After its 1939 debut, the classic story of “The Wizard of Oz” featuring young Dorothy Gale taking on the big bad Wicked Witch of the West became a beloved hit — but what if that wasn’t really how it happened?
Wicked is based on the Tony Award-winning musical of the same name and the original novel by L. Frank Baum. It retells the well-known story through Glinda and Elphaba in their younger years. Glinda is the popular, prissy schoolgirl excited to attend Shiz University to become a sorceress, while Elphaba, the green witch who has always been ostracized, is only focused on helping her sister Nessarose. Glinda and Elphaba unexpectedly become roommates, and although they hate each other at first, that hatred blossoms into a friendship. The movie comes to a dramatic end (for now) when Glinda and Elphaba find themselves grappling with the intricacies of morality and ultimately choose whether to stand up for what they believe is right — or not.
Director Jon M. Chu’s lively movie musical brings Broadway flair to the big screen. Starring pop sensation Ariana Grande as Glinda and Broadway legend Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Wicked is poised to be one of the biggest hits of the year. With countless brand collaborations including Stanley Cups, Target, Aerie, and Monopoly even before its premiere date of Nov. 22, Wicked was making countless headlines. As of Dec. 2, the film has 89% on Rotten Tomatoes and already has garnered $359,270,510 in revenue at the box office.
Even though the long runtime of two hours and 40 minutes can be daunting — especially considering this movie only tells half of the story, with part two set to release on Nov. 21, 2025 — I consider the almost three hours to be time well spent. Every second was action-packed, and I felt emotionally connected to the storyline. After the cliffhanger ending, where Elphaba flies away as a wrongfully accused fugitive after performing Defying Gravity, the audience is left on the edge of their seats awaiting part two. Part one, roughly as long as the original musical, allows for a greater connection to the characters and an understanding of their backgrounds and motivations, which makes the end all the more rewarding.
Both Grande and Erivo gave standout performances and were a powerhouse duo, not only vocally but also through their acting, immersing the audience in their relationship and the complexities of the two characters, making the roles their own. The rest of the cast was also filled with notable actors such as Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, and Jeff Goldblum as the wizard who ensured every moment on screen was worth watching. For Broadway fans, the movie notably included a cameo by Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, the original Broadway actresses for Glinda and Elphaba.
Don’t be intimidated if you aren’t familiar with the musical — “Wicked” seamlessly navigates the audience through the plot combining cinematic shots with classic Broadway dance numbers, most impressively in the numbers “No One Mourns the Wicked,” “Dancing through Life,” and “What is this Feeling?” This movie is perfect not only for fans of the Broadway show but for anyone looking for a good time.
