first special interest! That led to my Wicked special interest, which led to a general theatre special interest.
Being from Indiana, I'm not used to seeing actual theater musicals, and have mainly seen the film versions. Some movie musicals I love are _Hairspray_ , _West Side Story_ (both original and remake), _Chicago_ , and _Annie_ .
Theatre nerds might not agree with me, but I actually enjoyed the _Into the Woods_ movie. Meryl Streep's performance as the Witch was EVERYTHING and deserved the Oscar nomination.
Although the musical is superior (the cast with Bernadette Peters is my overall fav), I still think the movie is great on its own. However, the musical has an edge over the movie as it can expand more on the story and is faithful to darker aspects of the original fairy tales. I think the main complaint of the film being "less darker" is valid, but it _is_ still a Disney film. It was dark enough to include Red and her grandmother eaten, and the stepsisters' self-dismemberment and blinding. Still, killing Rapunzel in the musical was too much for me, despite my love for "The Witch's Lament."
When it comes to actual musicals, _Hadestown_ is a refreshing experience. As someone very particular about mythological accuracy (this _is_ my wheelhouse, people), I appreciate the way they still kept true to the myth, even with creative liberties. I also enjoyed _Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat_ as well as _Young Frankenstein: The Musical_ and _Avenue Q_ . If it's funny and crass, I'll watch.
As a fan of the OG 1939 film, Wicked the Musical, and Ariana Grande - and the knowledge that Ariana herself has Broadway experience and is specifically a huge fan of the source material, I have faith that she’ll do it justice.
This and the Joker 2 musical are the two hugest movies I’ve ever anticipated… imagine if her and Gaga are both nominated for best supporting actress at the Oscar’s.
The Stan wars are going to be insane.
it's great that you've grown up being able to see Wicked on Broadway whenever you want, but some of us who don't live in the USA, or even in areas where professional theatre is so easily accessible, that's why there's so much excitement for the movie, coz we get to experience it now on a professional level too.
As for the casting, i disagree that it's random, because you can't argue Cynthia is straight up a Broadway queen, and Ariana also has a Broadway background, and grew up loving Wicked just as much as any of us.
A movie based off the book would make a much better film.
Wicked was the first musical I ever saw and it meant everything to fifteen year old me. And in the wake of the new Australian production (yay for showing them at 2:03) I’ve rediscovered just how much I love it. Not only have I seen it again, but I also just reread the book series.
I really do enjoy the book, despite being so different, so I’m down to see another spin on the story here. But with them splitting it up into two movies, I’m intrigued as to what they will add. Everything that happens after the meeting with the Wizard in the book is so completely different from anything in Act II that there’s no way you can add anything from it into the story if you want to follow the musical’s plot all the way through. The only thing from the book I could see them adding is stuff from the second part, where they’re at Shiz; but I think that would only further highlight they’re padding the runtime.
However, if they were to take Nessarose in the direction of the book, I would love that. Nessa’s story is capital P Problematic, and - while it’s not great - is better in the book. (I’m not saying spoilers, but if you’ve read the book you probably know what I’m talking about)
This thing has been so long in development that I feel like giving us a pro-shot of the musical would’ve just been easier. I’m still intrigued by the film, but I’d much, much rather a pro-shot.
(My favourite show is also Hamilton: I’m also basic)
Yaasss. Parade is SOOO good. My favorite musical is Company.
My favourite musical I have ever seen live is probably Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812. I recently saw it in Toronto and I was the most electrified I have ever been seeing a show. I am also a huge Dave Malloy fan in general and think he is one of the most creative composers working right now. As for my favourite musical of all time- probably Pacific Overtures by Stephen Sondheim, arguably his most ambitious and controversial show but also easily one of (if not his all time) best. It is a great show with a fascinating story, unique staging that blends American and Japanese traditions, and some of Sondheim's greatest music ever. Sondheim considered the song "Someone in a Tree" to be his masterpiece and I wholeheartedly agree, though other songs like "The Advantages of Floating in the Middle of the Sea", "Chrysanthemum Tea", "There is No Other Way", "Please Hello", and "Next" are all absolutely fantastic and certain lines just stick with me for all time.
great video!!
The last time I saw Wicked on Broadway 2 years ago the Elphaba repeated a line in Defying Gravity and I was SHOOK. I get that shit happens, it's live theatre, but it was wild to hear such an iconic song get screwed up. Other than that it definitely still holds up and was a great show all around! Favorite musical would have to be Hadestown, seeing Andre De Shields was amazing.
I will say that I agree with the general consensus that they shouldn't have given away the riff in the trailer (but maybe it's a decoy?). I have so many reservations about this film. For my favorite musical, Cabaret. Best musical I've seen on Broadway, The Great Comet and Crazy for You.
Thank you for pointing how weird Ariana looks! Not really a fan of her anymore after the Ethan Slater thing, but they're doing her dirty with those eyebrows. I think they're trying to make her look like a natural blonde, but like you said, it just makes her washed out. I have naturally blonde hair and brows, and I darken my brows to give my face more contrast because if i dont i look like an alien 😂
Loved this video. I have one request, as a fan: could you use other parts of your vocie, besides your head voice. It makes me anxious or too alert for some reason.
Favorite musicals, huh? Okay so the musical that never fails to make me *happy* is actually the Spongebob Musical, but I think Into the Woods and Les Mis are some of the objectively best musicals out there, at least that I'm familiar with.
I think this movie will be a success regardless of what Wicked fans think (which I think they will hate, no matter what; since theatre fans are ruthless. Even with alternate casts on stage, they are ruthless.) The Wizard of Oz is a classic film that many still highly regard. It also caters to all age groups; making its potential for success endless. Do I have concerns for some of it? Sure, especially considering Grande’s casting. But I don’t think this will be a major flop. There’s already a built in fan base.