It took over 20 years, but the smash hit stage musical Wicked finally made its way to the big screen last year, and it was actually worth the wait. Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo played Elphaba, the woman who would become the Wicked Witch of the West; and pop star Ariana Grande played Galinda, the woman who would become the Good Witch of the North. And also there were other people. It turns out that casting performers who can actually sing in your musical pays off, and the first Wicked movie went on to be a critical and commercial success.
I didn't even mind that director Jon M. Chu split the movie in two. The second and final part is coming to theaters on November 21, exactly a year after the first movie bowed. It's called Wicked: For Good. Watch the trailer above.
When last we left our heroes, Elphaba had had it up to here with the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) lying to the people and decided to oppose him. She wanted Galinda, now Glinda, to join her on her rebel crusade, but Glinda, ever-ambitious, chose to stay with the Wizard. Wicked: For Good will catch up with both of them, along with Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey), to whom both woman have romantic ties. We also see a bit of Dorothy and her traveling companions from the original Wizard of Oz, who show up in this movie. I dunno how to feel about the Cowardly Lion just being...a lion rather than a lion-man.
I can already tell people are going to love this. The second half of Wicked isn't as neat as the first, nor does it have a big show-stopping number like "Defying Gravity." It's knottier and messier, and after how well this cast and crew handled the first movie, I'm ready for that.
And there are good songs. The trailer leans heavily on the big emotional climax of the movie, the song "For Good." And obviously the relationship between Elphaba and Glinda remains at the heart of the movie, as it does in the stage show.
See you round Thanksgiving.
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