Music
Cast members Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo attend a premiere for the film “Wicked” in London, Britain, November 18, 2024. — Reuter pic
New to investing? Versa makes it simple—sign up via the app, invest RM100, and we’ll give you RM10 off as a first-time user . Exclusively for Malay Mail readers: Use code VERSAMM10
Friday, 27 Dec 2024 8:12 PM MYT
LOS ANGELES, Dec 27 — Jon M. Chu, the director behind the musical film Wicked, felt pressure from both himself and the rest of the team at Universal Pictures to make a masterpiece.
“For ourselves to fulfil the promise that we had to these characters when we first walked into this, I’m really excited,” he told Reuters. “We love the show. We love these characters.”
Wicked, based on the Broadway musical hit that tells the story of a green-skinned student of magic who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, pulled in US$114 million (RM509 million) at US and Canadian theatres, and US$50.2 million in international markets during the November 22 opening weekend.
Starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, the movie is the first instalment of a two-part film adaptation of the multi-Tony award-winning Broadway musical of the same name based on the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire, which is based on the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz.”
The first instalment of Wicked: Part 1 was written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, with songs from renowned composer Stephen Schwartz.
The fantasy-musical movie also stars Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage and Michelle Yeoh.
The story follows Elphaba played by Erivo, an outcast young woman because of her green skin, and Galinda played by Grande, a popular young woman, who become friends at Shiz University in the mystical land of Oz. After meeting the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship is met with unforeseen challenges.
Chu views the film as an opportunity to normalise Hollywood’s diverse talent, as the film includes actors of colour, actors with disabilities, LGBTQ+ actors and other historically underrepresented groups.
Making the movie with “real” and “authentic people” in the lead roles was never a question for him.
“To me, it was normalising this stuff. We don’t even have to make it a huge conversation. It just is,” he added.
Following the success of “Wicked,” Chu teases that the second instalment of the film will not disappoint.
“If you think you saw everything of Cynthia and you think you saw everything of Ariana, just wait, because the best is yet to come with them. It is juicy and yummy and all the things. I think people will be satisfied with where we end up.”
Wicked, distributed by Universal Pictures, will be available for at-home streaming that can be purchased digitally on December 31. — Reuters